Location: Vegetable Crops Research
Project Number: 5090-21000-073-111-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 24, 2025
End Date: Jul 31, 2026
Objective:
Research and development objectives will focus on investigations of genetic resistance to Alternaria leaf blight disease in carrots. This disease severely damages carrot leaves, stunting plant growth and consequently reducing economic yield of the crop. The primary objective of this work is to identify new gene sources for disease resistance and make them available to stakeholders so they can breed new carrots requiring less use of expensive pesticides used for disease control.
Approach:
The Cooperator and ARS PIs will screen carrots for their responses when exposed to Alternaria leaf blight disease in the field. Plants with most healthy leaves will be intercrossed with other healthy plants. More rapid disease assessment methods will be evaluated in greenhouse studies to determine their ability to speed up the crop improvement process. Seed from these improved plants will be grown the following year to confirm their improved resistance to the disease.