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The nutritional diagnosis of crops is carried out through costly elemental analyses of different plant organs, particularly leaves, in the laboratory. However, visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy of unprocessed plant samples has a high potential as a faster, non-destructive, environmental-friendly alternative to elemental analyses. In this work, the potential of this technique to estimate the concentrations of macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), and micronutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and boron (B), in persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) ‘Rojo Brillante’ leaves, has been investigated. Throughout the crop cycle variable rates of N and K were applied to obtain six nutritional status levels in persimmon trees in an experimental orchard. Then, leaves were systematically sampled throughout the cropping season from the different nutritional levels and spectral reflectance measurements were acquired in the 430–1040 nm wavelength range. The concentrations of nutrients were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and B after microwave digestion, while the Kjeldahl method was used for N. Then, partial least squares regression (PLS-R) was used to model the concentrations of these nutrients from the reflectance measurements of the leaves. The model was calibrated using 75% of the samples while the remaining 25% were left as the independent test set for external validation. The results of the test set indicated an acceptable validation for most of the nutrients, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.74 for N and P, 0.54 for K, 0.77 for Ca, 0.60 for Mg, 0.39 for Fe, 0.69 for Mn and 0.83 for B. These findings support the potential use of Vis-NIR spectrometric techniques as an alternative to conventional laboratory methods for the persimmon nutritional status diagnosis although more research is needed to know how the models developed one year perform in ensuing years.

Mandarin production has increased in recent years, especially for fresh consumption, due to its ease of peeling, its aroma, and its content of bioactive compounds. In this sense, aromas play a fundamental role in the sensory quality of this fruit. The selection of the appropriate rootstock is crucial for the success of the crop and its quality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the influence of 9 rootstocks (“Carrizo citrange”, “Swingle citrumelo CPB 4475”, “Macrophylla”, “Volkameriana”, “Forner-Alcaide 5”, “Forner-Alcaide V17”, “C-35”, “Forner-Alcaide 418”, and “Forner-Alcaide 517”) on the volatile composition of “Clemenules” mandarin. For this, the volatile compounds of mandarin juice were measured using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction in a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Seventy-one volatile compounds were identified in the analyzed samples, with limonene being the main compound. The results obtained showed that the rootstock used in the cultivation of mandarins affects the volatile content of the juice, with “Carrizo citrange”, “Forner-Alcaide 5”, “Forner-Alcaide 418”, and “Forner-Alcaide 517” being those that presented the highest concentration.

In the current climate change scenario, water stress is a serious threat to limit crop growth and yields. It is necessary to develop tolerant plants that cope with water stress and, for this purpose, tolerance mechanisms should be studied. NIBER® is a proven water stress- and salt-tolerant pepper hybrid rootstock (Gisbert-Mullor et al., 2020; López-Serrano et al., 2020), but tolerance mechanisms remain unclear. In this experiment, NIBER® and A10 (a sensitive pepper accession (Penella et al., 2014)) response to short-term water stress at 5 h and 24 h was studied in terms of gene expression and metabolites content in roots. GO terms and gene expression analyses evidenced constitutive differences in the transcriptomic profile of NIBER® and A10, associated with detoxification systems of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Upon water stress, transcription factors like DREBs and MYC are upregulated and the levels of auxins, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid are increased in NIBER®. NIBER® tolerance mechanisms involve an increase in osmoprotectant sugars (i.e., trehalose, raffinose) and in antioxidants (spermidine), but lower contents of oxidized glutathione compared to A10, which indicates less oxidative damage. Moreover, the gene expression for aquaporins and chaperones is enhanced. These results show the main NIBER® strategies to overcome water stress.

Blood oranges have high concentrations of bioactive compounds that are beneficial to health. In Europe, the cultivation of blood oranges is increasing due to their excellent nutritional properties. In Citrus crops, rootstocks play an important role in juice and can increase the content of bioactive compounds. The morphological, qualitative and nutritional parameters were analyzed in cultivars ‘Tarocco Ippolito’, ‘Tarocco Lempso’, ‘Tarocco Tapi’ and ‘Tarocco Fondaconuovo’ grafted onto Citrus macrophylla and Citrus reshni. ‘Tarocco Lempso’ grafted onto Citrus macrophylla obtained the highest values of weight (275.78 g), caliber (81.37 mm and 76.79 mm) and juice content (162.11 g). ‘Tarocco Tapi’ grafted onto Citrus reshni obtained the most interesting qualitative parameters (15.40 °Brix; 12.0 MI). ‘Tarocco Lempso’ grafted onto Citrus reshni obtained the most intense red juice (a* = 9.61). Overall, the highest concentrations of primary metabolites were in proline, aspartate, citric acid, and sucrose. The results showed that ‘Tarocco Ippolito’ juice grafted onto Citrus reshni had the highest levels of total hydroxycinnamic acids (263.33 mg L−1), total flavones (449.74 mg L−1) and total anthocyanins (650.42 mg L−1). To conclude, ‘Tarocco Lempso’ grafted onto Citrus macrophylla obtained the best values of agronomic parameters, and the cultivars grafted onto Citrus reshni obtained significantly higher concentrations in primary and secondary metabolites.

19 Pág., A high intramuscular fat content characterizes Wagyu (WY) cattle breed. Our objective was to compare beef from WY, WY-by-Angus, or Wangus (WN) steers with European, Angus-by-Charolais-Limousine crossbred steers (ACL), considering metabolic biomarkers pre-slaughtering and nutritional characteristics, including health-related indexes of the lipid fraction. The fattening system with olein-rich diets and no exercise restriction included 82 steers, 24 WY, 29 WN, and 29 ACL. The slaughter ages and weights were (median and interquartile range) 38.4 mo.-old (34.9-40.3 mo.) and 840 kg (785-895 kg) for WY; for WN, 30.6 mo. (26.9-36.5 mo.) and 832 kg (802-875 kg), and for ACL steers, 20.3 mo.-old (19.0-22.7 mo.) and 780 kg (715-852 kg). Blood lipid-related metabolites, except for non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and low-density level cholesterol (LDL), were higher in WY and WN than in ACL, while glucose was lower in WY and WN. Leptin was higher in WN than in ACL. Pre-slaughtering values of plasma HDL underscored as a possible metabolic biomarker directly related to beef quality. The amino-acid content in beef did not differ among experimental groups, except for more crude protein in ACL. Compared to ACL, WY steers showed higher intramuscular fat in sirloin (51.5 vs. 21.9%) and entrecote (59.6 vs. 27.6%), more unsaturated fatty acids in entrecote (55.8 vs. 53.0%), and more oleic acid in sirloin (46 vs. 41.3%) and entrecote (47.5 vs. 43.3%). Compared to ACL entrecote, WY and WN showed better atherogenic (0.6 and 0.55 vs. 0.69), thrombogenicity (0.82 and 0.92 vs. 1.1), and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic index (1.9 and 2.1 vs. 1.7). Therefore, beef's nutritional characteristics depend on breed/crossbred, slaughtering age and cut, with WY and WN entrecote samples showing a healthier lipid fraction., This research was funded by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, grant number CDTI-IDI-20180254.

Nowadays, the food industry is integrating environmental, social, and health parameters to increase its sustainable impact. To do this, they are using new tools to calculate the potential efficiency of nutritional products with lower levels of environmental impact. One of these tools is called the ‘nutritional footprint’, created by Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy GmbH. This study aims to review this concept and clarify its historical development, its use in several sectors of the food industry, and its transformation from a manual to an online tool. Results reflected that it is a suitable indicator that integrates nutritional, environmental, and social-economic dimensions to help the decision-making process in the procurement of more sustainable products and, although it is limited to Germany due to the use of the national standard nutritional intakes of Germany, its importance lies in the fact that is a promising instrument to promote environmental sustainability in the context of food, meals, and the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) sectors.

Regulated deficit irrigation in super-high-density (SHD) olive orchards is a well-known strategy to save water and control plant vigor, without decreasing fruit or oil yield. As there is controversial information about its influence on virgin olive oil quality, a trial was conducted in five SHD olive orchards of Arbequina cultivar in different locations of central, east, north and northeast Spain under full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatments. RDI applied during phase II of fruit growing (40% of total needs) saves more than 20% of water on average, without reductions in olive fruit or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) yield. No threshold of 3.5 MPa of stem water potential was crossed in any case. RDI modified sterols and the fatty acid profile of EVOOs but not phenols, quality parameters, or the sensory profile. Latitude, altitude, and yearly rainfall have a big impact on some compounds such as campesterol, oleuropein, or margaroleic or linolenic acids. This research was partially funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN), grants RTA2012-00059-C02-01 y C02-02.

Humans mainly use the land for agriculture and housing, resulting in the loss of natural habitat and a decrease in the number of species, including wild bees. The reduction of wild bees generates several negative consequences for the agricultural and ecosystem contexts, although sometimes the farming reduces the probability of abandonment of the land. In parallel, urban beekeeping has emerged and consolidated as one of the current trends, while the consumption of honey from urban environments is also growing. Current scientific literature establishes different physical, chemical, and biological parameters which evaluate the quality of honey products and its environment. The review carried out here collects the various compounds contained in this source-dependent food matrix from anthropogenic activities in the sampling area. Using gas and liquid chromatography and spectrometry, the main physicochemical parameters have been detected, 27 chemical elements, of which 6 are heavy elements, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides (organochlorine pesticides and neonicotinoids). Additionally, their total phenolic and microbiological content has been typified. This analysis can help to frame the main characteristics to evaluate this universal product, whose consumption began with the first settlers of the world, and its properties have been evolving as well as the characteristics of the production systems.

