Abstract
Carrots play a crucial role in organic farming, where selecting the suitable genotype is essential due to the limited use of pesticides and fertilizers. Due to the variability in hybrid offspring, open-pollinated genotypes are becoming increasingly attractive. This study evaluated one hybrid (H), two open-pollinated genotypes (OP1 and OP2), and three new breeding lines (BL1, BL2, and BL3) under organic conditions. Six field trials were conducted in Germany over two years (2020/2021) to assess marketable and non-marketable yield, dry matter (DM) content, morphological traits, disease resistance against Alternaria dauci and Erysiphe heraclei and leaf stability determined by applying pulling force on foliage and rating on a 1 (very unstable) to 9 (very stable) scale. From mixed-model analysis, significant differences were observed in four traits across genotypes. BL1 had the lowest yield (49.39 t ha −1 ), while OP2 had the highest (72.38 t ha −1 ). BL1 showed the highest DM content (15.0%), while OP2 had the highest DM yield (9.4 t ha −1 ). Leaf stability varied, with OP2 showing high stability (7.88) compared to H (5.64). The results highlight OP2 as suitable for organic farming due to its high yield and leaf stability. Open-pollinated genotypes, including new breeding lines, offer competitive options to hybrids, providing farmers with a broader range of choices. Further research should focus on testing additional genotypes under diverse conditions to support organic carrot production.