Argentina: Nara INTA, a perfect CARROT for the dehydrated food industry - Nara INTA, una ZANAHORIA perfecta para la industria del deshidratado

Photo source: http://www.aimdigital.com.ar

Carrots are one of the most preferred vegetables in Argentina, as annual production stands between 200,000 and 240,000 t of roots in 7000 to 9500 ha and per capita consumption stands at 6 kg/year. To boost this industry, technicians from INTA La Consulta -Mendoza- developed the NARA INTA, a carrot variety with higher percentage of solids, better color and lower percentage of discards, requirements demanded by the dehydration industry. According to Maria Soledad Alessandro, creator of the new variety and technician at INTA La Consulta, Mendoza, "Nara INTA has a higher solid content and a better color than traditional carrots, which makes it a particularly suited for the dehydration industry."

"The new variety represents a breakthrough compared to existing material because it has 12.8% soluble solids and 16.9% total solids," she said. Additionally, it has a better color in its roots, a higher content of carotenoids and a lower percentage of discards.

In the framework of a technological transfer agreement with the Unilever of Argentina company to obtain suitable vegetable cultivars for the dehydrated industry, INTA worked on a genetic improvement plan to increase the carrot’s solid content, color, and to decrease its discard percentage.

To obtain it, Alessandro began working based on the Danvers variety, which has 10.6 percent soluble solids and 13.7 percent total solids. "Selection consisted of the removal of defective plants in the field, discarding roots in the washing process, defects of color and choosing roots with higher percentages of total soluble solids, color and better percentages of xylem in the laboratory," she said. 

The selected roots were stored in the refrigerator and later planted in isolation cages with hives for pollination, so that the elite seed was harvested and used in the next cycle.

There were positive responses to the selection in each cycle, which meant improvements in the percentages and total soluble solids, increasing to 12.8 and 16.9 percent, respectively. The percentage of xylem was decreased from 47.8 to 41.9 percent and the color on shoulders, skin and xylem was significantly improved. Meanwhile, the content of carotenoids, predecessor of vitamin A, increased from 233 to 321 parts per million (ppm).

Sources: infocampo.com.ar, www.freshplaza.com