Abstract
Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) represent one of the most produced fruits worldwide, along with citrus and bananas. As high quality is an important trait for the consumer, many studies have focused on the research of new techniques to ensure and preserve the optimal organoleptic characteristics of this fruit. However, despite the huge number of studies on recent technological advances dealing with fruit final quality, less research has focused on the physiological aspects of apple development, including a variety of processes triggered after fertilization, such as photosynthesis, assimilation of carbohydrates, cell division, and cell enlargement, which determine apple final quality. In the present review, we summarize some of the most important changes and mechanisms linked to the primary metabolism of apples, as well as the effect of agronomic practices, such as fruit thinning, as key factors to improve apple quality and meet consumer demands, with the aim of amassing available information and suggesting future directions of research.
Highlights
With more than 2500 species belonging to 90 different genera, the Rosaceae family is a very extended group, which comprises ornamental to edible crops
As fruit development progresses over time, apples continue to accumulate a high amount of sugars within vacuoles, generating an osmotic pressure that stimulates a high influx of water
We aimed to describe the most important pathways and compounds either involved in or derived from primary metabolism, which is important for many developing fruits, as it provides the basis of final fruit size and quality
Summary
With more than 2500 species belonging to 90 different genera, the Rosaceae family is a very extended group, which comprises ornamental to edible crops Within the latter, fleshy fruits have an economic importance given their nutritional contribution to a healthy diet; there is high consumer demand [1]. It is known that almost five million hectares of the worldwide area is harvested for apples, with approximately 17 million metric tons stemming from European production, representing 20% of the global production, which was approximately 90 million metric tons in 2019, becoming the fruit with the third largest production, behind citrus and bananas [3] During their development, apples accumulate several compounds that are deemed valuable by consumers, such as sugars, organic acids, vitamins, fibers, and antioxidants [4]. As well as how they are affected by the application of agrochemicals during the first stages of apple development, when most of the final fruit’s quality at harvest is determined
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