Interest in the cultivation of lettuce landraces is increasing because native varieties, as high-quality products, are particularly attractive to consumers. Lettuce is a popular leafy vegetable worldwide, and interest in the consumption of first leaves (microgreens) and seedlings (baby leaves) has grown due to the general belief that young plants offer higher nutritional value. The content of some bioactive compounds and antioxidants (chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, phenols, antioxidant activity) was monitored in six lettuce landraces and five commercial varieties, and compared across three development stages: microgreen, baby, and adult. Ascorbic acid and phenolic contents were 42% and 79% higher, respectively, in the early stages than in adult lettuces, and red-leaf varieties (CL4 and L11) stood out. This finding agrees with lettuce’s marked antioxidant capacity and correlates with its pigment contents, especially anthocyanins. The nutritional value of adult lettuce is conditioned by its size, shape, and head structure as phytochemical concentrations are regulated by light. The low content of ascorbic acid, phenolics, and anthocyanins in crisphead lettuce (CL5) is a clear example (49, 67%, and 27% lower, respectively, than the adult mean). Our results indicate the wide variability of lettuces’ nutritional characteristics and emphasize that traditional varieties are a helpful source of agricultural biodiversity.

La escasez de agua es uno de los principales retos de nuestro tiempo y se prevé que se intensifique como consecuencia del cambio climático. Una de las principales estrategias para ahorrar agua y aumentar la sostenibilidad de los cultivos es el riego deficitario controlado. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto sobre la maduración y calidad final del fruto de una restricción de riego controlada (50% de suministro habitual de agua desde finales de verano hasta la cosecha) en naranjas sanguinas cv. Tarocco Ippolito. Para ello, se dispuso de la restricción y del tratamiento Control en una misma parcela comercial.

La erosión genética provocada en los cultivos al priorizar la producción sobre la calidad ha generado una pérdida de biodiversidad agraria, que compromete la seguridad alimentaria global. En cuanto a la berenjena, existe poca variabilidad morfológica entre las variedades comercializadas, por lo que es necesario contar con una fuente que ayude a incrementar su diversidad como son las variedades tradicionales. Con el objetivo de aprovechar todo su potencial, y además contribuir a su conservación, se requiere una descripción detallada de las características agronómicas, fenotípicas y de calidad nutricional. En relación a estos enunciados, este trabajo elabora una caracterización de 15 variedades autóctonas de berenjena valenciana conservadas en el Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrobiodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV) y del Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA). Se utilizaron 22 descriptores fenotípicos convencionales cuantitativos y 14 cualitativos de la planta, tallo, hojas, flores y frutos. Las variedades locales se diferenciaron principalmente en función del color y morfología del fruto, obteniéndose 3 grupos diferenciados: de la pulpa del fruto de piel morada (G1), rayada (G2) y blanca (G3). Seguidamente, se eligieron las variedades locales B14, B17 y B16 como representativas de cada uno de los tres grupos, para analizar la calidad nutricional (fenoles, ácido ascórbico, flavonoides, carotenoides, azúcares) de la pulpa del fruto y así proporcionar información verificada sobre su valor añadido. Aparecieron diferencias significativas entre estas tres variedades locales, destacando la B14 (morada) por sus propiedades antioxidantes, seguida de la B17 (rayada) por su alto contenido en vitamina C. La B16 (blanca) es similar a B17 en la mayoría de los parámetros de calidad, además presenta el atractivo para el consumidor de su color blanco. La información aquí reportada indica la amplia variabilidad existente entre las berenjenas, lo que refuerza la importancia de las variedades tradicionales como la principal fuente de biodiversidad agrícola en la actualidad.

Uno de los problemas más graves de los cítricos son las infecciones fúngicas, que se propagan con rapidez durante los periodos de almacenamiento y transporte causando cuantiosas pérdidas económicas en poscosecha. Uno de los hongos que más afectan a estas frutas es Penicillium digitatum, que infecta el fruto exclusivamente a través de heridas en la piel y provoca una podredumbre blanda cuyo aspecto puede pasar desapercibido al ojo humano en una línea de confección, ya que en sus etapas iniciales apenas cambia el color de la fruta. Uno de los métodos empleados para detectar esta enfermedad es iluminar las frutas con luz ultravioleta (UV), ya que la enfermedad causa una fluorescencia detectable por personal entrenado.

19 Pág. Departamento de Reproducción animal, Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle produce high-quality beef. However, whether Wagyu steers can be profitably raised under conditions different than the traditional Japanese ones remains unclear. From 2018 to 2020, we raised 262 Wagyu purebred steers, 103 Wagyu-by-Angus (Wangus) crossbred steers, and 43 Angus-by-European (ACL) crossbred steers on a Spanish farm with high welfare standards and a locally sourced, high-olein diet. Factors and factors' interactions impacting steer growth were analyzed using generalized linear models. ACL steers grew faster than the other two groups, with Wangus showing intermediate fattening and muscle development. Average daily weight gains (kg/day) were 0.916 for Wagyu, 1.046 for Wangus, and 1.293 for ACL during the weaning to growing period, and 0.628 for Wagyu, 0.64 for Wangus, and 0.802 for ACL during the growing to fattening phase. ACL showed the lowest marbling rates. Wagyu and Wangus usually showed higher cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein than ACL. ACL calves may experience greater stress at weaning, as suggested by higher glucose, lactate, and β-hydroxybutyrate than the other groups. The results suggest that Wagyu and Wangus steers showed adequate growth, health, and metabolic development in this type of production system, with Wagyu purebreds probably being more profitable than Wangus crossbreeds., This research was funded by the Spanish “Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial” from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number CDTI-IDI-2–18–254).

Nowadays the cultivation and consumption of traditional lettuce varieties are growing as they are particularly appealing to consumers for their diversity, and high nutraceutical quality. However, lettuce is a highly perishable product, which results in significant nutritional loss from harvest to final consumers. In this work, the content of some bioactive compounds (chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, phenols), overall antioxidant capacity and mineral content was monitored in five landraces and four commercial lettuce varieties to compare their variation during the storage period. Visual characterization was conducted during the postharvest period, as was the determination of the parameters indicative of oxidative stress, to establish the preservation capacity of their physico-chemical attributes. As a general trend, lettuce varieties showed individualized behavior during the postharvest period, which was not necessarily better in the commercial varieties compared to the landraces. Of all the varieties, landrace L10 stood out for not showing excessive variations in its general appearance or nutritional quality throughout its life cycle. However, in terms of initial concentration of bioactive compounds, the reddest varieties (CL4 and L11) stand out. These results indicate variability among varieties, which emphasizes the potential of lettuce landraces in postharvest practices.

Recubrimientos comestibles compuestos a base de goma arábiga (AG), hidroxipropilmetilcelulosa (HPMC) o almidón de patata (S) en combinación con cera de abeja (BW), gliceril monoestearato (GME) o cera de carnauba (CW) fueron formulados con dos aditivos alimentarios o sales GRAS (‘generally recognized as safe’) con propiedades antifúngicas: benzoato de sodio (SB, 2% p/p) o sorbato de potasio (PS, 2% p/p). Los efectos de los recubrimientos sobre la calidad de mandarinas ‘Orri’ se evaluaron tras un almacenamiento a 20 ºC de 14 días. Posteriormente, se evaluó la actividad curativa de los recubrimientos seleccionados en el control de las podredumbres verde y azul, causadas respectivamente por Penicillium digitatum y P. italicum, en mandarinas inoculadas artificialmente 24 h antes e incubadas a 20 ºC durante 7 días. Las emulsiones a base de AG con BW y CW mostraron valores bajos de viscosidad (4,54-26,34 mPa·s), pero aumentaron la pérdida de peso (WL) de las mandarinas. Las formulaciones a base de HPMC-BW y HPMC-CW fueron estables, con valores de viscosidad de 18 mPa·s, pero aportaron poco brillo. El recubrimiento a base de S-GME, con viscosidad de 58,91 mPa·s, redujo significativamente la WL sin afectar negativamente la apariencia de la fruta. La adición de PS a los recubrimientos aumentó significativamente la WL del fruto. El recubrimiento S-GME con 2% SB fue el más efectivo para controlar las podredumbres causadas por Penicillium spp. y redujo la incidencia y la severidad de las enfermedades en un 40 y 35%, respectivamente. Además, redujo también la WL de las mandarinas durante el almacenamiento a 20 ºC, lo que demuestra su potencial para la conservación de la mandarina ‘Orri’ en poscosecha.

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides es el agente causal de la antracnosis de los cítricos. Este trabajo evaluó la eficacia antifúngica in vitro (reducción del crecimiento miceliar en medio PDA) de varias sustancias GRAS (‘generally recognized as safe’), a diferentes concentraciones, contra este patógeno. Los mejores resultados se obtuvieron con metilparabeno sódico (0,1%), etilparabeno sódico (0,1%) y bicarbonato amónico (2%). Posteriormente, sales seleccionadas se utilizaron como ingredientes antifúngicos de recubrimientos comestibles formulados con hidroxipropilmetilcelulosa (HPMC) y cera de abeja (BW). Estos recubrimientos se aplicaron en ensayos curativos in vivo a mandarinas ‘Nadorcott’ y naranjas ‘Valencia Late’ inoculadas artificialmente con C. gloeosporioides 24 h antes y se obtuvieron reducciones de la severidad de la enfermedad respecto al control del 50- 70% en el caso de las mandarinas y del 10-35% en el de las naranjas. Los recubrimientos HPMC-BW con sorbato potásico (2%), benzoato sódico (2%) y silicato potásico (2%) fueron los más efectivos para controlar la enfermedad. Estos recubrimientos se seleccionaron para estudiar su efecto sobre naranjas ‘Valencia Late’ no inoculadas y frigoconservadas. Tras 56 días a 5ºC y 90% HR, seguidos de 7 días de simulación de vida comercial a 20ºC, se observó que los recubrimientos no redujeron de forma importante la pérdida de peso de las naranjas e incluso en el caso de los formulados con sorbato potásico la incrementaron, debido posiblemente a cambios en la permeabilidad de la cutícula. Por otro lado, los recubrimientos modificaron la atmósfera interna del fruto, pero estos cambios no afectaron negativamente a la calidad físico-química y sensorial de la fruta.

Uno de los objetivos actuales de los programas de mejora de mandarinas es la obtención de variedades pigmentadas. Este estudio evalúa cómo afecta la intensidad de pigmentación de la pulpa a la respuesta del consumidor español e italiano. Para ello se generó un cuestionario en el que se mostraron imágenes de una mandarina tradicional y tres mandarinas con diferente intensidad de pigmentación y se investigaron las preferencias, intención de compra y expectativas generadas. Los resultados muestran que existe un mercado potencial para las variedades pigmentadas. Los consumidores españoles consideran más atractivas las variedades de pigmentación ligera, mientras que los consumidores italianos presentan una buena aceptación tanto de las de pigmentación ligera como media. En ambos países, las variedades intensamente pigmentadas no son bien aceptadas. Es necesario informar al consumidor del origen de estas variedades, ya que a priori, sobre todo los españoles, las consideran poco naturales, lo que genera en ellos desconfianza. Aportar información sobre las propiedades saludables también podría suponer un impulso para potenciar el interés de los consumidores.

Se evaluó la efectividad de 13 sales GRAS (generalmente reconocidas como seguras) con actividad antifúngica a diferentes concentraciones en pruebas in vitro, mediante la inhibición del crecimiento miceliar en placas de PDA, e in vivo, como ingredientes de recubrimientos comestibles contra Lasiodiplodia theobromae, causante de la podredumbre peduncular de los cítricos por Diplodia. Los ensayos in vitro realizados con sales amónicas, sódicas o potásicas (0,2, 1,0 y 2,0%) y parabenos (0,01, 0,05 y 1,0%) mostraron que los agentes más efectivos, inhibiendo completamente el crecimiento micelial a los 7 días de incubación a 25 °C, fueron el bicarbonato amónico (BCA), carbonato amónico (CA), carbonato sódico (CS) y carbonato potásico (CP) a todas las concentraciones ensayadas, mientras que el bicarbonato sódico (BCS), benzoato sódico (BS), sodio metil parabeno (SMP), sodio etil parabeno (SEP), sorbato potásico (SP), silicato potásico (SiP) y bicarbonato potásico (BCP) tuvieron efectividad del 100% a las concentraciones más altas. Los ensayos in vivo se efectuaron con mandarinas ‘Ortanique` y naranjas ‘Barnfield´ inoculadas artificialmente con L. theobromae a las que se aplicaron recubrimientos comestibles formulados con hidroxipropilmetilcelulosa, cera de abeja y sales GRAS. Los recubrimientos ensayados que mostraron mayor actividad antifúngica, tanto en mandarinas como en naranjas, fueron los que contenían 2% SP, 2 % BS y 0,1 % SEP, con una reducción de la severidad de un 50%, 40% y 25%, respectivamente, en mandarinas y una reducción en torno al 60% en naranjas para SP y BS y del 30% para SEP.

Wheat flour is a food ingredient used in different processed food products, including pasta, cake, bread, among others. Therefore, the authentication and assurance of good quality are of great importance. Traditional techniques used for quality parameters determinations are laborious, destructive, and demand chemical analysis. Hence, it is necessary the development of techniques capable to overcome these disadvantages. Spectral techniques are rapid, non-destructive, and chemical-free. This review approaches the applications of Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) Spectroscopy, and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) in wheat flour and wheat-based products authentication and assessment of quality parameters, composition, and contamination. Considering the need from the processing industry for a rapid analysis, moving the bench-top analytical system to the production line, future studies can explore in/on-line applications of these techniques for industrial processing lines and compare the use of handheld and benchtop spectrometers in these applications.

Inadequate nitrogen fertilizing practices lead to low nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUE), which increases water NO3− pollution, as well as N2O emissions to the atmosphere. In order to increase the NUE and decrease the N losses as NO3− and N2O from the soil-plant system, accurate data about optimum crop N concentrations and dry matter production throughout the growing season are still needed for many vegetables typically grown under Mediterranean climate. For this reason, several N fertilization trials were set up for globe artichoke, carrot, cauliflower, chard, chinese cabbage, early potato, leek, lettuce, onion, red cabbage, romanesco, and spinach, under the semiarid Mediterranean conditions of the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain) during several years. The fresh and dry matter weight (W), as well as the nitrogen concentration in the dry matter (%N) in both the marketable and non-marketable crop parts, was measured between 3 and 7 times throughout their respective growing seasons. The a and b coefficients of the average N dilution curve (%N = a W − b), for which all %N and W data were used, and the critical N dilution curve (%Nc = a Wc−b), for which only the minimun %N for maximum W data were used if available, in addition to the dry/fresh yield matter ratio (DM) and the harvest index (HI), were calculated for all these crops. No significant differences were observed between the average and critical N dilution curve coefficients in this work. Interestingly, the coefficients of both N dilution curves differed from the ones found in the literature with the exception of those obtained for similar cultivars, e.g., early potatoes, and under similar climatic conditions, i.e., Mediterranean. Besides, there were neither differences of DM and HI among the several N fertilization treatments. Therefore, due to the absence of changes in the N dilution curve and dry matter production coefficients for the different N supplies, all these parameters were estimated on the basis of the whole dataset, i.e., regardless of the N input. The use of the critical nitrogen dilution curve coefficients and dry matter production parameters presented in this work should contribute to better fit the N fertilizer additions to N demands of these vegetables under Mediterranean conditions, mainly, by their use through simulation models. Therefore, the NUE in horticulture should increase and the N losses as NO3− to inland and sea waters in these environments, and as N2O to the atmosphere should decrease.

[ES] La erosión genética provocada en los cultivos al primar producción sobre calidad ha derivado en pérdida de biodiversidad, lo que compromete la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Los agricultores, a través de un proceso histórico de selección, han ido diferenciando variedades tradicionales de cultivo que sonfuente de biodiversidad agrícola que además favorece el desarrollo de la economía local. Por este motivo, su recuperación, clasificación y cultivo son clave para la economía y futuro alimentario. La conservación de las variedades tradicionales requiere un conocimiento de las mismas a través de la descripción detallada de las características fenotípicas, agronómicas, y de calidad nutricional como valor añadido. La Comunitat Valenciana, cuenta con un extenso patrimonio hortícola constituido por una gran diversidad de variedades tradicionales de hortalizas. Estas son fruto de la adaptación a variadas condiciones agroclimáticas de la geografía valenciana, por un lado, y de la selección aplicada por los agricultores en cada localidad por otro. En este sentido, estas variedades tienen un gran valor como patrimonio etnobotánico y como tal deberían ser conservadas. Asimismo, en la actualidad, el cultivo y el consumo de las variedades tradicionales están creciendo, ya que son especialmente atractivas para los consumidores por su diversidad y su alta calidad nutracéutica. En este contexto, esta tesis doctoral se basa en la caracterización fenotípica y nutricional para valorizar las variedades tradicionales de la comunidad, correspondientes a los cultivos de pimiento, berenjena y lechuga, con la finalidad de promover su conservación y cultivo en las zonas de origen, e impulsando la diversidad. La caracterización morfológica de las variedades autóctonas ha sido objeto de numerosos estudios, necesarios porque proporcionan información sobre los caracteres fenotípicos diferenciadores, y contribuyen a optimizar los programas de mejora vegetal. En este sentido, la caracterización de las variedades hortícolas valencianas seleccionadas se realizó siguiendo las directrices del IBPGR. Además, en esta tesis doctoral se han realizado estudios sobre el valor nutracéutico de las tres variedades seleccionadas por ser uno de los principales intereses del consumidor. Por ello, el contenido de algunos compuestos bioactivos y antioxidantes (fenoles, flavonoides, antocianinas, ácido ascórbico, licopeno, carotenoides, clorofilas y la actividad antioxidante), azucares y minerales fueron monitoreados para establecer parámetros de calidad en las especies mencionadas. También se determinó los parámetros indicativos de estrés oxidativo, para establecer la capacidad de conservación de atributos físico-químicos de la lechuga en el ensayo de post-cosecha., [CA] L'erosió genètica provocada en els cultius com a conseqüència de posar per davant producció sobre qualitat ha derivat en pèrdua de biodiversitat, fet que compromet la seguretat alimentària mundial. Els agricultors, a través d'un procés històric de selecció, han generat la diferenciació varietats tradicionals de cultiu que hui són font de biodiversitat agrícola. A més, s'afavoreix el desenvolupament de l'economia local. Per aquest motiu, la seva recuperació, classificació i cultiu són clau per a l'economia i el futur alimentari. La conservació de les varietats tradicionals requereix un coneixement de les mateixes mitjançant la descripció detallada de les seues característiques fenotípiques, agronòmiques, i de qualitat nutricional com a valor afegit. La Comunitat Valenciana compta amb un extens patrimoni hortícola constituït per una gran diversitat de varietats tradicionals d'hortalisses. Aquestes són fruit de l'adaptació a diverses condicions agroclimàtiques de la geografia valenciana, d'una banda, i de la selecció aplicada pels agricultors a cada localitat de l'altra. En aquest sentit, aquestes varietats tenen un gran valor com a patrimoni etnobotànic i com a tal haurien de ser conservades. Així mateix, actualment, el cultiu i el consum de les varietats tradicionals estan creixent, ja que són especialment atractives per als consumidors per la seua diversitat i la seua alta qualitat nutracèutica. En aquest context, aquesta tesi doctoral es basa en la caracterització fenotípica i nutricional per valoritzar les varietats tradicionals de la Ccomunitat, corresponents als cultius de pebre, albergínia i encisam, amb la finalitat de promoure'n la conservació i el cultiu a les zones d'origen, i impulsant la diversitat. La caracterització morfològica de les varietats autòctones ha estat objecte de nombrosos estudis, necessaris perquè proporcionen informació sobre els caràcters fenotípics diferenciadors, i contribueixen a optimitzar els programes de millora vegetal. En aquesta línia, la caracterització de les varietats hortícoles valencianes seleccionades es va fer seguint les directrius de l'IBPGR. A més, en aquesta tesi doctoral s'han fet estudis sobre el valor nutracèutic de les tres espècies seleccionades per ser un dels principals interessos del consumidor. Per això, el contingut d'alguns compostos bioactius i antioxidants (fenols, flavonoides, antocianinas, àcid ascòrbic, licopè, carotenoides, clorofil·les i l'activitat antioxidant), sucres i minerals van ser monitoritzats per establir paràmetres de qualitat a les espècies esmentades. També es van determinar els paràmetres indicatius d'estrès oxidatiu, per establir la capacitat de conservació d'atributs fisicoquímics de l'encisam a l'assaig de postcollita., [EN] Genetic erosion in crops, gained from prioritising production over quality, has led to biodiversity loss, which compromises global food security. By a historic selection process, farmers have been differentiating traditional crop varieties, which are a source of agricultural biodiversity that also favours the development of local economy, which makes their recovery, classification and cultivation key for food economy and the future. The conservation of traditional varieties requires knowledge of them, obtained from a detailed description of their phenotypical, agronomic and nutritional quality characteristics as added value. The Valencian Community (east Spain) has extensive horticultural heritage that is made up of a high diversity of traditional vegetable varieties. These are the result of adapting to the varied agroclimate conditions of the Valencian geography: on the one hand, the selection applied by farmers to each locality; on the other hand, these varieties are very valuable as ethnobotanical heritage and should be preserved. Moreover, the cultivation and consumption of traditional varieties are currently growing because they are particularly appealing to consumers for their diversity and high nutraceutical quality. In this context, the present doctoral thesis is based on a phenotypical and nutritional characterisation to evaluate traditional varieties in the Valencian Community, which correspond to pepper, eggplant and lettuce crops, to promote their conservation and cultivation in areas of origin, and to boost diversity. The morphological characterisation of landraces has been the subject of many studies, which are necessary because they provide information about differentiating phenotypical characteristics and help to optimise plant-breeding programmes. The characterisation of the selected Valencian vegetable varieties was carried out following IBPGR guidelines. Furthermore, studies were conducted in this doctoral thesis into the nutraceutical value of the three selected crops because this value is one of the main consumer interests. The content of some bioactive compounds and antioxidants (phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, lycopene, carotenoids, chlorophylls, antioxidant activity), sugars and minerals were monitored to establish quality parameters in the aforementioned species. Parameters indicative of oxidative stress were also determined to establish the conservation capacity of the physico-chemical attributes of lettuce in the post-harvest test.

