Carrot Country

2006 Specialty Carrot Cultivar Evaluation

Carrot Country
Fall 2007

By Tim Waters
Washington State University Extension,
Franklin and Benton Counties

W ashington State grows approximately 10,000 acres of commercial carrots each year and is the country’s leading producer of processed carrots. In 2005, the state accounted for 36 percent of the nation’s supply, or approximately 122,000 tons (USDA NASS, 2005).

The industry is comprised of both commercial fresh and processing market producers as well as some small scale operations. A small percentage of the acreage in production is specialty carrots, which
include varieties bred to exhibit pigments or nutraceutical properties not typically associated with standard commercial cultivars.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the average American consumes fi ve pounds of carrots annually. While the majority of carrots consumed are the standard orange pigmented cultivars,
consumption could increase if consumers were more aware of the potential health benefi ts associated with specialty carrots. This represents an underdeveloped niche market.

Carrots can exhibit orange, white, red, purple or yellow pigments, and these pigments possess different human health benefi ts. Carrots originated in Afghanistan around 900 A.D. and were purple and yellow
in color. It is believed housewives in the Netherlands selected the orange pigment during the 1700s (Simon, 2004). Since white carrots exhibit no pigment, they only serve as a good source of fiber and aid digestion. Orange carrots exhibit alpha and beta carotene which are said to help improve eyesight and strengthen the immune system. Purple carrots, with an orange core, exhibit alpha and beta carotene as well as anthocyanin. Anthocyanin helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease. In addition, they help eliminate harmful free radicals from the body. Red carrots contain beta carotene and lycopene. Lycopene has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Yellow carrots contain lutein which is known to reduce the risk of macular degeneration. The pigments in carrots are bio-available or readily absorbed through the human digestive system.

In addition to the health benefits, specialty carrots can also be used to add alternative colors in salads, frozen vegetable mixes, or juices. Individuals unfamiliar with specialty carrots often ask what they taste like. While taste is a rather subjective term, these carrots taste like carrots. After all, not all orange carrots taste the same and as one might expect, the colored varieties do taste a little different.

The 2006 Specialty Carrot Cultivar Evaluation was conducted in a commercial fi eld located south east of Othello, Wash. on Highway 17. The trial planted in a commercial field of Red Core Chantenay
processing carrots and was managed by Klaustermeyer Farms. The carrots were planted on April 19, 2006, and evaluated on August 31, 2006, 134 days after planting. Dr. Phil Simon, USDA-ARS in
Madison, Wisconsin, provided seeds from his breeding program and from commercial sources. Table 1 shows the judging criteria for root and foliage scores while Table 2 lists evaluation results from
participants at the carrot fi eld day held on Aug. 31. Table 2 lists averages obtained from summarizing the results from all of those who participated in the survey.

Additionally, disease ratings were made by Dr. Lindsey DuToit, Plant Pathologist, WSU Mount Vernon, on the same day as the root and foliage scores were compiled. For all diseases rated, a scale of
0 to 5 was used where 0 is healthy and 5 is severe. The results of the disease ratings are detailed in Table 3. Disease ratings provided useful information for both researchers and producers on how the
cultivars will respond to disease pressure in the Columbia Basin.

The 2006 Specialty Carrot Cultivar Evaluation and fi eld day provided an excellent venue for carrot industry members to discuss the specialty cultivars on display. Researchers, growers, processors,
and other interested parties from Washington, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, and Canada were in attendance. Observing the cultivars under standard growing conditions in the Columbia Basin allows industry
members the opportunity to consider the use of the specialty cultivars. They can observe how well the cultivars display attributes that make the carrots valuable in their operation. The evaluation also
shows how well the cultivars handle common pest pressures. The field day allowed industry members to interact with carrot researchers and share their interest and concerns. This interaction assures
that researchers are addressing issues pertinent to the carrot industry in the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in participating in the 2007 Specialty Carrot Cultivar Evaluation and Field Day, send your
contact information to twaters@wsu.edu, subject Carrot Field Day.

As far as which cultivars performed the best, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or it depends on the desired end use of the carrot. All cultivars should have strong tops and good texture and fl avor
qualities. A smoother surface is always desirable while length and shape depend on the end use. Dicer carrots are more desirable in the 1 and 2 shape criteria, while bunching carrots should be a 3 or
4 shape, and cut and peel should probably be in the 5 or 6 shape category (Table 1).

Some of the cultivars in the trial are available through commercial sources while others are still being evaluated by Dr. Simon’s breeding program. For a list of carrot seed sources in the United
States, see http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=5236, developed by Dr. Phil Simon, USDA-ARS in Madison, Wis. (This list of seed sources is designed to help readers fi nd seed. We do not
endorse any of these businesses nor do we detract from any business not listed).

References: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Vegetables - 2005 Annual Summary. http://www.nass.usda.gov/QuickStats/PullData_US.jsp Simon, P.W. 2004. Carrot Facts. ttp://www.hort.wisc.edu/usdavcru/simon/carrot_facts.html.

Acknowledgements: Klaustermeyer Farms for hosting the trial, Rob Maxwell Seminis Seeds, Phil Simon USDA Madison, WS, Lindsey DuToit, WSU Mount Vernon, for disease ratings, and to all those who participated in the 2006 Carrot Field Day.

Editor’s note: Tim Waters of Washington State University Extension, Franklin and Benton counties, can be contacted by e-mail at: twaters@wsu.edu.