Carrot: Breeding and Genomics

Abstract

The carrot (Daucus carota) is an important cool-season root vegetable grown and consumed globally. The storage root is a rich source of carotenoids, anthocyanins, dietary fiber and vitamins, besides imparting unique flavor and health benefits to consumers. Both classical and modern molecular breeding techniques have contributed to improving the productivity and quality of the crop across temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world. In this review, we briefly summarize the genetic resources available, progress in carrot breeding for yield, quality and major biotic and abiotic stresses, genomic resources and molecular breeding. The challenges and future perspectives in tropical carrot breeding for improving important traits, mainly beta-carotene, blunt root shape and scar-free smooth roots are also discussed.