Este estudio evalúa el efecto sobre las características físico-químicas y sensoriales de naranjas sanguinas cv. Tarocco Ippolito de una restricción total del riego durante el mes y medio previo a la recolección. La restricción aplicada permitió un ahorro de agua de 57.400 l/ha sin afectar a los parámetros físico-químicos ni a las características organolépticas del zumo percibidas por los consumidores.

Aim of study: In a social context of increasing concern about healthy diets, the development of new varieties with enhanced content in nutraceutical compounds is an important objective of the fruit breeding programs currently developed. In this sense, apricot is a fruit crop very appreciated by consumers worldwide due to its organoleptic characteristics, but also plays an important role in human nutrition due to its content of phytocompounds as sugars, organic acids, vitamins and polyphenols. Area of study: The identification of sources of variation for these traits could be useful for apricot breeding worldwide. Material and methods: New selections from the apricot breeding program carried out at the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA, Spain) and traditional varieties have been analysed aimed at identifying sources of genetic variation for fruit quality. For this purpose, sugar content, organic acids and ascorbic acid were studied during three crop years. Main results: Results revealed sucrose and glucose as the major sugars, malic and citric acid as the main organic acids, and diverse ascorbic acid content among the cultivars studied. Research highlights: Some accessions point as potential sources to increase fruit quality. In addition, the study showed that apricot peel is an excellent source of nutraceutical compounds. Moreover, this study opens up new possibilities to study the genetic control of these traits in apricot in the future.

Obtaining superior quality varieties are one of the main objectives of fruit breeding programs worldwide. In this study, we investigate employing check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions, which include the ideal product, as a method to select new varieties according to consumer organoleptic quality requirements. To this end, mandarin cultivars were used as a case study. Four new cultivars from the IVIA breeding program (‘Pri-88′, ‘Pri-89′, ‘Pri-90′ and ‘Tri-707′), and two commercial cultivars related to them (‘Clemenules’ and ‘Oronules’), were evaluated by a consumer panel using the CATA questions method, which include their ideal product. Our results reveal that this method is a useful tool for selecting varieties based on consumer descriptions of their sensory properties in relation to those of their ideal cultivar. This allows the different consumer preference patterns and differences in sample perceptions to be taken into account. A penalty analysis was performed, including the ideal product, to identify the “must-have” attributes; i.e., those that consumers included in their ideal mandarin description and, whenever present in samples, they significantly increased acceptance. For the mandarins herein evaluated, these attributes are “refreshing taste”, “very aromatic”, “sweet”, “juicy”, “very intense taste”, “sour” and “not very fibrous”. The fruit characteristics that contributed to improve the quality of the new varieties vs. the original varieties were also identified. ‘Pri-89′ and ‘Tri-707′, obtained from ‘Clemenules’, came closer to consumers’ ideal variety, because besides the aforementioned “must-have” attributes, these mandarins have small segments. ‘Pri-90′ implied improvement in relation to ‘Oronules’ and is an appropriate variety for those consumers sensitive to bitterness and who like mandarins with a certain level of sourness., This study has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the Generalitat Valenciana 2014–2020 (IVIA project number 51910).

One of the current objectives of different citrus breeding programmes is obtaining new pigmented mandarins. This study investigates to what extent consumer preferences, expectations and purchase intention are affected by the appearance of new mandarins, specifically pulp pigmentation intensity. Four hundred consumers from both Italy and Spain (800 in all) participated in the study. In each country, half were informed about the healthy properties of the anthocyanins responsible for red pulp colouration, while the other half were not. Italians more readily accepted new mandarin varieties than Spaniards, which was linked to them being more familiar with blood oranges. In Italy, both slight- and medium-pigmented mandarins were well-accepted. Spanish consumers preferred the slight-pigmented variety. The most intense pigmented varieties were not well-accepted in either country. Health-related information positively affected Spaniards’ consumer response but did not modify that of Italians. A halo effect was detected in Spain, where health-related information positively affected mandarin appearance liking and its expected taste liking. Consumer perception that new varieties were unnatural was identified as a consumption barrier, mainly in Spain. Blood orange familiarity and health claims are revealed as conditioning factors for consumer response to pigmented mandarins. Interventions should be made to inform consumers that these varieties are obtained by conventional breeding and not by transgenic technology. Future studies should evaluate consumer response to other sensory characteristics, such as odour, taste and texture.

We performed genomic analyses on species and varieties of the genus Citrus to identify several determinants of domestication, based on the pattern of pummelo [Citrus maxima (Burr. f) Merr] and mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) admixture into the ancestral genome, as well as population genetic tests at smaller scales. Domestication impacted gene families regulating pivotal components of citrus flavor (such as acidity) because in edible mandarin varieties, chromosome areas with negative Tajimas values were enriched with genes associated with the regulation of citric acid. Detection of sweeps in edible mandarins that diverged from wild relatives indicated that domestication reduced chemical defenses involving cyanogenesis and alkaloid synthesis, thus increasing palatability. Also, a cluster of SAUR genes in domesticated mandarins derived from the pummelo genome appears to contain candidate genes controlling fruit size. Similarly, conserved stretches of pure mandarin areas were likely important as well for domestication, as, for example, a fragment in chromosome 1 that is involved in the apomictic reproduction of most edible mandarins. Interestingly, our results also support the hypothesis that various genes subject to selective pressure during evolution or derived from whole genome duplication events later became potential targets of domestication.

Aim of study: To investigate the effects of three early leaf removal treatments on the phenolic compounds of cv. ‘Tempranillo’ (Vitis vinifera L.) grape skins. Area of study: The experiment was conducted in a vineyard located in Requena, Valencia (South-eastern Spain) over two consecutive seasons. Material and methods: Four treatments were investigated over two seasons in drip-irrigated vines: Control (C), non-defoliated and three defoliation treatment, applied at different phenological stages and intensities where all leaves from the first 6 nodes were eliminated just before flowering (ED) and at fruitset (LD). The fourth defoliation treatment was performed at the same time of ED but only the leaves facing east of the eight first nodes were removed (EED). At harvest, thirty-eight phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC in the grape skins, including anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids and their tartaric derivatives. Main results: A general increase of the skin phenolic compounds concentration was found in response to the defoliation treatments. The largest and more significant effects were observed for LD in 2009 with relative increases with respect to the un-defoliated vines of 14.8, 86.0, 119.0, and 75.9% for anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and hydroxycinnamates, respectively. On the other hand, EED did not clearly modify any polyphenolic compound. In addition, the response of phenolic families analyzed to defoliation treatments was different. Malvidine derivatives were not altered by any of the treatments, while the contents of quercetin and kaempferol derivatives and ferulic and coumaric acids, increased in both years when LD was applied. Research highlights: The defoliation effects on specific phenolic substances were dependent on timing, severity, and the season. Skin phenolic compounds increase in response to defoliation treatments and flavonols and hydroxycinnamates were the most affected families., Funding agencies/institutionsProject / GrantINIA-FEDER RTA2008-0037GOBEX GR10006AEI-FEDERAGL2014-54201-C4-4-R; AGL2017-83738-C3-3- RJunta de Extremadura and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)Grant to D. Moreno contract in CICYTEX

[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).

