For carrot growers, the subterranean battle against nematodes is a multibillion-dollar struggle. This season, the vegetable seeds business of BASF, operating under the Nunhems brand, has unveiled a new weapon: Percyst.
The result of 20 years of dedicated research and development, Percyst is the first carrot variety to feature intermediate resistance to Southern root-knot nematode and other root-knot nematode species while maintaining the high-quality standards demanded by today’s retailers.
Balancing Resistance With Quality
Historically, breeding carrots for pest resistance has often meant sacrificing the three pillars of retail performance: flavor, color and texture. Percyst was developed specifically to break that trade-off by pairing defensive traits with the eating quality and appearance consumers expect, according to Kaitlyn O’Neal, regional crop lead, Americas: carrot, onion for BASF | Nunhems.
“Percyst is the result of 20 years of innovation,” O’Neal says, noting the timeline reflects both the complexity of the trait and the market expectations placed on modern carrot varieties. “We developed the nematode resistance with help from the USDA, and then it took about that long to make sure that it was a solid trait and to get it into a marketable carrot.”
“We wanted to make sure we had the smoothness, the crack resistance and all of the things that our growers need and that consumers expect in their carrots in the stores — plus the nematode resistance,” she adds
The timing of Percyst’s launch is especially significant for California growers. As the California Department of Pesticide Regulation continues to tighten restrictions on soil fumigants, growers are increasingly looking to genetics as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy to protect yields.
BASF | Nunhems has already seen encouraging trial results under reduced chemical inputs.
“We’ve done trials where we’ve had this variety compared to a similar variety without nematode resistance on fields that were not fumigated,” O’Neal says. “It has still produced a very marketable yield with the Percyst variety because of that intermediate nematode resistance.”
She adds that, at scale, the variety could meaningfully reduce reliance on fumigants.
“We expect in larger operations that we’ll see a reduced need for fumigants and other methods of control for root-knot nematodes with the use of Percyst compared to a regular carrot variety,” she says.
Beyond pest management, Percyst was bred with market flexibility in mind. The variety is considered dual purpose, making it suitable for both fresh market cello packs and baby carrot processing — a valuable attribute in a volatile supply and demand environment.
“Growers can plant it with either end goal in mind, whether that’s processing for baby carrots or fresh market cello production,” O’Neal says. “If they’re planting and not sure where they’ll need it at the time of planting, by the time they’re ready to harvest, they can make that decision, and this variety can fit both of those needs.”
Early feedback from trials has been positive, particularly around uniformity and appearance, key requirements for processors and retailers alike.
Looking Ahead
As Percyst enters the market through authorized distributors this planting season, BASF | Nunhems views it as the first step in a broader pipeline of nematode-resistant carrots.
“We have a pipeline behind this variety,” O’Neal says. “Percyst is the first of what we hope will be a long line of other varieties with increasing resistance to Southern root-knot nematode and other root-knot nematodes.”
While the trait was developed with Southern California pressure in mind, its potential reach could extend further.
“This is a Southern California trait, but we are trialing it across the U.S. in different areas where they experience different nematode pressure,” O’Neal says. “We’ll see how this trait holds up in those other areas as well.”
For BASF | Nunhems, Percyst represents a shift toward genetics as a front-line solution to regulatory, environmental and economic pressures — and a new tool growers can add to their IPM toolbox.
