BREEDING RESEARCH AND IN-VITRO PROPAGATION TO IMPROVE CARVONE PRODUCTION OF CARAWAY (CARUM-CARVI L)

The application of natural carvone from caraway essential oil as activ e ingredient in a new potato sprout inhibitor is expected to increase demand for caraway seed. In order to strengthen the supply side of thi s seed, amongst other things, breeding research is carried out towards carvone-productive varieties. The application of near infra-red spect rometry in a recurrent, divergent mass selection programme to improve carvone content of traditional winter-caraway has produced populations with ca. 15% higher content without loss of agronomic or seed product ion capacity. Crosses between non-shattering winter-caraway cv. Bleija and the annual variety Karzo have yielded a promising annual populati on with about 20% higher carvone productivity than the present standar d Karzo. Details are presented of an in vitro propagation method using young umbels for explant. Its product in terms of clones and cuttings is being tested successfully on the scale of a breeding programme.