Trends in carrot production and breeding in Japan

? ? ?Carrot is one of a most important vegetable in Japan. Despite medium size acreages of carrot root production (19000ha), extensive hybrid varieties use and high seed price make Japanese market as one of a biggest carrot seed market (more than 3 billion JPY = 20 million Euros at wholesale level) in the world. Total root production reaches 570 kilo ton and more than 85% are used for fresh purpose. ? ? ?There are three major cropping segments in Japan, ?Summer sowing?, ?Main season? and ?Early sowing?. In main carrot production area, cultivation is mechanized from sowing to harvest. In some big production places, washing and packing are also getting highly mechanized. In all segments, Kuroda type and Chantenay type hybrid varieties are used. But leading varieties varies depending on segments and region. Also breeding requirements are slightly different basing on segment. In all segment, slightly conical shape with 16-18cm root length, very uniform root shape with appropriate root size are preferred, in order to achieve high marketable yield. ? ? Recently, seed use per hectare is decreasing (450 kilo seeds per hectare) to minimize thinning costs. As the result, demand for seed quality and germination are also getting higher. Today, major carrot seed suppliers in Japanese carrot market are five Japanese seed companies, and a few other seed companies are rising. Trends in carrot breeding axis at Japanese seed companies seem to be exploiting new hybrid varieties with adaptability for mechanical harvest and with highly uniform root shape and size to give high income profit to growers. These trends seem obvious in ?Summer sowing? and ?Early sowing? segments. Currently, some hybrid varieties used in Japan are also taking significant market share at hybrid carrot seed market in China that has potential to be the biggest carrot seed market in the world. ? ? Original tittle, authors and sources Trends in carrot production and breeding in Japan Taro TAKAGI, Haruna NAGASHIMA, Ayako NOGUCHI?Mikado Kyowa Seed Co., Ltd. 2069-40 Kawaharai Sodegaura-Shi, Chiba, Japan Carrot and other Apiaceae International Symposium, 17-19 September 2014, Angers, France,?http://www.symposium-carrot-apiaceae2014.fr/ Picture by?www.johnnyseeds.com ?Key wordsPoscosecha??????? postcosecha????? postharvest?????? na-oes? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? post-r?colte????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? na-oogst???????????? post-raccolta???? Obr?bka po?????? p?s-colheita????? ???????????????????????? hasat sonras????? ??????????????? Ernte???? ????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? postcollita?????????? poskliz?ov頠???? ?????? ????????????????? ??????????????? nakon branja???? pozberov頠?????????????????????? obdelovanje zemlje po??????????????? post-colleita????? ??????????????? pascapanen??????????????? ?il?onn postharvest??????? ????????????? p?c ra?as???????????? derliaus apdirbimas polepas tuai??????????? ??????????? post-recoltare???????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????????????????????????? sau thu ho?ch??????????????? ?????????????????????????????? zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna Zanahoria???????????????????????? carrot??? wortel? ?????????? ?????????????????? karoto? carotte????????????????????? ??????????????????????? carota?? marchew??????????? cenoura?????????????? ??????????????????? havu砠? ???? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??