Simon: Release: Olympiad

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                         AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE                                      and                 THE CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION                    RELEASE OF MARKET CARROT HYBRID OLYMPIAD The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the California Agricultural Experiment Station announce the release of OLYMPIAD tested under pedigree (B3475xB4367)xB9253.  OLYMPIAD is a fresh market hybrid carrot adapted for production in both organic and mineral soils where Imperator 58, Gold Pak, and the hybrids Orlando Gold and Golden State are grown. OLYMPIAD was evaluated for commercial acceptability in trials at the University of California Imperial Valley Field Station (IVFS) in 1983 and 1984, and at Zellwood, Florida in 1983.  In 1984 the Florida trial was lost to a winter freeze.  Following are scores based on values of 1 = unacceptable, 2 = poor, 3 = fair, 4 = good, and 5 = excellent.                                        19831                    19841 Entry                              IVFS         FL               IVFS OLYMPIAD                           3.4          1.4                3.7 Candy Pack                         2.4          2.3                3.0 Orlando Gold                       3.0          3.3                2.8 Golden State                       3.4          3.4                2.4 A Plus                             2.6          2.9                1.9 Imperator 58                       2.6          2.7                1.4 16 Commercial hybrids2             2.6          2.4                --- 5 Commercial hybrids               ---          ---                2.5 Range of Commercial Entries        1.7-3.2      1.7-3.2            2.2-2.9 125 judges at IVFS; 27 at Florida; 49 at IVFS in 1984 216 commercial entries in 1983 were:  Woodland, Chrisna, Packer, Sierra, Paramount, Javelin 80, Aristo Pack, El Presidente, Spartan Fancy 80, Chancellor, Dagger 78, Diplomat, Pak Mor, Fanci Pak, Dominator, and Six Pack. The 5 in 1984 at IVFS were:  Sierra, Javelin 80, Chancellor, Dagger 78, and Six Pack. These values demonstrate that OLYMPIAD is well adapted in California and should be competative with available hybrids on the basis of appearance.  It appears to be poorly adapted to the muckland area of central Florida and is not recommended except for trial.

Laboratory assays for total carotenes and taste-panel evaluation for flavor demonstrated high vitamin A potential and probable acceptability on the basis of flavor.  Following are carotene and flavor values for roots from 1983 and 1984 trials.                                Carotenes                             (ppm. Fresh Wt.)                   Flavorl                             1983           1984                 1984                         FL        IVFS     IVFS                 IVFS OLYMPIAD                 147       134      160                  3.76 Orlando Gold             134       140      165                  3.81 A Plus                   139       162      153                  4.33 Golden State             123       115      133                  4.23 Candy Pack               143       131      ---                  --- Imperator 58              75       105      121                  3.95 lbased on mean score by 28 trained tasters.  1 = very low preference to 7 = highly preferred.  LSD.05 = 0.55 One component of the female parent (B3475) was released and distributed to U.S. seedsmen in April 1983. The other (B4367) was first released in 1977 under the number B2158-1 as the pollen parent for hybrid Candy Pack. Since then it has been reselected and supplied to seedsmen as B4367. The pollen parent B9253 was released and distributed in September 1984. Pilot production of hybrid OLYMPIAD, accomplished in 1983 by Arco Seed Co., will be pro-rated to competing seed producers at a reasonable wholesale price, on orders received before March 1, 1985.  This provision in the standard production agreement ensures competing seed producers a means of supplying their customers while initiating their own production.  The supply from 1983 production is limited and no production was undertaken in 1984. Seed of the F1 female parent (B3475xB4367) and the pollen parent (B9253) was increased by Arco under the same agreement in order to provide interested seedsmen with enough stock seed to undertake immediate production.  Seedsmen who wish to produce OLYMPIAD should request a production share of stock seed. Those wishing to test these parents in experimental combinations should request experimental samples for that purpose.  Requests should be addressed to C. E. Peterson, USDA, ARS, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706. _____________________________________________          _______________________ Director                                               Date California Agricultural Experiment Station _____________________________________________          _______________________ Administrator                                          Date Agricultural Research Service

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