Professor Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh Mymensingh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Body of Abstract: Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are one of the most widely grown and enjoyed root vegetables in the world, and the carotenoids in orange carrots make them one of the richest plant sources of vitamin A. But like most crops, abiotic stress (especially drought) is one of the largest challenges limiting facing carrot growers and it significantly reduces crop productivity by 50% or more. Moreover, hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency is a public health concern globally, especially in South-East Asia, including Bangladesh. Biofortification is a sustainable technique to curb malnutrition and diseases and alleviate micronutrient deficiencies. This project aims to screen drought-tolerant carrot genotypes grown under optimal and stressful greenhouse conditions and to use RNA sequencing to identify candidate genes responsible for drought tolerance in carrots. A comprehensive set of physiological experiments was carried out using 199 carrot genotypes at optimal (control) and stressful (drought) greenhouse conditions. Wilting severity ranged from no wilting to complete death and was visually scored. Growth and physiological parameters including leaf area, chlorophyll and flavonoid contents, gas exchange for stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency, which reflect plant responses to drought; and yield parameters including root length, diameter, and weight, were measured. Leaf samples were collected after drought treatment for RNA-Seq analysis, which provided a significant number of differentially, expressed transcripts in carrots in response to drought stress. From the experiment 27 drought-tolerant (14% of total) and 19 susceptible (10% of total) carrot genotypes have been screened. This research identified carrots to establish a foundation for providing a sustainable source of climate-tolerant, biofortified micronutrient-rich carrots to enhance food security with high economic value for growers.