Instant Insights: Optimising quality attributes in horticultural products (Burleigh Dodds Science: Instant Insights, 97)

This book features five peer-reviewed reviews on best practices to optimise quality attributes in horticultural products. The first chapter examines the use of quantitative trait loci (QTL) to identify and determine favourable sensory characteristics in the tomato plant to meet current consumer expectations.

The second chapter highlights some of the newest innovations in strawberry production with particular emphasis on genetic improvement of the crop through a number of technologies, including QTL and high-throughput genotyping.

The third chapter examines specifications for fruit at harvest maturity and at commercial maturity, as well as technologies for monitoring relevant attributes, including machine vision in the estimation of canopy flowering.

The fourth chapter reviews the wealth of clinical evidence supporting the health benefits of cranberry consumption, including their role in inducing protection against urinary tract infections. The chapter also considers approaches to maximising the bioefficacy of cranberry-related food and products.

The final chapter addresses the use of plant bioregulators (PBRs) in tree fruit production and how they can be used to optimise plant growth, fruit yield and quality. The chapter provides a brief classification of PBRs and reviews their use in the development and maintenance of tree structure.

Dr Kerry Walsh is a Professor at Central Queensland University working in the field of assessment of fruit quantity and quality. Dr Walsh' research focusses on the development of near infrared spectroscopy for assessment of fruit quality in both online and hand held formats, as well as the development of machine vision based tools for assessment of tree fruit load in terms of both fruit number and size.