Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Agronomical Traits in Strawberry

The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is derived from Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana species a few centuries ago, and it is one of the most preferred and consumed berries all over the world because of its a good source in terms of many nutritional elements. Strawberry has high genetic variability and adaptation to different environmental conditions due to its highly heterozygous nature. In the last decades, many farmers, breeders, researchers even consumers have started to focus on berry quality traits such as large fruit, uniform shape, high fruit firmness, high fruit sensorial quality (aroma contents), color, gloss, and resistance to pathogens. Thus, the development of novel strawberry cultivars or genotypes with high nutritionally quality traits has become one of the main aims in strawberry breeding programs. Biotechnological tools such as the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) are the most widely used technologies in fruit breeding programs for shortening the breeding period. Identification of QTLs in agnomical important traits are very valuable tools for early selection in strawberry breeding programs. This chapter is focused on QTL and marker assisted breeding studies in strawberry to date and provides new perspectives on molecular breeding in strawberry breeding

Screening of High Temperature Tolerant Tomato Genotypes for Their Fruit Mineral Content

Agriculture is at the forefront of the sectors that will be most affected by climate change. It is inevitable that Turkey is exposed to the negative effects of climate change due to its geographical location. The development of new high temperature tolerant varieties is seen as an important economic measure in the adaptation to climate change. In this study, heat temparature tolerant tomato genotypes were investigated for their fruit mineral content. For this purpose, twenty tolerant tomatoes from the gene pool of the Çukurova University, Department of Horticulture the and two commerical cultivars were grown in the open field conditions during 2016 spring and summer periods in Adana, Turkey. Tomato fruits grown under control and high temperature stresses conditions were analyzed for phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. According to heat stress effects on the tomato fruit mineral content, the macronutrients were ordered P, K, Ca, Mg from the least affected to the most affected. Moreover, the micro-nutrients were ordered Cu, Fe and Zn from the least affected to the most affected. In the present study heat tolerant tomato genotypes showed better performance and their mineral content most cases were higher than mineral content of the control trade cultivars

Evaluation Possibilities of Different Parts of Pomegranate, a Historical Fruit and Its Effects on Health

Today, with the faster development of science and technology, people have started to pay more attention to healthy living and consuming foods that are beneficial for human health. In this context, the value given to fruit species has become increasingly important and the importance of plants whose seeds are consumed has increased, as well as colourful fruits and vegetables. Pomegranate is a fruit grown in many countries in the world, especially in the Mediterranean climate, and its economic value has been increasing in recent years. This fruit has gained great nutritional importance not only because of its flavour but also because it contains many antioxidant substances and phenolic compounds that are beneficial to human health. There are nearly fifty pomegranate varieties registered in our country. These pomegranate varieties range from sweet to sour, from small-in size to large in size, and from hard-seeded to soft-seeded in terms of skin colour and fruit colour. In recent years, the use of pomegranate parts such as peel, seeds, and flowers in cosmetics and food industry has become widespread and studies on the antioxidant properties of different parts of pomegranate have attracted interest. The aim of this review is to investigate the health effects of pomegranate fruit, different parts of pomegranate, and products made from pomegranate

Strawberry Cultivation Techniques

Among the berries, strawberries are the most commercially produced and consumed and their production and consumption are increasing in the world due to their enthusiastic aroma, taste, and biochemical properties. Strawberry is belonging to the genus Fragaria, from the family Rosaceae. It is indicated that the homeland of the strawberry is South America (Chile). It is well-known that people living in Asia, Europe, and America commonly use the wild F. vesca. In other regions such as Japan, North China and Manchuria, Europe-Siberia, and America there are different ecogeographic zones where alternative species are clustered. Despite its origins in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, F. ananassa is now grown all over the world. Strawberry is one of the most widespread berry species grown in almost every country including high altitudes of tropical regions, and subtropical and temperate areas. In this chapter, we aimed to offer new perspectives on the future of strawberry cultivation techniques by analyzing recent academic studies on strawberry production

Soil Preparation, Running Highbush Blueberry (<em>Vaccinium corymbosum</em> L.) Plantation and Biological Properties of Fruits

Due to the pro-health properties of highbush blueberry fruit, the interest in cultivation of this species has been growing significantly, which is evidenced by the current increase in world fruit production. Therefore, the aim of our review study is to present the impact of soil and climatic conditions and cultivation methods of Vaccinium corymbosum L. on fruit yield and quality in Central and Eastern Europe. In this region, one of the most important abiotic factors determining the yield level is the minimum temperature of the winter period and short-term increases in temperature, which are conducive to the damage to flower buds. Another factor determining the success of cultivation is soil. In addition, highbush blueberry has specific soil requirements, which result from its characteristic root structure. The adverse impact of soil factors can be mitigated to a certain extent by the use of mycorrhizal fungi. In this chapter, besides the cultivation conditions of V. corymbosum, the pro-health properties of fruits resulting from the presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, will be presented. Besides, factors, such as environmental conditions, degree of ripeness and variety, affect the content of bioactive substances

Potential Status of Persimmon (Diospyrus kaki L.) in Türkiye and Its Impact on Human Health

