Industry leaders gather at NC State University for International Carrot Conference

The 41^st International Carrot Conference was attended by 83 stakeholders in the carrot industry representing 10 countries from around the globe. This year’s conference, held in Raleigh, North Carolina for the first time, was hosted by Dr. Massimo Iorizzo at North Carolina State University. Dr. Iorizzo is an Associate Professor at NC State University in the Department of Horticultural Science based at the Plants for Human Health Institute. Dr. Iorizzo is a leader in the field and an expert in carrot genetics.

This conference is held every 18 to 24 months and its purpose is to bring together a worldwide audience of growers, packers, shippers, seed producers, breeders, pathologists, sellers, marketers, university and government researchers, Extension specialists, students and others interested in the carrot industry.

The program included two days of scientific oral and poster (47) presentations that showcased the most recent findings and technical advances in the carrot community. In addition, participants had the opportunity to evaluate to two carrot field trials. Highlights from the conference included new interesting findings about the health effects of carrot and compositional quality. Attendees learned about new methods for evaluating carrot traits like texture and anthocyanins, new tools and molecular breeding strategies. A number of presentations highlighted the significant advances made in discovering the genetic mechanisms and genes controlling multiple traits and the effect of the environment or stresses on multiple traits. Presentations on crop management reported better strategies to diagnose and manage diseases, insects, nematodes and weeds. It was encouraging to hear from several students and post-docs representing the next generation of scientists that we hope will choose to work with this community.

The field tour associated with the conference on July 10 included a conventional Carrot Cultivar Demonstration Trial and an Alternaria Disease Trial. Alternaria leaf blight is caused by Alternaria dauci and is a major disease for commercial carrot production. The pressure of this disease in North Carolina is very high. Typical symptoms are dark brown lesions on the individual leaflets and petioles and these lesions can be surrounded by a yellow halo. Severe infections can reduce root size and yield. The goal of the Alternaria trial was to gather some preliminary information about carrot lines showing some level of resistance or tolerance to this disease. Alternaria prevention strategies were applied to the conventional trial, while the Alternaria trial was untreated, allowing natural occurrence of disease infection.

The trials were grown and displayed at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton, NC, USA. Hunter Barrier, superintendent at the research station in Clinton coordinated management of the trial.

The Conventional Trial includes 144 entries representing five carrot market categories: Imperator cello, Imperator cut ‘n peel, Novel colored carrots, Processing types and Nantes or Kuroda. Seeds for the conventional trial were provided by private and public breeding programs.

The Alternaria Disease Trial includes 91 entries; 18 entries provided by private and public breeding programs, 66 entries from the USDA Germplasm repository. Carrot lines showing medium to high level of resistance to Alternaria leaf blight were noted.

The conference was a great opportunity to connect in person with colleagues and learn about the most recent advances in carrot research and engage with industry partners. Technologies in the agriculture sector are advancing, and having a periodic meeting like this is critical to stay up-to-date and connect with the community to advance research goals, understand new challenges and facilitate transfer of research outcomes to industry partners. This dynamic is critical to build a bright and successful future for this community. More information about the 41^st ICC, including abstracts of the presentations, can be found at: https://www.internationalcarrots.org/agenda.html. The 42^nd ICC will be held in 2026; the location will be announced in the next few months.