Fruit Quality Traits Research Articles

The Effect of NaCl-Salinity Applications on the Improvement of Quality Characteristics and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) Grown in Substrate Culture

Salt application in soilless cultivation systems can be considered as a strategic tool to improve tomato fruit quality. In this context, the effects of increasing the salt concentration in the nutrient solution added to the solid culture medium on yield and yield components, biophysical and organoleptic quality traits of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Kardelen F1) under greenhouse conditions were studied. The salt in the nutrient solution was applied to tomato plants as sodium chloride (NaCl) at four concentrations (0, 14.1, 44.4, and 70.4 mM). Each pot received 150 mL of nutrient solution daily during the vegetative period, while 300 mL was applied daily after flowering. This study was conducted with three replicates following a randomized block design. Plants were harvested 90 days after transplanting. Low salt application in the nutrient solution (14.1 mM NaCl) increased total fruit yield, while the high salt application did not effect fruit yield compared to the control. Salt application at increasing concentrations decreased fruit size and diameter but increased the dry matter in the fruit. The salt treatment mainly positively affected the commercial and organoleptic quality parameters of the tomato fruits. In conclusion, a low level of sodium chloride (14.1 mM NaCl) in soilless culture enhanced fruit production, while moderate (44.4 mM) and high (70.4 mM) concentrations improved various fruit quality traits.

BerryPortraits: Phenotyping Of Ripening Traits cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) with YOLOv8.

BerryPortraits (Phenotyping of Ripening Traits) is open source Python-based image-analysis software that rapidly detects and segments berriesand extracts morphometric data on fruit quality traits such as berry color, size, shape, and uniformity. Utilizing the YOLOv8 framework and community-developed, actively-maintained Python libraries such as OpenCV, BerryPortraits software was trained on 512 postharvest images (taken under controlled lighting conditions) of phenotypically diverse cranberry populations (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) from the two largest public cranberry breeding programs in the U.S. The implementation of CIELAB, an intuitive and perceptually uniform color space, enables differentiation between berry color and berry brightness, which are confounded in classic RGB color channel measurements. Furthermore, computer vision enables precise and quantifiable color phenotyping, thus facilitating inclusion of researchers and data analysts with color vision deficiency. BerryPortraits is a phenotyping tool for researchers in plant breeding, plant genetics, horticulture, food science, plant physiology, plant pathology, and related fields. BerryPortraits has strong potential applications for other specialty crops such as blueberry, lingonberry, caneberry, grape, and more. As an open source phenotyping tool based on widely-used python libraries, BerryPortraits allows anyone to use, fork, modify, optimize, and embed this software into other tools or pipelines.

A consumer-oriented approach to define breeding targets for molecular breeding.

Flavor is a crucial aspect of the eating experience, reflecting evolving consumer preferences for fruits with enhanced quality. Modern fruit breeding programs prioritize improving quality traits aligned with consumer tastes. However, defining fruit-quality attributes that significantly impact consumer preference is a current challenge faced by the industry and breeders. This study proposes a data-driven approach to statistically model the relationship between fruit-quality parameters and consumers' overall liking. Our primary hypothesis suggests that the interplay between fruit-quality attributes and consumer preferences may reach a critical value, serving as new empirical benchmarks for fruit quality. Using extensive historical datasets accounting for sensory, biochemical, and genomic information described in blueberry, we first demonstrated that multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) could be used to identify specific values of fruit-quality traits that significantly affect consumer perception by using nonlinear spline regressions on estimating threshold points. We harnessed genomic information and carried out genomic selection (GS) for five fruit-quality traits evaluated on the original scale and after classified via the MARS approach. This study provides a pioneering consumer-centric and data-driven approach to defining fruit-quality standards and supporting molecular breeding that has broad applications to breeding programs from any species.

Comparison of the Morphological Characteristics, Yield, and Quality Traits of Fruits of Two Papaya Cultivars Grown Under Protected Cultivation

This study aimed to investigate the morphological characteristics and performance of Formosa and Sunrise Solo papaya cultivars under protected cultivation in subtropical climate conditions as well as the relationships between the yield and factors affecting the yield. The Formosa cultivars had higher values in terms of plant height (519.4 cm), stem diameter (238.4 mm), first flowering height (138.2 cm), and duration from flowering to harvest (141 days) compared to the Sunrise Solo cultivars. The yield per plant was higher in the Formosa cultivars (52.5 kg/plant/year) than in the Sunrise Solo cultivars (27.4 kg/plant/year). The values of fruit peel color parameters were highest in the spring, the fruit flesh firmness was highest in the autumn, and the soluble solid content was higher in fruits harvested in the summer. Medium to high positive phenotypic correlations were found between the first flowering height and fruit set, fruit weight, yield, fruit width, fruit length, and fruit flesh firmness (0.371–0.595) and between the fruit set (number/plant) and fruit weight, yield, fruit width, fruit length, and fruit flesh firmness (0.388–0.819) (p ≤ 0.01). The papaya can be commercially cultivated under protected cultivation in extreme subtropical conditions, and the Formosa cultivars generally performed better than the Sunrise Solo cultivars across many parameters.

Pan-transcriptome analysis provide insights into resistance and fruit quality breeding of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Pyrus pyrifolia, commonly known as sand pear, is a key economic fruit tree in temperate regions and possesses highly diverse germplasm resources for pear quality improvement. However, research on the relationship between resistance and fruit quality traits during the breeding of fruit species like pear is limited. Pan-transcriptomes effectively capture genetic information from coding regions and reflect variations in gene expression between individuals. Here, we constructed a pan-transcriptome composed of 506 samples from different tissues of sand pear, and explored the intrinsic relationships among phenotypes and the selection for disease resistance during improvement based on expression presence/absence variation (ePAVs). The pan-transcriptome contains 156,744 transcripts, among which the novel transcripts show significant enrichment in the defense response. Interestingly, disease resistance genes are highly expressed in landraces of pear but have been selected against during the improvement of this perennial tree species. We found that genetically diverse landraces can be divided into two subgroups and inferred that they have undergone different dispersal processes. Through co-expression network analysis, we confirmed that the formation of stone cells in pears, the deposition of fruit anthocyanins, and the ability to resist stress are interrelated. They are jointly regulated by several modules, and the expression of regulatory genes has a significant correlation. Moreover, we identified candidate genes such as HKL1 that may affect sugar content and are missing from the reference genome. Our study provides insights into the associations between complex fruit traits, while providing a database resource for pear disease resistance and fruit quality breeding.

Exploration of Strawberry Fruit Quality During Harvest Season Under a Semi-Forcing Culture with Plants Nursed Without Chilling.

Strawberry, a profitable crop, adapts well to diverse environments. This study evaluated the stability of fruit quality in different strawberry varieties produced as green plants without chilling during the harvest season in northern Uruguay. The focus was on understanding the impact of harvest date versus agricultural practices (different orchards and growers) on key fruit quality variables such as color, firmness, sugars, and acidity. Results indicated that the INIA Yrupé variety showed greater stability in external coloration and sugar content across harvest dates, suggesting that standardizing fruit coloration is viable under challenging conditions. INIA Guapa consistently met minimum requirements for soluble solids and ratio, with stable acidity and red coloration. Firmness was positively correlated with ratio (r = 0.81) and negatively impacted by rainfall 2-3 days before harvest. The findings suggest that harvest date has a more significant impact on INIA Yrupé fruit quality than growing conditions or practices, with variability observed in firmness and ratio but minimal variation in fruit coloration. These insights highlight the importance of harvest timing for maintaining stable fruit quality traits, which is crucial for breeding programs and ensuring consistent sensory quality and crop profitability.

Long-term effects of combining reclaimed and freshwater on mandarin tree performance

The current scenario of water scarcity leads to a seek for new irrigation strategies that maintain agricultural productivity while reducing the pressure on freshwater resources, especially in the Mediterranean region, which has a structural deficit of water sources. In this study, the effects of irrigation with water from different origins were assessed over six consecutive years in soil salinity indicators, tree physiology and yield of mandarin trees in south east Spain. The following treatments were considered: i) freshwater from the “Tagus-Segura” water-transfer canal (TW or Control); ii) reclaimed water from a wastewater-treatment plant (RW); iii) irrigation with TW, except in stage II of fruit development when RW was used (TWc); and iv) irrigation with RW except in stage II when TW was used (RWc). Soil salinity indicators increased in all treatments with respect to Control, except for TWc in winter. However, this increase only led to reductions in net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in the RW treatment, while gas exchange parameters of trees from TWc and RWc were not negatively affected. Tree vegetative growth was only affected in the long-term, with trees from the RWc treatment having greater canopies. Yield was increased in the TWc and RWc treatments by 23.1 % and 29.5 %, respectively; while it was reduced by 23.5 % in RW when compared to TW. Likewise, differences among treatments in fruit quality traits were also detected. Our results suggest that combining water from different sources could be a viable alternative for irrigating mandarin trees under semiarid conditions with savings of approximately 50 % of fresh water, although the sustainability of soil health should be ensured. In addition, further research is needed to adapt these strategies to other species and cultivar-rootstock combinations.

Genome-wide association studies in a diverse strawberry collection unveil loci controlling agronomic and fruit quality traits.

Strawberries (Fragaria sp.) are cherished for their organoleptic properties and nutritional value. However, breeding new cultivars involves the simultaneous selection of many agronomic and fruit quality traits, including fruit firmness and extended postharvest life. The strawberry germplasm collection here studied exhibited extensive phenotypic variation in 26 agronomic and fruit quality traits across three consecutive seasons. Phenotypic correlations and principal component analysis revealed relationships among traits and accessions, emphasizing the impact of plant breeding on fruit weight and firmness to the detriment of sugar or vitamin C content. Genetic diversity analysis on 124 accessions using 44,408 markers denoted a population structure divided into six subpopulations still retaining considerable diversity. Genome-wide association studies for the 26 traits unveiled 121 significant marker-trait associations distributed across 95 quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Multiple associations were detected for fruit firmness, a key breeding target, including a prominent locus on chromosome 6A. The candidate gene FaPG1, controlling fruit softening and postharvest shelf life, was identified within this QTL region. Differential expression of FaPG1 confirmed its role as the primary contributor to natural variation in fruit firmness. A kompetitive allele-specific PCR assay based on the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) AX-184242253, associated with the 6A QTL, predicts a substantial increase in fruit firmness, validating its utility for marker-assisted selection. In essence, this comprehensive study provides insights into the phenotypic and genetic landscape of the strawberry collection and lays a robust foundation for propelling the development of superior strawberry cultivars through precision breeding.

Rating pome fruit quality traits using deep learning and image processing.

Quality assessment of pome fruits (i.e. apples and pears) is used not only for determining the optimal harvest time but also for the progression of fruit-quality attributes during storage. Therefore, it is typical to repeatedly evaluate fruits during the course of a postharvest experiment. This evaluation often includes careful visual assessments of fruit for apparent defects and physiological symptoms. A general best practice for quality assessment is to rate fruit using the same individual rater or group of individual raters to reduce bias. However, such consistency across labs, facilities, and experiments is often not feasible or attainable. Moreover, while these visual assessments are critical empirical data, they are often coarse-grained and lack consistent objective criteria. Granny, is a tool designed for rating fruit using machine-learning and image-processing to address rater bias and improve resolution. Additionally, Granny supports backward compatibility by providing ratings compatible with long-established standards and references, promoting research program continuity. Current Granny ratings include starch content assessment, rating levels of peel defects, and peel color analyses. Integrative analyses enhanced by Granny's improved resolution and reduced bias, such as linking fruit outcomes to global scale -omics data, environmental changes, and other quantitative fruit quality metrics like soluble solids content and flesh firmness, will further enrich our understanding of fruit quality dynamics. Lastly, Granny is open-source and freely available.

Evaluation of the Morphological and Physicochemical Diversity of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua, Fabaceae) Germplasm from Algeria

Despite the economic and ecological importance of the carob tree, few studies are available on the morphological characterization and chemical composition of carob in Algeria. This has resulted in the lack of selection of commercial cultivars of high seed and sugar content. The present study aims to assess the diversity of 11 wild and 1 cultivated carob populations in various regions of Algeria, characterized by diverse geographical and climatic conditions. The final objective is to assess the diversity of neglected carob plants that exhibit superior fruit quality traits and/or are well adapted to different pedoclimatic conditions. The current study focuses on analyzing pod and seed diversity by investigating 12 morphological and 5 physiochemical traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences between populations (p < 0.001) for all traits studied, indicating high morphological and chemical variability among these carob populations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to study the relationship between these traits and the geographical origin. High seed yields characterized wild populations, whereas cultivated populations were rich in sugar. Based on morphological traits of pods, seeds and chemical compositions, a hierarchical clustering grouped the carob populations into four groups. The findings of this study represent a significant advancement towards establishing effective cultivar breeding programs in Algeria. They demonstrate that the germplasm examined in this research exhibits an optimal level of morphological and chemical diversity, which is instrumental in the identification of specific traits of both commercial and environmental significance.

Antioxidant activities, dietary nutrients, and yield potential of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) lines in diverse growing environments.

The biotic and abiotic stresses cause a significant decline in the yield and fruit quality traits, including antioxidants and minerals, of bitter gourd when grown in open fields. Protected cultivation technology has emerged to minimize such stresses. We investigated the effect of diverse environments (hi-tech greenhouse, naturally ventilated polyhouse, insect-proof net-house, and open field) and breeding lines on earliness, yield potential, antioxidant activities, and dietary nutrients. In the GYT analysis, 12 treatment combinations involving four growing environments and three breeding lines of bitter gourd were examined. The 3-year study suggested that the cultivation of bitter gourd crops in an insect-proof net house (NH) showed superior performance in earliness, yield-attributing traits, antioxidant activities, and dietary nutrients, followed by a naturally ventilated polyhouse (NP). However, NH was on par with NP and significantly better than the open-field-grown crop. The GYT biplot analysis highlighted that the combinations of NH and Pusa Rasdar outperformed and were the most stable treatments for all the traits investigated, followed by NH in conjunction with S32 and S57 lines. This study suggests that growing bitter gourd in protected environments is the optimal strategy to achieve early market prices and improve the yield and nutritional quality of the fruits.

QTL mapping of fruit quality traits in tetraploid kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta)

Fruit quality traits play an important role in consumption of kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta). The genetic basis of fruit quality traits in this woody, perennial and dioecious fruit crop remains largely unknown. This study aimed to identify the underlying genetic basis of fruit quality traits in A. arguta, using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic linkage map previously developed in a tetraploid F1 population of ‘Ruby-3’ × ‘KuiLv-M’. The F1 population was phenotyped over three years (2020–2022) for fruit quality traits, including skin color, flesh color, fruit weight, fruit diameter, total soluble solids, fruit longitudinal diameter and fruit shape index. A total of nine QTLs were detected for five traits, explaining 10%–32% of the trait variation. For fruit color, the support interval of a major QTL on LG9 contained an MYB transcription factor MYB110, which was previously demonstrated to control color regulation in kiwifruit, thus suggesting that the MYB110 is the candidate gene for fruit color in kiwiberry. The linked marker for fruit color was validated in an F1 population and 25 kiwiberry cultivars. In conclusion, the knowledge obtained through the QTL mapping is applicable to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness in kiwiberry breeding.

Willingness to Pay for Blueberries: Sensory Attributes, Fruit Quality Traits, and Consumers’ Characteristics

Understanding consumers’ preferences for fruit quality attributes is key to informing breeding efforts, meeting consumer preferences, and promoting increased market demand. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of fruit quality traits and hedonic sensory evaluation on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a selection of fresh northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars. The WTP was elicited by using a double-bounded contingent valuation conducted in conjunction with a consumer sensory test. Two types of models were estimated using either sensory evaluations (i.e., consumer preference and consumer intensity) or instrumental measurement data (i.e., measures of soluble solids, titratable acidity, sugars, acids, and firmness) as explanatory variables to model WTP. Results using sensory evaluations indicated that flavor liking, flavor intensity, and sweetness intensity are key factors that influence consumers’ acceptance and WTP for blueberries. A regression analysis using instrumental measurements indicated that measures related to sweetness and acidity traits are important factors that determine WTP. Higher WTP was associated with higher total sugar content across different levels of total organic acid. The WTP increases with organic acid content, because this is needed for enhanced flavor; however, WTP declines at high concentrations of organic acid. Except for extreme values of firmness, the WTP increased as measures of fruit firmness increased, indicating a consumer preference for firmer blueberries. Overall, the results provided new insights into the relationships between consumer preference and WTP and fruit quality benchmarks to select for improved quality.

Genomic selection optimization in blueberry: Data-driven methods for marker and training population design.

Genomic prediction is a modern approach that uses genome-wide markers to predict the genetic merit of unphenotyped individuals. With the potential to reduce the breeding cycles and increase the selection accuracy, this tool has been designed to rank genotypes and maximize genetic gains. Despite this importance, its practical implementation in breeding programs requires critical allocation of resources for its application in a predictive framework. In this study, we integrated genetic and data-driven methods to allocate resources for phenotyping and genotyping tailored to genomic prediction. To this end, we used a historical blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosun L.) breeding dataset containing more than 3000 individuals, genotyped using probe-based target sequencing and phenotyped for three fruit quality traits over several years. Our contribution in this study is threefold: (i) for the genotyping resource allocation, the use of genetic data-driven methods to select an optimal set of markers slightly improved prediction results for all the traits; (ii) for the long-term implication, we carried out a simulation study and emphasized that data-driven method results in a slight improvement in genetic gain over 30 cycles than random marker sampling; and (iii) for the phenotyping resource allocation, we compared different optimization algorithms to select training population, showing that it can be leveraged to increase predictive performances. Altogether, we provided a data-oriented decision-making approach for breeders by demonstrating that critical breeding decisions associated with resource allocation for genomic prediction can be tackled through a combination of statistics and genetic methods.

Pear genomes display significant genetic diversity and provide novel insights into the fruit quality traits differentiation

The pear (Pyrus spp.) is well known for diverse flavors, textures, and global horticultural importance. However, the genetic diversity responsible for its extensive phenotypic variations remains largely unexplored. Here, we de novo assembled and annotated the genomes of the maternal (PsbM) and paternal (PsbF) lines of the hybrid ‘Yuluxiang’ pear and constructed the pear pangenome of 1.15 Gb by combining these two genomes with five previously published pear genomes representing cultivated and wild germplasm. Using the constructed pangenome, we identified 21 224 gene PAVs (Presence-absence variation) and 1 158 812 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) in the non-reference genome that were absent in the PsbM reference genome. Compared with SNP markers, PAV-based analysis provides additional insights into the pear population structure. In addition, some genes associated with pear fruit quality traits have differential occurrence frequencies and differential gene expression between Asian and European populations. Moreover, our analysis of the pear pangenome revealed a mutated SNP and an insertion in the promoter region of the gene PsbMGH3.1 potentially enhance sepal shedding in ‘Xuehuali’ which is vital for pear quality. PsbMGH3.1 may play a role in the IAA pathway, contributing to a distinct low-auxin phenotype observed in plants by heterologously overexpressing this gene. This research helps capture the genetic diversity of pear populations and provides genomic resources for accelerating breeding.

Influence of growth regulator sprays on morphological, physiological, yield, and fruit quality traits of Grande Naine Bananas (Musa cavendishii) under Upper Egypt conditions

Influence of growth regulator sprays on morphological, physiological, yield, and fruit quality traits of Grande Naine Bananas (Musa cavendishii) under Upper Egypt conditions

Understanding the Genetic Basis of Blueberry Postharvest Traits to Define Better Breeding Strategies.

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is among the most-consumed soft fruit and has been recognized as an important source of health-promoting compounds. Highly perishable and susceptible to rapid spoilage due to fruit softening and decay during postharvest storage, modern breeding programs are looking to maximize quality and extend the market life of fresh blueberries. However, it is uncertain how genetically controlled postharvest quality traits are in blueberries. This study aimed to investigate the prediction ability and genetic basis of the main fruit quality traits affected during blueberry postharvest to create breeding strategies for developing cultivars with an extended shelf life. To achieve this goal, we carried out target genotyping in a breeding population of 588 individuals and evaluated for several fruit quality traits after one day, one week, three weeks, and seven weeks of postharvest storage at 1 °C. Using longitudinal genome-based methods, we estimated genetic parameters and predicted unobserved phenotypes. Our results showed large diversity, moderate heritability, and consistent predictive accuracies along the postharvest storage for most of the traits. Regarding fruit quality, firmness showed the largest variation during postharvest storage, with a surprising number of genotypes maintaining or increasing their firmness even after seven weeks of cold storage. Our results suggest that we can effectively improve blueberry postharvest quality through breeding and use genomic prediction to maximize the genetic gains in the long term. We also emphasize the potential of using longitudinal genomic prediction models to predict fruit quality at extended postharvest periods by integrating known phenotypic data from harvest.

Chlorogenic Acid as a Promising Tool for Mitigating Chilling Injury: Cold Tolerance and the Ripening Effect on Tomato Fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has a very brief storability, displaying chilling injury (CI) when stored in cold conditions used to delay ripening. For this reason, in this study, different concentrations (10, 50, and 100 mg L-1) of chlorogenic acid (ChA) were assayed to evaluate its effectiveness in maintaining fruit quality traits and mitigating CI symptoms in tomatoes. Our results showed that ChA treatments effectively delayed weight loss and maintained fruit firmness, with optimal results observed at 50 mg L-1. In general, higher concentrations did not result in significant quality improvements. Additionally, ChA-treated tomatoes exhibited reduced values in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage (EL), indicating improved membrane integrity and reduced oxidative damage. ChA treatments also maintained a higher total phenolic content (TPC) during storage, with significant levels of individual polyphenols such as rutin, neochlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid, suggesting enhanced antioxidant capacity and better preservation of fruit quality. This is the first time the potential of ChA to reduce CI has been evaluated in any fruit species, and its impact in tomato ripening is shown to uphold fruit quality during cold storage, prolonging the storability of tomatoes. In particular, we highlight its natural origin and effectiveness as a postharvest treatment.

Combining Ability and Hybrid Breeding in Tunisian Melon (Cucumis melo L.) for Fruit Traits

A half-diallel cross study of seven melon inbred lines was carried out. The seven parents and their 21 F1 hybrids were evaluated for precocity of maturity, average weight per fruit, and fruit quality (fruit size, rind thickness, and soluble solids). The Diallel analysis was investigated for breeding values of these melon genotypes via general and specific combining ability, relationships between general and specific combining ability, and heterosis for the evaluated traits. The analysis of variance of the traits evaluated indicated highly significant differences among genotypes, suggesting the presence of adequate genetic variation for breeding. Additive genetic effects were most important with respect to fruit weight, while genetic dominance and epistasis effects mainly controlled fruit quality traits (fruit size, rind thickness, and TSS). Parent 1 (P1) and parent 3 (P3) had significant positive general combining ability effects for fruit weight. Also, P3 had positive general combining ability effects for fruit length and diameter, and cavity diameter. P3 was found to show maximum significant GCA in the desirable direction for all the traits except for TSS. Evaluation of heterosis (%) revealed that hybrid P1 × P3 can be considered as the best-performing hybrid for average fruit weight, TSS, and precocity, which also exhibited the highest positive and significant SCA effect for these traits. These results suggested that, among the melon genotypes studied, there is the potential to generate superior new varieties in hybrid production.

Assessment of the genetic structure of two different tomato breeding populations by Principal Component Analysis

In Plant Breeding, different populations are generated, which frequently represent different gene arrangement from a common selected gene pool. The technique of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been widely applied to evaluate the genetic structure of different populations. The objective of this research was to assess PCA for evaluating the genetic structure of two breeding tomato populations, one representing a final step of a breeding program (RIL population) and the other, an initial step (a six basic generations’ population, composed by two homozygous parent, their heterozygous F1 and the segregating F2 and two backcrosses). Both populations were evaluated for phenotypic quantitative traits and population structure was assessed in terms of variances and covariances. PCA was adequate for evaluating differences in genetic structure for evaluated fruit quality traits in both populations.