Anatolia is the gene center of many fruit species grown in the world and is also very rich in terms of fruit species and varieties. Diospyrus kaki L., known as persimmon, is one of these fruit species. Considering Türkiye’s ecological conditions, persimmon has a great potential for production. In recent studies, the potential health effects of persimmon have been cited as an important factor, increasing the popularity and consumption of persimmon. In addition, persimmon has become the center of attention in recent years due to the attractive orange color of the fruit, its distinctive taste and structure, rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds. In this review study, it was aimed to increase awareness of the production potential of persimmon grown in Turkiye by revealing its production potential, and to shed light on decision-makers in future production planning by providing information in terms of economic importance and health

A research on the detection of some phytochemical properties in the fruits of passiflora species

Passiflora belongs to the Passifloraceae family and is native to South Africa. Thanks to its health benefits, it is now commonly grown in tropical and subtropical regions. This fruit gathers attention, especially for its rich nutritional content, aroma, and taste. Passiflora has gained popularity in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, particularly in recent years. It stands out for its ease of maintenance, yielding twice a year, and high economic returns. Additionally, passiflora is used as an ornamental plant in landscaping arrangements by means of its showy flowers and is often referred to as the “passionflower” or “clock flower”. In this study, the fruits of P. edulis and P. caerulea species were examined for their phytochemical properties, such as DPPH, total phenol, sugar, and organic acid. DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐ picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate) and total phenol were analyzed using a spectrophotometric method, while sugar and organic acid were analyzed using HPLC

Methods of Blackberry Propagation in vitro Condition

Blackberry, one of the most important fruit species belonging to the Rosaceae family, can be grown in different environments due to having wide adaptation ability. Although it originated in Europe, today most of the common cultivars have North American origin. Also, expansion of its production last 25 years especially in Europe and the USA, the blackberry has become the fourth berry in the fresh berry market after strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Blackberry fruits are rich in vitamins, polyphenols, minerals, and antioxidants, especially gallic acid and routine. Many studies have proven that high nutritional composition has a positive effect on human health in preventing various diseases. It has an important place in the fresh and processed market. Frozen fruits can be used processed such as an ice cream, juice, jam, marmalade, cake, and sweet products. Blackberry breeding studies have been ongoing for over 100 years to increase yield and fruit quality, thornless cane, to improve disease insect resistance, and cane management and primocane fruiting. In vitro propagation is an alternative method to introduce new cultivars quickly into the market and to provide disease-free planting material compared with traditional methods. The purpose of this study was to summarize blackberry propagation methods in vitro conditions

Nutritional analysis of red-purple and white-fleshed pitaya (hylocereus) species

Pitaya is one of the most preferred and produced tropical fruit species recently introduced to the Mediterrranean region in Turkey. Due to its nutritional fruits with high economic value, the popularity of pitaya increases steadily in Turkey as an alternative crop. No detailed nutritional analysis has been undertaken in Turkey so far on fruits of the pitaya species. In this study, we determined and compared some nutritional parameters in fruit flesh of two pitaya (dragon fruit) species (Hylocereus polyrhizus: Siyam and Hylocereus undatus: Vietnam Jaina) grown in the Adana province located in the eastern Mediterranean region in Turkey. The individual sugars, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, phenolic compounds and volatiles were determined for the first time in Turkey on two pitaya species. The results showed that total phenol content and antioxidant capacity are notably higher in red-fleshed fruits than white-fleshed ones and the predominant phenolic compound in fruits of both species was quercetin. The total sugar content and most of the phenolic compounds in fruits of two pitaya species were similar. A total of 51 volatile compounds were detected by using two Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) fibers, coupled with Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques, and more volatile compounds were presented in the white-fleshed species. Total phenolic content (TPC) of the red-fleshed and white-fleshed pitaya species were 16.66 and 17.11 mg GAE/100 g FW (fresh weight). This study provides a first look at the biochemical comparison of red-fleshed and white-fleshed pitaya species introduced and cultivated in Turkey. The results also showed, for the first time, the biochemical content and the potential health benefit of Hylocereus grown in different agroecological conditions, providing important information for pitaya researchers and application perspective. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.FBA-2019-11325; IGA/FT/2022/004Cukurova University Scientific Research Projects (Turkey) [FBA-2019-11325]Cukurova University Scientific Research Projects (Turkey) [FBA-2019-11325

Development and Validation of a Multilingual Lexicon as a Key Tool for the Sensory Analyses and Consumer Tests of Blueberry and Raspberry Fruit

A comprehensive lexicon is a necessary communication tool between the panel leader and panelists to describe each sensory stimulus potentially evoked by a product. In the current scientific breeding and trading scenario, a multilingual sensory lexicon is necessary to ensure the consistency of sensory evaluations when tests are conducted across countries and/or with international panelists. This study aimed to develop a reference multilingual lexicon for raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to perform comparative sensory tests through panels operating in different countries using their native language. Attributes were collected from state-of-the-art literature and integrated with a detailed description of the sensory stimulus associated with each term. A panel of sensory judges was trained to test lexicon efficacy. After training, panelists evaluated three cultivars of blueberry and raspberry through RATA (Rate All That Apply), which allowed missing attributes to be excluded while rating those actually present. Results showed the discerning efficacy of the lexicon developed can be a valuable tool for planning sensory evaluations held in different countries, opening up further possibilities to enrich blueberry and raspberry descriptor lists with emerging terms from local experience and evaluations of berry genotypes with peculiar traits.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000747. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga