CGN caraway collection

The caraway collection originates from CPRO (the former Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research) in Wageningen. It was a sleeping collection and revived in 2012, in the framework of CGN's initiative to profile itself as a vegetable genebank. The collection was rationalised, excluding cultivars with breeding rights and some wild accessions collected in a relatively short distance in Bavaria (1994). Currently, 23 Carum carvi accessions are available for distribution.

Regeneration

Caraway is a biennial crop. The plants need a period of low temperatures to induce flowering (vernalisation). Regeneration is performed in field plots with 80-120 plants. The seeds are sown at the end of July in trays, and plantlets are transferred to the field in September. Between the isolation plots a distance of at least 100 meters is required, but a larger distance of 300-700 meters has been practiced. Occasional weed control is recommended. The seeds are harvested in the second half of July in several rounds, because flowering and seed ripening are stretched over several weeks. In case the seed harvest is a bit disappointing, then the plants can be harvested again in the following year.