Fruit quality

In the past, traditional breeding paid particular attention to such issues as improving crop yield. However, consumers are paying more and more attention to final product quality and composition. As an example, consumers require fruits with good nutritional properties (vitamins, sugars, proteins, minerals, antioxidants and others) and are increasingly interested in functional ingredients which may help reduce the risk of certain cancer or cardiovascular disorders (e.g. resveratrol, licopene, flavonoids, oils with proper saturated/unsaturated fatty acid ratio, antioxidants, etc.). The increasing demand for freshness together with increasingly complex supply chains increases the need for fruits with a longer shelf life (Table 3.2).

New varieties are needed for organic agriculture, since the demand for organic fruits increases yearly but suitable genotypes, possibly resistant to major pests and diseases, with their toxins may be more dangerous than chemical residues. In addition, fruits should be harvested ripened for optimal quality but at the moment this is not possible as they would degrade rapidly.