USDA Displays Diversity

TOPICS:
A crew from the USDA, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oterra helped harvest the carrots in the trial. Pictured, from left, are Michael Paulsmeyer, Tom Horejsi, Phil Simon, Erin Lalor, Kevser Ozel, Inga Bach and Gunay Yildiz.

May 30, 2024

Click to listen to this article

Photos courtesy Kevser Ozel, University of Wisconsin

The 2024 USDA carrot hybrid trial illustrated the broad range of possible options available to growers. The trial, planted at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center in El Centro, California, in mid-October 2023, featured 76 baby carrots, 87 cello types and 90 novelty types of different shapes and colors.

Colorful novelty carrots caught the eye of carrot fans and scientists viewing the USDA carrot hybrid trial.

Following a relatively normal growing season, carrots from each entry were dug and displayed with tops attached shortly before a field day in early March. The approximately 50 seed company reps, carrot growers, researchers and students in attendance scored entries for traits such as uniformity, shape, color, size and percentage of marketable roots.

The trial included the Oxheart cultivar from the USDA germplasm collection.

Many hybrids performed well during the season; however, sprangling was higher than usual this year, according to Tom Horejsi with the USDA-ARS, who helps set up the trial.

The incidence of sprangling, or forking, was higher than usual in the trial this year.

The annual trial has been taking place since the late 1960s.

Carrots in the trial were laid out for scoring.

SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE

Related Articles