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• The eastern region is the ideal environment for increased phytochemicals in tomato. • Increased tomato fruit quality and phytochemical content is cultivar-dependant. • Variations in tomato fruit quality are dependant on environmental factors. • The fruit TSS level is positively correlated to thermal time accumulation and RH min. • Contrarily to pH, tomato fruit EC levels are negatively correlated to VPD. The present study investigated the influence of environmental conditions (growing regions and/or fruit-harvesting periods) and cultivar on fruit phytochemical content and quality parameters of "salad-type" fresh market tomatoes grown in protected soilless culture under non-temperature-controlled high tunnels. Sixteen high yielding hybrid tomato cultivars of indeterminate growth were grown in three different regions (Tshwane, Eastern and Western regions) of a subtropical highland climate, and the fruits were harvested in three different periods of the growing season for fruit quality analysis. The Eastern region was in general the most ideal environment for increased fruit quality (particularly fruit electrical conductivity) and phytochemical content of soilless grown tomato cultivars in a non-temperature-controlled high tunnel. The fruit electrical conductivity was considerably high in this region, irrespective of its harvesting period. The potential to maximize a certain type of phytochemical or fruit quality parameter was cultivar-dependant. Cultivars responded differently to the changing environment. However, the fruit total soluble solids level of those cultivars showing superior performance was positively influenced by increased levels of thermal time accumulation and minimum relative humidity, while their fruit electrical conductivity level was reduced with increased vapour pressure deficit. On the contrary, the fruit pH level did not seem to be affected by the environment or cultivar type. Therefore, identifying appropriate growing environments for the tomato cultivars is crucial for improved phytochemical content and fruit quality parameters, contributing to nutrition security, improved income generation for farmers and overall societal well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations puts forward a transformational vision to cope with food security, nutrition, and health challenges, in which sweet potato can play an important role. Globally, sweet potato production is valued at $53.83 billion. The Agricultural Research Council of South Africa (ARC) sweet potato research and development (R&D) program over the past seven decades delivered 31 genetically improved cultivars via demand‐led breeding, managed the collection and maintenance of 375 accessions, contributed toward the optimization of cultivation practices, developed crop protection and diagnostic services, and provided streamlined seed systems and technology transfer in processing and enterprise development. The ARC's work is part of a large number of interdependent global programs committed to improving livelihoods and nutrition through sweet potato. This review shares and analyses major achievements, highlights unique research contributions achieved through partnerships, and discusses bottlenecks on funding and uptake of technologies. New research imperatives will involve root phenotyping, employing marker‐based technologies, and genome‐wide association studies through new funding received recently. Exploration of the commercialization potential of processed products made from orange‐fleshed sweet potato will be a major focus of the R&D program. Expansion of partnerships, marketing, and financing will be important for future contribution of sweet potato to the economy. Core Ideas: Sweet potato has great potential to address several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.A comprehensive sweet potato research and development program described herein provided technology across the full value chain.Screening methods for wilt disease, nematodes, protein content, virus, and crop development are highlighted.Expansion of partnerships and financing is essential to retain research momentum.Modern technologies must be key in new research imperatives.This article provides important lessons for public breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]