Capsicum oleoresin has recognized effects on digestion and fat metabolism. A total of 100 PIC x Danbred female pigs were divided in two experimental groups (10 pens/group) from 60Kg body weight (BW) to slaughter: one control group (T1) and another group (T2) where the sensorial additive (350ppm) was added from 90Kg to 130Kg BW. The study was carried out in Mediterranean summer conditions. Experimental rooms turned off their cooling systems at 90Kg BW to the end of the study. Temperature and humidity were recorded using dataloggers (HOBO®). Pig BW and intake were recorded before exposure to the additive and at the end of the administration of experimental feeds. Additionally, backfat thickness (BF) and loin depth (LD) were measured. Respiration rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) were also recorded at 0800, 1100, 1400 and 1700h. Carcass and meat quality parameters were measured in the slaughterhouse. Data was analyzed using Proc GLM (performance, carcass and meat quality) and Proc MIXED of repeated measures (RR, RT) of SAS. Environmental data confirmed heat stress conditions for finishing pigs (THI >71 from 0800 to 2200h). Growth performance, BF and LD did not differ between groups. Animals from T2 showed higher (P< 0.05) RR and lower (P< 0.05) RT compared to T1 at 17:00h. At slaughter, animals from T2 tended (P< 0.10) to have a higher fat content (3-4th rib level and ham) compared to T1. Ham pH at 25min and at 20h post-mortem, and drip losses at 48h post-mortem were lower (P< 0.05) in T2 group vs. T1. Concerning the fatty acid profile, the T2 showed a greater concentration of C18:1 and C20:1 compared to T1. In conclusion, the addition of the sensorial additive at the end of the growing period changed carcass composition and quality traits under heat stress conditions.

[ES] La citricultura se enfrenta a escenarios ambientales cambiantes que provocan diferentes estreses bióticos y abióticos que pueden dificultar la producción o afectar a la calidad de la fruta. El patrón sobre el cual se injerta una variedad específica es una importante herramienta para mejorar su adaptabilidad a cada área de cultivo. En la presente Tesis se realiza el estudio del efecto del patrón sobre la calidad físico-química y nutricional de la fruta en variedades de gran interés comercial en la actualidad, mandarinas 'Clemenules' y 'Tango' y naranjas sanguinas 'Tarocco Rosso' y 'Moro'. En 'Clemenules' se llevó a cabo la evaluación de la calidad de la fruta de árboles injertados sobre ocho patrones en tres momentos de cosecha durante dos campañas. Los patrones Forner-Alcaide 13 y C-35 destacaron por adelantar el cambio de color, lo que es de gran interés comercial. Por otra parte, Forner-Alcaide V17 destacó por mantener niveles óptimos de acidez hasta el final de la campaña y presentar el mayor contenido en vitamina C, flavonoides, glucosa y fructosa. Carrizo Citrange también indujo altas concentraciones de sacarosa y vitamina C. 'Tango' es una mandarina de reciente introducción en el área mediterránea de gran interés por su periodo de recolección tardío. En esta Tesis se abordó el estudio de los cambios en la calidad fisicoquímica, nutricional y sensorial de la mandarina 'Tango' injertada sobre dos patrones (Carrizo Citrange y Forner-Alcaide 5) en las dos áreas principales de producción de Andalucía. Los resultados revelaron que la calidad de la fruta se vio influenciada por la localización de las parcelas, lo que se relacionó con la composición de la textura del suelo. En ambas localizaciones, Forner-Alcaide 5 indujo mayor contenido en acidez, sólidos solubles totales, sacarosa, vitamina C y ácido cítrico en la fruta. Las determinaciones físico-químicas, junto con la evaluación sensorial permitieron establecer el momento óptimo de recolección dependiendo de las diferentes condiciones estudiadas. También se ha incluido un estudio del comportamiento postcosecha de esta variedad, ya que no existían datos en nuestras condiciones de cultivo. La mandarina 'Tango' presentó síntomas externos de daños por frío a partir de los 20 días almacenada a 1°C y 5°C. Se realizó un estudio micro-estructural para caracterizar la alteración. Los frutos del patrón Forner-Alcaide 5 presentaron una menor incidencia de los daños por frío. El almacenamiento a 9°C no comprometió la calidad externa o interna. Dentro del grupo de naranjas, en los últimos años existe una creciente demanda por las naranjas sanguinas para su consumo en fresco. Para evaluar el efecto del patrón se tomaron las variedades 'Moro' y 'Tarocco Rosso' injertadas sobre ocho patrones. La calidad interna se vio afectada por el momento de cosecha, siendo más evidente en 'Moro'. En ambas variedades el patrón afectó a los parámetros de calidad durante la maduración. En 'Moro', se observó una reducción en el color del zumo debido a la degradación de los antocianos, siendo los patrones C-35, Macrophylla y Volkameriana los que mostraron un mayor descenso. Esta degradación se relacionó con los cambio de la temperatura durante el periodo de recolección. En 'Tarocco Rosso' no se evidenció ninguna degradación, lo que sugiere que esta variedad es menos sensible a los cambios de temperatura. En esta variedad Forner-Alcaide 5 y Forner-Alcaide 13 produjeron fruta con mayor contenido en antocianos y azúcares. Además se llevó a cabo el estudio de la aptitud a la frigoconservación de las variedades de sanguinas 'Tarocco Rosso' y 'Sanguinelli'. Mientras que la calidad interna no se vio afectada por el almacenamiento (1°C, 5°C y 9°C) durante 45 días, la fruta presentó síntomas de daños por frío a 1°C. 'Sanguinelli' presentó mayor incidencia que 'Tarocco Rosso'. Estas sanguinas se pueden almacenar entre 5 y 9°C, [CA] La citricultura s'enfronta constantment a escenaris ambientals canviants que provoquen diferents estressos biòtics i abiòtics. El patró sobre el qual s'empelta una varietat específica és una important eina per a millorar la seua adaptabilitat agronòmica en cada àrea de cultiu. En la present Tesi s'ha dut a terme l'estudi de l'efecte del patró sobre la qualitat físic-química i nutricional de la fruita en varietats de gran interés comercial, mandarines 'Clemenules' i 'Tango' i, taronges sanguines 'Tarocco Rosso' i 'Moro'. En 'Clemenules' es va dur a terme l'avaluació de la qualitat de la fruita d'arbres empeltats sobre huit patrons en tres moments de collita, en dues campanyes. Entre els patrons avaluats, Forner-Alcaide 13 i C-35 van destacar per avançar el canvi de color. D'altra banda Forner-Alcaide V17 va destacar per mantindre nivells òptims d'acidesa fins al final de la campanya i va presentar el major contingut en vitamina C, flavonoides, glucosa i fructosa. Carrizo Citrange també va induir altes concentracions de sacarosa i vitamina C en la fruita. 'Tango' és una mandarina de recent introducció en l'àrea mediterrània amb gran interés pel seu període de recol·lecció que comença quan finalitza el de les clementines. En la present Tesi es van estudiar els canvis en la qualitat físic-química, nutricional i sensorial de la mandarina Tango empeltada sobre dos patrons (Carrizo Citrange i Forner-Alcaide 5) durant el període de collita en les dues àrees principals de producció d'Andalusia. La qualitat de la fruita es va veure influenciada per la localització, la qual cosa es va relacionar amb la composició de la textura del sòl. En totes dues localitzacions, Forner-Alcaide 5 va ser el patró que va induir major contingut en acidesa, sòlids solubles totals, sacarosa, vitamina C i àcid cítric en la fruita. Les determinacions físic-químiques i l'avaluació sensorial van permetre establir el moment òptim de recol·lecció depenent de les diferents condicions estudiades. També s'ha inclòs un estudi del comportament postcollita d'aquesta varietat, ja que no existien dades en les nostres condicions de cultiu. La mandarina 'Tango' va presentar símptomes externs de danys per fred a partir dels 20 dies emmagatzemada a 1°C i 5°C. Es va realitzar un estudi micro-estructural per a caracteritzar l'alteració provocada per les baixes temperatures. Els fruits del patró Forner-Alcaide 5 van presentar una menor incidència dels danys per fred. L'emmagatzematge a 9°C no va comprometre la qualitat externa o interna d'aquesta varietat. Dins del grup de taronges, en els últims anys existeix una creixent demanda per les taronges sanguines pel seu consum en fresc. Per a avaluar l'efecte del patró sobre sanguines es van prendre dues varietats, 'Moro' i 'Tarocco Rosso' empeltades sobre huit patrons. La qualitat interna es va veure influenciada pel moment de collita, la qual cosa va ser més evident en la varietat 'Moro'. En totes dues varietats el patró va afectar els canvis en els paràmetres de qualitat estudiats. En 'Moro', es va observar una reducció en el color del suc degut a la degradació del antocians. Aquesta degradació es va relacionar amb el canvi de la temperatura experimentada durant el període de recol·lecció. 'Tarocco Rosso' és menys sensible als canvis de temperatura. En aquesta varietat els patrons Forner-Alcaide 5 i Forner-Alcaide 13 van produir la fruita amb major contingut en antocianos i sucres. A mes s'aporta l'estudi de l'aptitud a la frigoconservació en les sanguines 'Tarocco Rosso' i 'Sanguinelli'. Mentre que la qualitat interna no es va veure afectada per l'emmagatzematge a cap de les temperatures assajades (1°C, 5°C i 9°C) durant 45 dies, la fruita va presentar símptomes de danys per fred a 1°C. `Sanguinelli' va presentar major incidència que 'Tarocco Rosso'. La fruita es pot emmagatzemar entre 5°C i 9°C durant 30 dies en el cas de 'Sanguinelli' i fins a 45 en e, [EN] Citriculture faces changing environmental scenarios that cause biotic and abiotic stress. The rootstock onto which a specific variety is grafted is an important tool to help to improve its agronomic adaptability to each crop area. The present Thesis was carried out to study the effect of rootstock on physico-chemical and nutritional fruit quality in some varieties of commercial interest today: 'Clemenules' and 'Tango' mandarins, and 'Tarocco Rosso' and 'Moro' blood oranges. In 'Clemenules', the fruit of the trees grafted into eight rootstocks at three harvest times was evaluated by performing studies during two seasons. Forner-Alcaide 13 and C-35 Citrange stood out for their earlier color change, which is very interesting for this variety, in which early harvesting is a relevant aspect from the commercial point of view. Forner-Alcaide V17 stood out for maintaining optimum acidity levels until the season ended and presented the highest contents in vitamin C, flavonoids, glucose and fructose. Carrizo Citrange brought about high concentrations of sucrose and vitamin C in fruit. 'Tango' is a mandarin variety that has been recently introduced into the Mediterranean Region. Its harvest time is very interesting because it starts when that of clementines ends. The present Thesis studies changes in the physico-chemical, nutritional and sensorial quality of 'Tango' fruit grafted onto two rootstocks (Carrizo Citrange and Forner-Alcaide 5) during the harvest period in the two main production areas in Andalusia. The results revealed that fruit quality during harvest was influenced by the location, which was particularly related to soil texture composition. In both areas, Forner-Alcaide 5 was the rootstock that induced higher acidity content, and more total soluble solids, sucrose, vitamin C and citric acid in fruit. The physico-chemical determinations, along with the sensorial evaluation, allowed the optimum harvest time to be established depending on the different studied conditions. This Thesis also includes a study about this variety's postharvest behavior as no data are available for our crop conditions. The 'Tango' mandarin presented outer chilling injury symptoms after being stored for 20 days at 1°C and 5°C. A microstructural study was done to characterize the alteration caused by low temperatures. The Forner-Alcaide 5 rootstock fruit showed a lower chilling injury incidence. Storage at 9°C did not compromise quality fruit. Among oranges, demand for blood oranges to be eaten fresh has grown in recent years, basically due to their high content in anthocyanins and their positive effect for human health. To assess the effect that rootstock had on blood oranges, two varieties were taken, 'Moro' and 'Tarocco Rosso', grafted onto eight rootstocks. Internal quality was strongly influenced by harvest time, which was more evident for 'Moro'. In both varieties, rootstock affected changes in the quality parameter studied. In 'Moro', juice color faded as anthocyanins degraded, and rootstocks C-35 Citrange, Macrophylla and Volkameriana showed the most marked reduction. Such anthocyanin degradation was related to the change in temperature that took place during the harvest period. In 'Tarocco Rosso', anthocyanins did not undergo degradation, which suggests that this variety is less sensitive to changes in temperature. In this variety, rootstocks Forner-Alcaide 5 and Forner-Alcaide 13 gave fruit with a higher content of anthocyanins and sugars. This Thesis also includes a study of the suitability of cold storage of two blood orange varieties: 'Tarocco Rosso' and 'Sanguinelli'. Although storage at any tested temperature (1°C, 5°C and 9°C) did not affect internal quality for 45 days, fruit displayed chilling injury symptoms at 1°C, with a higher incidence for 'Sanguinelli' than for 'Tarocco Rosso'. Fruit can be stored between 5°C and 9°C for 30 days for 'Sanguinelli' and for up to 45 days with 'Tarocco Rosso'., This study has been supported by Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias and co-financed by FEDER and European Social Fund. The authors thank Anecoop S. Coop. and Frutaria Agricultura, S.L for supplying the fruit herein used and its technical support.

