A summary of carrot seed production

1. Carrot Seed Production
Ubaid Abdul Khaliq

2. Variety selection
• The selection of a right variety is very important for a successful
seed production.
• The variety should have following characteristics
1. Genetically Pure
2. High yielder
3. Desirable traits, like disease resistance
Grow-out Tests
• Varieties being grown for seed production should periodically be
tested for genetic purity by grow-out tests to make sure that
they are being maintained in their true form

3. Crop Rotation
.
To minimize
chances of dormant
seeds/ plant
material from
previous crop
They are likely to
admixture with
planned carrot seed
or they may cross
pollinate
It minimized risk of
soil borne
pathogens that may
effect seed
production
Soil chemical and
physical condition
also improves

4. Controlled Pollination (Protandry)
• Fully controlled pollination is required through Emasculation
and Isolation.
Protandry in carrot can
be beneficial
Single, isolated umbel
will not develop seeds
even though pollen is
present in the flowers.
Flowers of such an
isolated umbel are
sprinkled with water
to flush out pollen.
After it dries, pollen
from the intended
pollen parent can be
introduced with a
brush.
The seed parent
umbel again placed in
isolation

5. Controlled Pollination ( Isolation)
.
Isolation is used to
control pollination.
It also assists in
avoiding
admixture during
harvesting
It also assists in
avoiding
admixture during
harvesting

6. Isolation
Isolation be time
• This type of isolation is
possible within individual
farms of multiplication
stations.
• Cross-compatible varieties
are grown in successive
years or Season
Isolation be distance
• When isolation by time is
not possible.
• Isolation distance primarily
depends on the nature of
pollination of the crop.
• Isolation distance for
carrot is 800 m b/w
compatible fields

7. Seed-To-Seed Production
• Much commercial carrot seed production utilizes “seed-to-seed”
production
• Seed is planted in the mid-to late-summer growing for seed
production
• Expose the plants to natural cold winter
• The seed is produced the following year
• Seed-to-seed production is sometimes used for 2 or 3 generations of
self-pollination in early stages of inbred development if no selection
for root characters is necessary
• Honeybee hives, or in some cases, left to naturally occurring insect
pollinators are used as pollinators

8. Root to seed Production
• Root-to-seed production is used for all breeder’s seed and foundation seed, but it
is also utilized quite widely for commercial carrot seed production
• All of the early generation seed production by carrot breeders utilize “root-to-
seed” production whereby the root crop is grown to full or part season maturity,
evaluated, vernalized
• Selected roots are then replanted in configurations suitable for covering with
pollinating cages when flowering ensues.
• For seed production of plant populations that are too large to fit in a pollinating
cage, variety integrity is ensured by geographic isolation of one seed lot from
another by at least a few kilometres.
• It is also necessary to use production locations where no wild carrot occurs.
• Pollination is accomplished by providing honeybee hives, or in some cases, left to
naturally occurring insect pollinators.

9. Roughing
• The removal of off-type plants is termed as roughing, their
existence in the seed crop is a potential source of genetic
contamination.
• Also remove the diseased and abnormal
Roguhing may be done at the following stages as soon as the off-
types are recognizable:
Vegetative stage
Flowering stage
Maturity stage

10. Seed production Diseases
Alternaria dauci
Control: Hot water treatment of stock seed
A. Radicina
Bleach reduces seed borne alternaria

11. Seed Production Pest
Lygus Bugs
Control: Conventional Milling
Red Spider Mite
Control: Seed cleaning

12. Harvesting, Cleaning and Drying of seeds
• At optimum time when the maximum yield and the best quality seeds
can be attained.
• When flower heads start turning brown and dry
• In general, the seeds are harvested when their moisture content is
about 15-20%
• After harvest of carrot seeds, cleaning is done.
• Debreader is used for cleaning seeds.
• The drying of seeds may be done by sunlight, chemical desiccants
and by mechanical driers.
• Carrot require drying temperature below 27°C.
• For short period storage clean and dried seeds should be filled in
neat and clean sacks or bags and stored in a clean, cool godown.

13. References
• Simon, P. W., Freeman, R. E., Vieira, J. V., Boiteux, L. S.,
Briard, M., Nothnagel, T., … Kwon, Y.-S. (2008). Carrot.
Vegetables II, 327–357. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-74110-9_8
• Rashid, M. A., & Singh, D. P. (2000). A manual on vegetable
seed production in Bangladesh. AVRDC-USAID-Bangladesh
Project, Horticulture Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute.