HAPLOID INDUCERS FOR HYBRID CARROT BREEDING

The overall goal of this project is to complete the development of haploid inducer lines for carrot and perform a pilot breeding study to evaluate their potential to accelerate the process of breeding hybrid cultivars. Although hybrid cultivars are a cornerstone of modern crop production because of their high yield and uniformity, developing the inbred parental lines needed to produce hybrid seed is a slow process. The haploid induction system we propose to develop and test, promises to cut years off the plant breeding cycle.