This study evaluated the relation between rind colour and the internal physicochemical and sensory qualities of ‘Sanguinelli’ blood oranges, one of the main blood orange cultivars grown in the Mediterranean region. To this end, 400 fruits were harvested in three different orchards and classified according to rind pigmentation intensity (slight, medium, intense, very intense). All fruits were individually evaluated by determining rind and pulp colour, total soluble solids, acidity, maturity index, juice yield, firmness, and size. Moreover, 71 consumers performed a triangle test to evaluate if fruit sensory properties depended on rind pigmentation. Our results revealed (for the first time) that pulp pigmentation and total soluble solid (TSS) content strongly depend on rind colouration. Among the fruit from the same orchard, the redder the pigmented fruit was (externally) the deeper the red pulp, and the higher the TSS became. This pattern was corroborated in the three orchards under study. Other characteristics, such as acidity, juice yield, firmness, and fruit size, did not depend on external pigmentation. Sensory studies showed that the more coloured the fruit, the higher the accumulated sugar content; consumers perceive these fruits as being sweeter than slightly pigmented ones. This information can be very useful for the citrus industry as external colour may become a quality index for blood oranges, as well as for consumers to make purchase decisions.

There is an increasing interest in polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites, in terms of fruit quality and diet, mainly due to their antioxidant effect. However, the identification of key gene enzymes and their roles in the phenylpropanoid pathway in temperate fruits species remains uncertain. Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a Mediterranean fruit with high diversity and fruit quality properties, being an excellent source of polyphenol compounds. For a better understanding of the phenolic pathway in these fruits, we selected a set of accessions with genetic-based differences in phenolic compounds accumulation. HPLC analysis of the main phenolic compounds and transcriptional analysis of the genes involved in key steps of the polyphenol network were carried out. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) and flavonol synthase (FLS) were the key enzymes selected. Orthologous of the genes involved in transcription of these enzymes were identified in apricot: ParPAL1, ParPAL2, ParDFR, ParFLS1 and ParFLS2. Transcriptional data of the genes involved in those critical points and their relationships with the polyphenol compounds were analyzed. Higher expression of ParDFR and ParPAL2 has been associated with red-blushed accessions. Differences in expression between paralogues could be related to the presence of a BOXCOREDCPAL cis-acting element related to the genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis ParFLS2, ParDFR and ParPAL2.

[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).

The physico-chemical quality parameters (external and internal color, firmness, acidity, total soluble solids, anthocyanins, sugars, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanones) of ‘Moro’ and ‘Tarocco Rosso’ blood oranges grafted onto eight different rootstocks at three harvest time were studied. The rootstocks were ‘Carrizo’, ‘C-35’, ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin, ‘Citrus volkameriana’, ‘Citrus macrophylla’, ‘Swingle’ citrumelo, ‘Forner-Alcaide 5’ and ‘Forner-Alcaide 13’. All studied parameters were highly rootstock/scion-dependent and showed changes throughout harvest. The content of the main anthocyanins revealed their relation with internal fruit color in both cultivars. The rootstocks that led to fruit with the lowest anthocyanins displayed the least sucrose content. The differences detected in the amount of hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, ferulic and sinapic) and flavanones (hesperidin, narirutin and didymin) related to anthocyanins content, explained phenylpropanoid pathway.

In a pre-purchase situation, consumer perception of mandarin quality is almost exclusively based on fruit appearance. Determination of consumer requirements in this regard is needed to preserve the current success of this crop in markets worldwide. In this study, the effect on consumer choice of different appearance characteristics that can occur mainly in early-season mandarins was quantified. Two independent Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of different external mandarin factors: (1) two factors linked mainly with harvesting practices: ‘Leaf’ (no leaves but sound calyx/fresh leaf/dehydrated leaf) and ‘Rind Colour’ (orange colour/rind with slightly greenish areas); (2) three factors related to postharvest handling: ‘Calyx Condition’ (sound/blackening/detached),’Waxing’ (absence/presence of wax), and ‘Rind Condition’ (dehydrated/turgid). A total of 280 consumers participated in each study. The evaluation of the factors linked with harvesting revealed four different choice patterns. Leaf presence was appreciated only by a small group of consumers (20%), and the presence of greenish areas on the rind was perceived mostly as a negative characteristic. Among the evaluated postharvest-related factors, ‘Waxing’ and ‘Calyx condition’ had the strongest effect on consumer choice. Consumers showed marked preferences for mandarins that had been waxed and presented shine and gloss. Calyx blackening and detachment had a negative effect mainly on waxed fruit, while rind dehydration more negatively affected the fruit that had not been waxed. Consumer perception of mandarin quality is importantly affected by external mandarin characteristics. The information herein reported can be very useful for the citrus industry for adapting quality control criteria that respond to consumer demands., This research received no external funding.

Citrus rootstocks are a relevant tree part that contributes to crops adapting to biotic and abiotic conditions, it becoming a key factor to face the current era of climate change. Although the emphasis of most studies on rootstocks has been placed on the yield and optimization of the citrus fruit grown in different environments, other studies have paid attention to the effect of rootstock on fruit quality. Hence, the quality of citrus fruit is becoming increasingly more relevant as consumers demand high internal and external qualities to eat citrus fruit fresh. To better understand how rootstock influences citrus fruit quality, the literature that focuses on physico-chemical parameters, nutritional compounds and physiological disorders has been revised. This review points out the influence that the external aspects surrounding plants has on fruit quality, such as the rootstock/scion interaction, the water uptake capacity of roots, the modification of the photosynthetic rate or availability of nutrient minerals.

[EN] In this study, the effect of two hot air drying conditions (40 degrees C for 23 h and 60 degrees C for 9 h) on the content, antioxidant activity, microstructure, and luminescence properties of persimmon carotenoids in three ripening stages was studied. Based on the results from total carotenoids content and HPLC analysis, the carotenoid's content increased with the advance of ripening, highlighting the beta-cryptoxanthin fraction. In addition, drying treatments did not affect the carotenoid content and profile but decreased the antioxidant activity. Microstructural studies showed that the ripening progress and/or drying treatments, led persimmon tissues to lose integrity, allowing the diffusion of carotenoids and their degradation. Photoluminescence measurements evidenced the synthesis of beta-cryptoxanthin during the fruit ripening. After drying, a new emitting specie at 340 nm was attributed to the carotenoid's isomerisation while the emission at 500 nm experienced a shift that was related to the formation of thermal degradation products. Both facts could explain the loss of antioxidant activity in persimmon submitted to drying treatments. In this sense, photoluminescence, in combination with spectro-photometric, chromatographic and structural techniques, helps to understand the phenomena caused by both, ripening and drying treatments, in the persimmon's carotenoids fraction., The authors thank the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades for the financial support given throughout Project RTA201700045-C02-02. They would also like to thank Phillip Bentley for assistance in correcting the manuscript's English.

La erosión genética provocada en los cultivos al primar producción sobre calidad ha derivado en pérdida de biodiversidad, lo que compromete la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Los agricultores, a través de un proceso histórico de selección, han ido diferenciando variedades tradicionales de cultivo, fuente de biodiversidad agrícola que además favorece el desarrollo de la economía local. Por este motivo, su recuperación, cultivo y clasificación es clave para la economía y futuro alimentario. Dicha conservación requiere una descripción detallada de las características agronómicas, fenotípicas y de calidad nutricional como valor añadido. Este trabajo elabora una caracterización de los recursos fitogenéticos valencianos de cultivos de pimiento, Capiscum annum.

[EN] Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.f.) crop has markedly increased in Spain, and "Rojo Brillante" persimmon is the main cultivated variety. This astringent cultivar requires de-astringency treatment before commercialization, which may involve an extra cost. Its short commercial season implies handling large volumes of fruits with consequent postharvest losses. Therefore, the development of derived added-value products is of much interest. In this study, astringent and non-astringent "Rojo Brillante" persimmons were dehydrated by following a natural drying method used in Asia. The drying kinetics and physico-chemical properties were analyzed for 81 days. The results indicated subsequent reductions in weight, water content, and water activity throughout the drying process, and the equatorial diameter decreased. All the employed thin-layer mathematical models were suitable for representing the drying characteristics of both products with similar behavior. The effective water diffusivity values were 5.07 x 10(-11) m(2) s(-1) and 6.07 x 10(-11) m(2) s(-1) for astringent and non-astringent persimmon samples, respectively. The drying treatment significantly decreased the soluble tannins content, and the astringent samples obtained similar values to those obtained for the non-astringent samples in 20 days. The external and internal flesh of the astringent fruit remained orange through the drying period, while brown coloration in the non-astringent fruit was observed after 57 drying days. Therefore, prior de-astringency treatment would not be necessary., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) through project RTA2017-00045-C02.

La producción de carne de vacuno con grasa altamente infiltrada tiene gran valor en el mercado mundial, debido a su excelente calidad y características organolépticas. Este tipo de carne puede obtenerse en su máxima calidad, de la raza wagyu (de origen japonés), de su cruce con la raza angus (wangus) o de la raza angus en pureza o en cruces con otras razas europeas (cruce comercial). La raza wagyu y sus cruces han sido poco estudiadas en sistemas de producción europeos y, por tanto, es difícil saber su comportamiento productivo y su eficiencia económica, comparada con razas europeas. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar el crecimiento y las características metabólicas (diferenciadas en wagyu; Piao da C. et al., 2015) de animales wagyu (WY), wangus (WN) y cruces comerciales (CC) en las primeras etapas de su crecimiento.

Este estudio utiliza por primera vez el método de las preguntas CATA (Check-all-that-apply) incluyendo la descripción del Producto Ideal (PI) para la selección de nuevas variedades de mandarina. Tres nuevas variedades preseleccionadas en el programa de mejora del IVIA ('Tri-707/'Pri-88' y 'Pri-89') fueron evaluadas por 134 consumidores y comparadas con las variedades 'Clemules' y 'Oronules' con las que comparten periodo de recolección. Todos los consumidores describieron su mandarina ideal de forma similar: olor intenso al separar el gajo, muy aromática, muy dulce, jugosa, poco fibrosa, con sabor intenso y refrescante, y acidez media. Sin embargo, se identificaron dos grupos de consumidores diferentes en base a su descripción de las nuevas variedades. Las preguntas-CATA incluyendo el PI resultaron muy útiles para identificar las variedades más prometedoras ('Tri-707' y Pri-89') por compartir más características con la mandarina Ideal que las variedades comerciales y gustar tanto o más que estas.

'Tango' mandarin is becoming one of the most demanded varieties in the Mediterranean Region. However, no information on the quality of 'Tango' fruit in this citrus area has been reported. In this study, the physico-chemical, nutritional and sensorial quality of 'Tango' mandarins grafted onto Carrizo Citrange and FA5 rootstocks from two locations (Sevilla and Huelva) was evaluated by harvest season. The fruit from Sevilla exhibited lower levels of acids and sugars than those from Huelva, which was associated with a higher sandy soil percentage in the Huelva orchard. In both orchards, the FA5-produced fruit had higher sugars and acids. Flavonoids were affected mainly by location, and the Huelva fruit exhibited the highest levels. The highest vitamin C was for the FA5 fruit. The decreased antioxidant capacity observed throughout the harvest season was related to reduced vitamin C. The sensorial evaluation corroborated changes in the quality parameters.

Irrigation effects in relation to the environmental conditions on grape aromas are still unknown. This study aims to clarify the effects of water regime on the aromatic composition of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes under the semiarid climate conditions of eastern Spain and over three seasons. The relationships between total volatile composition in free and glycosidically-bound fractions, vine performance, and grape composition were also assessed. The watering treatments studied were: sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) at 50% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration (ET); early deficit (EDI), where pre-veraison water deficit was imposed; late deficit (LDI), in which a water shortage was applied during post-veraison; and control (C), irrigated at 100% of ET during the entire season. The effects of water regimes on volatile and glycosidically-bound composition were different between seasons due to the predominant effect of the environmental conditions on aromatic composition. The seasons with the greater yield were associated to a lower grape aromatic composition, however, this effect at the crop level was less pronounced in the most irrigated treatment. In drier seasons, irrigation delayed ripening and increased the terpene concentration of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes, showing a high treatment and season interaction. Specific water regimes have the potential to buffer the effects of environmental conditions on the aromatic composition of “Muscat of Alexandria” grapes in a semi-arid climate, as the result of the complex relationships between climatic factors, vine performance and grape maturity., This research was supported by FEDER and INIA funds through Project RTA2011-00100-C01, and is found within the framework of activities carried out under AEI-FEDER funds AGL2017-83738-C3-3-R. We would like to thank Dr. Manuel Marcos from the Scientific and Technological Research Assistance Centre (CACTI, Vigo University, Spain) for the GC/MS service.

La raza wagyu (WY) se caracteriza por dar lugar a una carne con un alto grado de infiltración, de alta calidad (Shahrai et al. 2020) y de alto interés en el mercado mundial. Carne más engrasada que la tradicional en bovino también se origina en animales de raza Angus, aunque ambas razas presentan ritmos de crecimientos y calidad de la carne diferenciadas (Radunz et al. 2009; Shahrai et al. 2020). El cruce de la raza Angus con Wagyu (wangus, WN) es, por lo tanto, de interés productivo. Sin embargo, hay pocos estudios sobre las características productivas de animales WY y WN en sistemas de producción españoles. Por tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el crecimiento y las características metabólicas de WY y WN en la fase final del engorde.

