Carrot molecular genetics and mapping

Abstract

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an important root vegetable crop that is consumed worldwide and is appreciated for its taste and nutritional content such as vitamin A, carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamins and other minerals. Advancements in carrot genetic research have improved vastly over the past few decades due to improvements in molecular genomic resources developed for carrot. The increasing availability of DNA sequences such as expressed sequenced tags (ESTs), creation of a physical map, sequencing of the carrot genome and the numerous advancements in DNA genotyping has enabled the study of phenotypic variation of crop traits through the development of genetic linkage maps, which enable the ability to identify QTLs and their underlying genetic basis. In addition, the creation of genetic and genomic tools for carrot has enabled the study of diversity within carrot populations and germplasm collections, enabled genome wide association studies (GWAS), characterization of populations at the species level and comparative genomics with other crops and model species. Combined, these tools will advance the breeding process for carrot by enabling a targeted approach to improving traits by utilizing marker assisted selection (MAS) strategies.