AbstractCarrot breeding in the past 150 years has resulted in varieties with high yield, a short growing period, and excellent root colour. Recently, hybrid varieties have demonstrated good uniformity of roots, a quality accepted by most consumers. By contrast, only a few resistant varieties (mainly open‐pollinated varieties) are offered by seed companies, most being resistant toAlternaria.Hybrid breeding offers a chance of combining good uniformity and different sources of resistance. Efforts in future breeding should concentrate on the improvement of health and the development of genotypes suitable for cultivation in suboptimal climates and regions, as well as for special application