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The carroty morass
(lemmy.world)
Planted a carrot top a few months back expecting it to flower and give me some seeds. I had to dig it up the other day because of moving and found this insane mess
This is what happens when the main tap root is pruned on a carrot. Look up nematode damage on carrots and it looks very similar.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/plant-eating-nematodes-and-the-key-to-fighting-them
If that carrot was from the grocery store, you'll not be successfull in producing seed without another OP plant. Hybrid carrot seeds are produced using a cytoplasmic male sterility gene. This gene mutation blocks the pollen formation on the plants flowers.
In order to produce viable seed, you need another plant without the CMS gene to produce pollen.
In commercial production they use three lines: male line (OP), Female line (CMS) and the maintainer line (OP). The female line and maintainer line are around 99% genetically identical in the nuclear DNA. They use the maintainer line to cross with the CMS female line to produce more female (CMS) seed. They then cross the female line (CMS) with the male line (OP) to produce hybrid seed for sale. The hybrid is CMS like the female line.
Great information, thanks! I had planted a few tops a couple years ago -- got lots of flowers, got seeds, and did indeed get some carrots from those seeds, but the failure rate was insanely high.
Grocery be putting DRM on the produce, "you wouldn't pirate a vegetable"