Strawberry breeding for improved flavor

Abstract

AbstractStrawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier) is cultivated and enjoyed globally for its health properties and flavor. Improvements in agronomic performance and fruit quality attributes highlight the successes of strawberry breeding in recent decades. Nevertheless, sweetness and flavor continue to fall below the ideal for the average consumer. While flavor is an important trait of focus, it is one of many critical traits necessary for the success of a strawberry variety. In addition, the chemical complexity of flavor and the genetic complexity of octoploid strawberry have slowed the development of genomics tools for flavor improvement. Recent efforts to understand consumer preference and the chemical drivers of strawberry flavor have revealed the strong impact of sugar content and specific volatile compounds. These large‐scale sensory studies combined with multi‐omics resources have set the stage for new levels of flavor improvement. Marker‐assisted selection for volatile biosynthesis genes has begun to take place in breeding programs, along with genomic selection for increased sugar content. Enhancing levels of existing volatile compounds and targeted introgression of rare compounds using genomics tools will continue to improve flavor intensity and complexity.