QTL analysis of soft scald in two apple populations.

The apple (Malus×domestica Borkh.) is one of the world's most widely grown and valuable fruit crops. With demand for apples year round, storability has emerged as an important consideration for apple breeding programs.

Use of descriptive analysis and preference mapping for early-stage assessment of new and established apples.

Background: This research compared four new apple selections with 16 established apples using descriptive analysis (DA), instrumental analyses and preference mapping, in order to identify suitable selections for commercialization and further research.

Results: DA revealed that the new apple selections (PARC1, PARC2, PARC3, PARC4) were very similar in texture/mouthfeel (T) but differed in their flavor (F) and appearance (A) characteristics. Preference mapping revealed that consumers' T preferences were driven primarily by crispness, juiciness and lack of skin toughness, while F preferences were driven by sweetness, lack of tartness and presence of fruity flavor.

Effect of short-term air storage after removal from controlled-atmosphere storage on apple and fresh-cut apple quality.

Background: One of the realities of apple distribution for long-term stored fruit is that a controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage room will be unsealed and fruit held in air storage and marketed over several weeks. This work was conducted to determine the effect of post-CA air storage of whole fruit on potential shelf life for fresh-cut apple slices.

Results: Fresh-cut slices of 'Spartan' and 'Delicious' apples held in post-CA air storage for 2 or 4 weeks showed the least changes in cut surface color as compared with those made from apples immediately on removal from CA.

Development and linkage mapping of E-STS and RGA markers for functional gene homologues in apple.

Linkage maps developed from known-function genes can be valuable in the candidate gene mapping approach. A set of 121 expressed sequence tagged site (E-STS) primer pairs were tested on a framework genetic linkage map of apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) constructed using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.