ALTOKA - Alternaria-tolerant carrots for juice production

The ALTOKA - Alternaria-tolerant carrots for juice production project aims to develop new carrot varieties that are highly tolerant to the Alternaria dauci leaf fungus. These varieties should be particularly suitable for carrot juice production and be characterized by good yields, attractive color and taste quality. Populations will be improved through artificial inoculation and targeted selection in order to reduce the use of plant protection products and enable mechanical harvesting even under increased disease pressure.

Project partners

• Sativa Rheinau AG: Project management and coordination; responsible for breeding and conducting field and selection trials.

• FiBL (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture): Conducting field surveys, recording Alternaria infestation and microscopic determination of the pathogens.

Project duration

01.02.2025 - 31.12.2028

Project objective

The aim of the project is to develop robust carrot varieties that are suitable for organic cultivation and offer sustainable added value for juice production. In addition to improving Alternaria tolerance, agronomic characteristics such as yield and quality will also be optimized.

Role of the University of Kassel

The University of Kassel, Department of Organic Plant Protection (responsible: Dr. Jelena Baćanović-Šišić), is responsible for the pathological analysis of the samples collected by FiBL and Strickhof. Isolates of Alternaria dauci are produced here, tested for their aggressiveness and genetically characterized. Inoculum is also provided for artificial infection. The University of Kassel is thus making a significant contribution to the development of a standardized resistance test and supporting the scientific basis of the project.

Funding

The project is funded by the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW), Switzerland, as part of the funding for plant breeding and variety testing.