Identification of the superior genotypes of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) using morphological and fruit characters

Influence of Pomegranate Appearance Attributes on Consumer Choice, and Identification of Barriers and Drivers for Consumption

In a prepurchase situation, consumers base their choice decision on external fruit characteristics, from which they infer internal characteristics. This study investigates consumer preference for pomegranate appearance using a choice-based conjoint analysis with 320 participants. We created 27 images of pomegranates that differed in varietal characteristics: colour (yellow, bicoloured, and red), shape (round, oval, and flattened), and calyx shape (open, semi-open, and closed). Colour was by far the most important factor for consumers, followed by fruit shape and calyx shape. Two preference profiles were identified. Most consumers liked bicolour and red pomegranates equally, and rejected yellow ones, while a smaller group concentrated their choice on bicolour pomegranates. In terms of fruit and calyx shape, oval and flattened fruit and open calyx were the most preferred by both consumer groups. Barriers and drivers for consumption were also investigated. There is still plenty of room to increase pomegranate consumption. Greater availability of pomegranates and ready-to-eat arils in grocery shops, obtaining new unseeded/easier-to-peel varieties, and providing a sensory label would help to overcome current barriers. Marketing campaigns should focus on a pomegranate's health benefits and its versatility in consumption.

Characterization of the Spanish Pomegranate Germplasm Collection Maintained at the Agricultural Experiment Station of Elche to Identify Promising Breeding Materials

Pomegranates were one of the first domesticated fruit crops, and their long history resulted in the development of local cultivars all over the world. Spain is one of the main producers and exporters of this crop in the Mediterranean Basin, but in order to maintain the competitiveness of this crop, new varieties should be developed. For this purpose, the pomegranate germplasm collection hold at the Agricultural Experiment Station of Elche, a public institution dependent on the Valencian regional government, is an interesting tool. However, the detailed characterization of any germplasm collection is a fundamental requirement to be able to make the most of these resources, allowing to identify putative promising accessions and to optimize the design of the future crosses. In this work, the genetic diversity of 94 accessions of this collection was analyzed using 19 microsatellite markers. As a result, 85 different genotypes were identified. These genetic profiles could be useful for varietal identification. Despite this genetic diversity, no clear substructure was observed, except for the ornamental accessions, that could be related to the vegetative propagation of the species. Additionally, the morphological characterization of this collection has made it possible to identify some materials that may be of interest as a source of traits for breeding. Results presented here pave the way for further genetic analyses, allowing the selection of parents to obtain segregating populations, as well as their descendants by the use of molecular assisted selection.

Identification of the promising olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars based on morphological and pomological characters

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an ancient tree and can tolerate drought very well. In the present study, morphological and pomological diversity of 24 olive cultivars (5-15 replications for each cultivar, 243 trees in total) was evaluated. There were significant differences among the cultivars studied based on the characters recorded. The CV was more than 20.00% in 46 of 50 characters measured. Leaf length ranged from 27.07 to 78.54 mm, and leaf width varied from 5.42 to 23.06 mm. Ripening date ranged from late-August to early-October. Fruit length ranged from 13.04 to 33.72 mm, fruit diameter varied from 10.24 to 23.71 mm, fruit weighted from 0.97 to 9.61 g, and the range of fruit flesh thickness was 1.63-7.65 mm. There was high variability in terms of fruit color, ranging from light green to black. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) performed based on the mean of replications with Euclidean distance and Ward method grouped the cultivars into two major clusters. Differences in many of the morphological traits were observed across the cultivars. These sets of data were used to identify unique and desirable cultivars morphologically. The present research demonstrates that local olive cultivars have unique characteristics that differentiate them from imported cultivars. Thus, local cultivars provide novel genetic resources that should be conserved.