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[EN] Given the little variability among commercialised eggplants mainly in developed countries, exploring, and structuring of traditional varieties germplasm collections have become a key element for extending ecotypes and promoting biodiversity preservation and consumption. Thirty-one eggplant landraces from Spain were characterised with 22 quantitative and 14 qualitative conventional morphological descriptors. Landraces were grouped based on their fruit skin colour (black-purple, striped, white, and reddish). Landraces B7, B20, and B24 were left out for their distinctive fruit characteristics. Wide variation for plant, leaf, flower, and fruit phenology traits was observed across the local landraces, and fruit descriptors were considered the most important ones. In a second experiment, landraces, B14, B16, and B17 were selected to determine fruit quality. By contemplating the benefits provided by antioxidants and sugars for human health, pulp antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, ascorbic acid, carotenoid, flavonoid, and total sugar content were determined. Significant differences were observed across these three landraces, and B14 was highlighted for its antioxidant properties, while B17 stood out for its high sugar content. B16 did not stand out for any traits. The results indicate the wide variability in eggplants for their phenotypic and nutritional characteristics, which emphasises the importance of traditional varieties as the main source of agricultural biodiversity., This work has been cofinanced by the Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Emergencia Climatica y Transicion Ecologica, IVIA, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

[EN] Sweet pepper is one of the most important economic fruits with nutritional attributes. In this sense, the nutraceutical value of consumed products is a major concern nowadays so the content of some bioactive compounds and antioxidants (phenols, ascorbic acid, lycopene, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and antioxidant activity) was monitored in 18 sweet pepper landraces at two maturity stages (green and red). All the traits except chlorophylls significantly increased in red fruits (between 1.5- and 2.3-fold for phenols, ascorbic acid, and 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition activity, 4.8-fold for carotenoid and 27.4-fold for lycopene content), which suggests that ripening is key for obtaining desired fruit quality. Among landraces, P-44 in green fruits is highlighted for its content in carotenoids, chlorophylls, phenols, and ascorbic acid, and P-46 for its antioxidant capacity and lycopene content. Upon maturity, P-48, P-44, and P-41 presented higher levels of phenols and lycopene, and P-39 of phenols, carotenoid, and DPPH. This work reflects a wide variability in the 18 pepper landraces at bioactive compounds concentration and in relation to fruit ripeness. The importance of traditional landraces in terms of organoleptic properties is emphasized as they are the main source of agricultural biodiversity today and could be helpful for breeders to develop new functional pepper varieties., This work has been co-financed by the Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Emergencia Climatica y Transicion Ecologica, IVIA, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

[ES] En el presente trabajo se muestran las características morfológicas y de interés agronómico del fruto, correspondientes a 6 entradas de tomate valenciano perteneciente a la colección de variedades tradicionales del IVIA. Las 6 entradas son: IVIA-2 (origen Moncada); IVIA-27 (origen Siete Aguas); IVIA-28 (origen Paiporta); IVIA-69 (origen Moncada); IVIA-72 (origen Moncada); IVIA-126 (origen El Perelló). Respecto a la arquitectura de la planta, las 6 entradas son similares. La diferencia más importante entre ellas es debido a la morfología del fruto; tanto en su sección longitudinal, número de lóculos y el peso medio de los frutos. Las entradas con el extremo distal del fruto con forma puntiaguda, característica muy apreciada por los consumidores, son las IVIA-27 e IVIA-69. Por otro lado, IVIA-28, presenta el mayor peso medio de los frutos con un valor de 262g con una gran calidad, aunque la forma del fruto es menos puntiaguda que ninguno de los otros. Las 6 entradas presentan un gran potencial agronómico dado que presentan un tamaño, forma y color de fruto atrayentes dentro de los cánones de la denominación del tomate valenciano., [EN] In the present work we present the morphological and agronomical interest characteristics of 6 accessions of Valencian tomato from the IVIA traditional varieties collection. The 6 accesions are: IVIA-2 (origin Moncada); IVIA-27 (origin Siete Aguas); IVIA-28 (origin Paiporta); IVIA-69 (origin Moncada); IVIA-72 (origin Moncada); IVIA-126 (origin El Perelló). Regarding plant architecture, the 6 accessions are similar. The most important difference among them is due to the fruit morphology; in particular in its longitudinal section, number of locules and mean fruit weight. The accessions with the distal part of the fruit more pointed, a characteristic very appreciated by consumers, are IVIA-27 and IVIA-69. On the other side, IVIA-28 has the greatest fruit size with a value of 262g and a great quality, although the fruit shape is less pointed than any of the others. The 6 accessions have a great agronomic potential as they have an attractive fruit size, shape and color within the typical characteristics of the denomination Valencian tomato., El equipo de horticultura del IVIA agradece a la Conselleria d`Agricultura, Medi Ambient, Canvi Climatic i Desenvolupament Rural por el soporte y ayuda para el mantenimiento de la colección de variedades tradicionales valencianas del IVIA.

Most of the interspecific rootstocks (Lycopersicum esculentum ¿ L. hirsutum) used in grafted Spanish tomato crops are resistant to Meloidogyne nematodes, but the `Mi¿ resistance gene does not work well at high soil temperatures. Ralstonia solanacearum is a bacterial disease usual in tropical areas, but recently identified with low incidence in several European countries. This disease could be controlled by grafting tomato on Solanum torvum, which is also resistant to Meloidogyne. However, S. torvum and tomato have low grafting affinity, which could be improved using an intermediate rootstock. Some cultivars of eggplant have a relatively good affinity with tomato and complete affinity with S. torvum. In this study we compared two tomato cultivars (one resistant to Verticillium dalihae, Fusarium oxysporum v. lycopersici race 2 and Meloidogyne spp., and one non-resistant) grafted onto `Beaufort¿ (Lycopersicum esculentum ¿ L. hirsutum), `Torvum Vigor¿ (Solanum torvum) and also with an intermediate grafting of eggplant (`Cristal¿) between tomato and S. torvum, with non-grafted plants as controls. This arrangement was carried out in two cropping cycles (winter-spring and summer-autumn). In both cycles, plants grafted onto S. torvum, both single or double grafted, yielded less than those grafted onto `Beaufort¿ or non-grafted plants. In the spring cycle, no differences were found between single and double-grafted plants using S. torvum rootstocks, but in the autumn cycle double grafted plants had higher yields than the single grafted plants. The severity of nematode infections, in terms of reducing yields, and/or hypothetical infections of Ralstonia, will determine the utility of this technique in tomato production.

Public and private institutions in Spain are increasing strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) breeding efforts to obtain new strawberry cultivars well-adapted to growing conditions in Huelva and other Spanish areas, such as Valencia on the eastern Spanish coast. The new `Medina' is a short-day cultivar that is remarkable for its high production of first quality fruits, and large fruits. `Medina' has also an appropriate harvest calendar for the economic interest of the Huelva area.