Great Lakes researchers create fruit to meet consumer preferences

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Researchers are studying how to better breed fruit in the Rosacae family to meet consumer preferences. Examples of the Rosacae family include apples, cherries, strawberries, peaches and pears.  Photo: Haley Walker

Researchers are studying how to better breed fruit for consumer preferences. Photo: Haley Walker

By Haley Marie Walker
Oct. 30, 2009

Jim Luby is a fruit forensics investigator.

The University of Minnesota horticulture professor is among 29 researchers on a project using genetics to create fruit with characteristics consumers want.

“It is similar to human forensics,” Luby said. “The way we are able to relate differences in DNA from one individual to another, we will now do with differences in traits of fruit.”

The project, called RosBREED, targets five fruits in the Rosaceae plant family: strawberries, apples, peaches and sweet and tart cherries.

Researchers will survey consumers for their preferences on traits such as size, texture, color and taste. The favored traits will then be matched with the corresponding DNA responsible for them. Breeders can then use the discovered DNA matches to make more efficient choices when breeding.

“This will improve the crossings that breeders make and will weed out seedlings that don’t carry the traits that breeders want,” Cameron Peace, assistant horticulture professor at Washington State University and RosBREED researcher said. “The DNA is being monitored so that the breeder can better track and more efficiently combine the traits they are interested in.”

The project does not involve the controversial process of genetic modification, Peace said.

“It’s not about changing the DNA, its about using the information that is already there,” he said. “With this approach, we are monitoring the existing genetics, instead of creating new genetic variation, which is what genetic modification does.”

The Rosaceae family includes more than 3,000 species of plants, fruits, flowers and nuts. Roses, almonds, pears, apricots and plums are some examples.

“Our goal is to find out how the market evaluates different fruit attributes,” Chengyan Yue, leader of the RosBREED socioeconomic team and assistant professor at University of Minnesota said. “This is very important because we should know the consumers’ preferences to develop a product to cater to these preferences.

The four-year project recently received $14.4 million from the United States Department of Agriculture. It is the largest ever awarded by the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative. To quality, research must fall into one of five categories: plant breeding and genetics, pests and diseases, crop productivity, new technologies, and methods for controlling food safety hazards of specialty crops.

Examples of the Rosacae family include apples, cherries, strawberries, peaches and pears. Photo: Haley Walker

Sweet and tart cherries, strawberries, apples and peaches are targeted in a project to improve their appeal. Photo: Haley Walker

The USDA defines specialty crops by law as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including the farming of flowers. These crops are also usually produced on large scales.

Luby said this research is overdue. “The Rosaceae family is way behind corn, soybeans and wheat, in terms of developing DNA marker tools and being able to use them in breeding programs,” he said. “As we implement these things we will see better efficiency and better targeting of the traits for consumers and will be getting higher quality fruit to them in the long run.”

RosBREED researchers are from 11 U.S. institutions and six international institutions. New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are represented. Research institutions, USDA labs, geneticists and universities collaborate to form the research team.

Amy Iezzoni, Michigan State University horticulture professor and RosBREED director, said the project will have wide reaching effects.

“There was a certain synergy for all of us to work together,” she said. “We have partners in all the major production areas, so we are targeted to have a big impact.”

Great Lakes Echo reports on the environment.

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