Carrot Stress Tolerance and Wild Relative Breeding with Dr. Simon Philipp

Field, Lab, Earth Podcast speaks with Dr. Philipp Simon of USDA

Carrots are a diverse crop that grows worldwide. Packed with nutrients and flavor, many of its wild relatives also carry important traits such as resistance to abiotic stresses like drought, heat, or salinity. These traits can be crucial as we look at how to feed our growing population; however, without growing these carrot wild relatives under these stressful conditions, it can be difficult to pinpoint which varieties carry which traits. Partnering with scientists in Bangladesh and Pakistan, Dr. Phil Simon and his team are working to identify valuable traits in carrots from all over the world in the hopes of improving future carrot breeding efforts.

Tune in to learn:

• What common roadside plant is actually a wild relative of carrot
• How the lifecycle of carrots works
• What it’s like to go on a seed collecting expedition
• How to grow carrots at home

Listen to the podcast here.