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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #70858
Title: B7262, PURPLE CARROT INBRED

Author
item Simon, Philipp
item RUBATZKY, VINCE - UC-DAVIS
item BASSETT, MARK - UNIV FLORIDA
item STRANDBERG, JAMES - UNIV FLORIDA
item WHITE, J - UNIV FLORIDA

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/4/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Carrots today have orange roots, but 1000 years ago carrots were either yellow or purple. To reintroduce this carrot root color for modern consumers, we developed a purple-rooted carrot adapted for U.S. production by crossing a modern orange carrot with a purple- rooted plant from Turkey. After 9 generations of selection, inbred carrot B7262 has uniform dark purple color in the root cortex, an orange core, and mild, sweet flavor. It also produces purple flowers, so both roots and flowers of B7262 may be of interest as a new novelty vegetable which has some promise for home gardeners and speciality crop growers.

Technical Abstract: The first records of carrot cultivation date back to the 10th century when production of purple and yellow-rooted types were noted in Iran and northern Arabia. Some production of purple-rooted carrots exists today in the Middle East and Asia for specialized uses such as confections and seasonal dishes. B7262 was developed to reintroduce this old characteristic for modern production. B7262 was derived from a cross made in 1983 at the University of Wisconsin between plant derived from PI173687 and B10138. Selection was made over 9 generations for deep purple outer phloem with dark orange core, cambium, and inner phloem color; for long, blunt, smooth root shape with small core size, for ample seed production, for mild, sweet flavor and for reduced tendency to initiate early flowering. Roots of B7262 are medium long cylindrical, and slightly tapered with very dark purple outer phloem, orange inner phloem, cambium, and xylem and a small core. Purple coloration is also evident in leaves, nodes, anthers, and petals. As purple root color is a novelty for modern carrot consumers, commercial acceptance remains to be tested. The purple flower color may also be applicable for ornamental use.