[ES] El pimiento es un cultivo muy importante a nivel mundial, pero es sensible a la falta de agua y a la salinidad. No obstante, se puede mejorar la tolerancia mediante la técnica del injerto. El Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias y la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia han realizado estudios previos para seleccionar accesiones de pimiento tolerantes a ambos estreses, utilizando después una selección de ellos como portainjertos para estudiar los mecanismos fisiológicos de tolerancia y aumentar la rentabilidad de su producción. Sin embargo, después de todos estos estudios, la información disponible es limitada. En este sentido, los objetivos que se han planteado en esta tesis doctoral fueron: i) seleccionar nuevas accesiones tolerantes de pimiento a la salinidad y escasez de agua, para aumentar la disponibilidad de genotipos tolerantes y usarlos en futuros programas de mejora, con el objetivo final de obtener nuevos portainjertos con una tolerancia mejorada; ii) identificar a corto plazo los mecanismos fisiológicos de tolerancia al estrés hídrico de una accesión tolerante (A25) usada como portainjerto; iii) identificar a corto plazo los mecanismos fisiológicos de tolerancia a la salinidad de un nuevo portainjerto híbrido tolerante (NIBER®); iv) encontrar los principales mecanismos moleculares de tolerancia a la salinidad de una accesión tolerante (A25) respecto a una sensible (A6) desde el punto de vista transcriptómico. Una vez realizados estos ensayos, en primer lugar, pudimos relacionar positivamente la capacidad fotosintética y el mantenimiento del crecimiento en plantas tolerantes a estrés hídrico y salino, tanto sin injertar como injertadas; de hecho, basándonos principalmente en esta relación, seleccionamos las accesiones A34 y A31 como tolerantes a estrés salino e hídrico, respectivamente. Además, demostramos que el papel principal de la prolina en los estreses estudiados no está ligado a la bajada de potencial osmótico; sin embargo, se identificaron funciones protectoras de este aminoácido que, junto a otras moléculas antioxidantes como los fenoles, contribuyen en el pimiento a aumentar la tolerancia. Igualmente importante es el peróxido de hidrógeno, que se relacionó con la capacidad antioxidante en pimiento, funcionando como molécula señalizadora en estrés salino. Asimismo, la bajada de ácido abscísico y la modificación de la expresión de genes relacionados han sido también relevantes en condiciones de estrés salino para mantener la apertura estomática y, por consiguiente, el crecimiento en plantas sin injertar e injertadas sobre portainjertos tolerantes. Se demostró también que la limitación del transporte de Na+ a hojas, así como el transporte y acumulación eficiente de K+ en raíces y hojas, son esenciales para alcanzar la homeostasis iónica y por tanto la tolerancia en pimientos injertados sobre portainjertos tolerantes. Para finalizar, el estudio de las rutas moleculares fue una herramienta útil para confirmar el comportamiento fisiológico y agronómico de una accesión de pimiento previamente clasificada como tolerante a la salinidad, descubriendo además nuevos mecanismos no referenciados hasta el momento. Los genes diferencialmente expresados encontrados estaban relacionados con la señalización hormonal, el crecimiento y desarrollo de las plantas, la fotoprotección, la regulación de los transportadores de iones y la detoxificación de ROS., [CA] El pimentó és un cultiu molt important mundialment, però és sensible a la falta d'aigua i la salinitat. No obstant això, es pot millorar la tolerància mitjançant la tècnica de l'empelt. L'Institut Valencià d'Investigacions Agràries i la Universitat Politècnica de València han fet estudis previs per a seleccionar accessions de pimentó tolerants a tots dos estressos i a continuació, una selecció d'entre elles es va utilitzar per a estudiar els mecanismes fisiològics de tolerància i augmentar la rendibilitat de la seua producció. No obstant això, després de tots aquests experiments, la informació encara és limitada. En aquest sentit, els objectius que s'han plantejat en aquesta tesi doctoral van ser: i) seleccionar noves accessions tolerants de pimentó a la salinitat i la falta d'aigua, per a augmentar la disponibilitat de genotips tolerants i usar-los en futurs programes de millora, amb l'objectiu final d'obtindre nous portaempelts amb una tolerància millorada; ii) identificar a curt termini els mecanismes fisiològics de tolerància a l'estrès hídric d'una accessió tolerant (A25) usada com portaempelt; iii) identificar a curt termini els mecanismes fisiològics de tolerància a la salinitat d'un nou portaempelt híbrid tolerant (NIBER®); iv) trobar els principals mecanismes moleculars de tolerància a la salinitat d'una accessió tolerant (A25) respecte a una sensible (A6) des d'un punt de vista de la transcriptòmica. Després de realitzar aquests assajos, en primer lloc, vam poder relacionar positivament la capacitat fotosintètica i el manteniment del creixement en plantes tolerants a l'estrès hídric i salí, tant sense empeltar com empeltades; de fet, basant-nos principalment en aquesta relació, vam seleccionar les accessions A34 i A31 com tolerants a l'estrès salí i hídric, respectivament. A més a més, vam demostrar que el paper principal de la prolina en els estressos estudiats no està lligat a la baixada de potencial osmòtic; en canvi, es van identificar diferents funcions protectores d'aquest aminoàcid, que, junt a altres molècules antioxidants com els fenols, contribueixen en el pimentó a combatre'ls. Igualment important és el peròxid d'hidrogen, que es va relacionar amb la capacitat antioxidant del pimentó, funcionant com a molècula senyalitzadora a l'estrès salí. Així mateix, la baixada d'àcid abscísic i la modificació de l'expressió de gens relacionats de la seua senyalització han sigut també rellevants en condicions d'estrès salí per a mantindre l'obertura estomàtica i per tant el creixement en plantes sense empeltar i empeltades amb portaempelts tolerants. Es va demostrar també que la limitació del transport de Na+ a les fulles, així com el transport i l'acumulació eficient de K+ a les arrels i les fulles, són essencials per a aconseguir l'homeòstasi iònica i per tant la tolerància en pimentons empeltats damunt portaempelts tolerants. Per concloure, l'estudi de les rutes moleculars va ser un instrument útil per a confirmar el comportament fisiològic i agronòmic d'una accessió de pimentó prèviament classificada com a tolerant, descobrint a més nous mecanismes no trobats fins ara. Els gens diferencialment expressats trobats estaven relacionats amb la senyalització hormonal, el creixement i el desenvolupament de les plantes, la fotoprotecció, la regulació dels transportadors de ions i la detoxificació de ROS., [EN] Pepper culture is economically very important worldwide, although it is very sensitive to suboptimal conditions of water and high salinity. However, the tolerance to these stresses can be improved by the grafting technique. Previous studies of the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research and the Polytechnic University of Valencia have been conducted to select pepper accessions that showed tolerance to both stresses, after which a further selection of them was used as rootstocks to find physiological mechanisms of tolerance and to increase its agronomic profit. However, after all these studies, the available information in this regard is still scarce. Therefore, the objectives of this thesis were to: i) screen new tolerant pepper accessions under high salt concentrations and suboptimal water conditions, to increase the availability of tolerant genotypes to be used in future breeding programmes, with the final aim of obtaining new and improved tolerant rootstocks; ii) identify the short-term physiological mechanisms of water stress tolerance of a tolerant accession (A25) used as a rootstock; iii) identify the physiological mechanisms of short-term tolerance to salinity of a new tolerant hybrid rootstock (NIBER®); and iv) find the main molecular pathways of salinity tolerance of a tolerant accession (A25) compared to a sensitive one (A6) by a transcriptomic approach. After conducting these studies, we firstly found a positive relationship between photosynthetic capacity and growth maintenance in plants that were tolerant to water or salt stress, both grafted or ungrafted; indeed, based mainly on this relationship, we selected accessions A34 and A31 as tolerant to salt and water stress, respectively. In addition, we were able to demonstrate that the main role of proline under salinity and water scarcity is not linked herein to the drop in osmotic potential; on the contrary, we identified different protective roles that, together with other antioxidant protective molecules such as phenols, contribute to the tolerance of pepper plants to these environmental stresses. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species, was found to play important roles in the antioxidant capacity of pepper, working as a signalling molecule under salinity stress. Furthermore, the drop in abscisic acid concentration and its signalling deregulation were also shown to maintain stomatal aperture and thus the growth of the scion when grafted onto tolerant rootstocks and ungrafted accessions under high salt concentration conditions. It was also demonstrated that a limitation of Na+ transport to leaves, as well as a more efficient transport and accumulation of K+ in roots and leaves, are essential to reach ion homeostasis and, thus, tolerance in pepper plants grafted onto tolerant rootstocks. Finally, the study of the molecular pathways of tolerance was a useful tool to confirm the physiological and agronomical behaviour of a pepper accession previously classified as tolerant, although new mechanisms were also found. The differentially expressed genes found were linked to hormonal signalling, plant growth and development, photoprotection, regulation of ion transporters and ROS detoxification., Quiero agradecer al Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), al Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) y al Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades por darme la oportunidad de disfrutar de la beca predoctoral FPI-INIA (proyectos RTA2013-00022-C02-1 y RTA2017-00030-C02-00) con la que he realizado esta tesis doctoral y he podido aprender tanto todos estos años, asistir a los congresos y realizar las estancias de investigación en el extranjero.

The genetic erosion caused in crops by prioritizing production over quality has led to a loss of biodiversity (Brush, 1992; Castillo, 2008), which compromises global food security. As for eggplant, there is little morphological variability among commercialized eggplants (Hanson et al., 2006), and it is therefore necessary to have a source that helps to increase crop diversity, as are the landraces. Traditional varieties are those that have been differentiated by farmers through a historical process of selection, and are considered an important source of agricultural biodiversity (Jain & Gupta, 2013), which can be used for the development of new varieties while supporting the local economy (Ebbert, 2014).

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) species is one of the most important Mediterranean fruits. The fruits are important in the diet of Asian and Mediterranean countries in which the apricot is used as fresh and dried fruit, being an important source of nutrients. Despite of the amount of genetic resources and diversity studies available into the species, there are a few studies focused on fruit quality. Among the different compounds of fruit quality, polyphenols are classified as the most abundant antioxidants in nature, being important as a source of health benefits as well as a potential source of natural products for the food industry. The important role of polyphenols in human nutrition, outline these compounds as the most relevant for defining fruit quality. In this study, the polyphenol content on fruits from different apricot varieties included elite cultivars and hybrids from the IVIA breeding program have been compared for identifying the genotypes with relevant contribution to fruit quality. The most important compounds obtained in terms of quantity were: phenolic acids and flavonoids. Results identified the PPV resistant cultivar ‘Goldrich’ as the best cultivar for increasing the content of antioxidants in the varieties of the breeding program.

[EN] Pasta is mostly composed by wheat flour and water. Nevertheless, flour can be partially replaced by fibers to provide extra nutrients in the diet. However, fiber can affect the technological quality of pasta if not properly distributed. Usually, determinations of parameters in pasta are destructive and time-consuming. The use of Near Infrared-Hyperspectral Imaging (NIR-HSI), together with machine learning methods, is valuable to improve the efficiency in the assessment of pasta quality. This work aimed to investigate the ability of NIR-HSI and augmented Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) for the evaluation, resolution and quantification of fiber distribution in enriched pasta. Results showed R2V between 0.28 and 0.89, %LOF < 6%, variance explained over 99%, and similarity between pure and recovered spectra over 96% and 98% in models using pure flour and control as initial estimates, respectively, demonstrating the applicability of NIR-HSI and MCR-ALS in the identification of fiber in pasta., This work was supported by the Coordenaçao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior -Brasil (CAPES) [Finance Code 001]; Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [grant numbers 2008/57808-1, 2014/50951-4, 2015/24351-2, 2017/17628-3, 2019/06842-0]; and by GVA-IVIA and FEDER funds through project IVIA-51918. The authors would like to thank Nutrassim Food Ingredients company for the donation of the fiber samples, the support provided by Mrs. Cristiane Vidal during NIR-HSI system operation and data processing and Dr. Celio Pasquini for promptly receiving us in the laboratory that he coordinates (Grupo de instrumentaçao e automaçao em quimica analitica, Instituto de quimica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas-SP, Brazil) to data acquisition.

[EN] Climate change scenarios are predicting an increase in temperature as well as more scarce and torrential rainfall episodes. Due to this, an imbalance between grape technological and phenolic maturity is being observed detrimentally affecting grapes composition. In semi-arid areas, irrigation management is a main field practice to influence grape ripening. The goal of the present study was to investigate in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Bobal grapevine responses to three watering regimes: i) Rainfed, ii) deficit irrigation (DI) replacing only 35% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and ii) full irrigation (FI) replacing 100% ETc. In the mid-summer, rainfed grapevines showed different degrees of water stress determined by midday stem water potentials (¿stem) ranging from -1.1 to -1.4 MPa depening on the season. Rainfed plants had in all seasons less vigor and production and, at harvest, higher concentrations of total soluble solids (TSS) and grape phenolics compounds, as well as lower pH, with respect to the other water regimes studied. DI grapevines, generally, had intermediate values between Rainfed and FI, which presented extreme values of the studied parameters respect to Rainfed. The effects observed on grape color parameters and phenolic compounds with the Rainfed regime were mainly due to a dehydration of the berry, which lowered the yield and the weight of the berry compared to the irrigated treatments. The lower TSS accumulation in the DI berries with respect to the Rainfed, will favour obtaining wines with lower alcohol content, currently more demanded by the consumers. Besides, despite the differences obtained between water regime treatments in the TSS accumulation, the extractability of the anthocyanins was similar, which is interesting since anthocyanin extraction from grapes is prerequisite to the formation of stable red wine pigments. Although the most convenient irrigation strategy might depend to the wine style to be obtained, DI is a strategy that can help to close the gap in the imbalance between the technological and phenolic maturity, positively affecting vine yield and performance with respect to the rainfed strategy., E.P. Pérez-Álvarez thanks the Spanish Government for her postdoctoral contract. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with FEDER co-financing [grant numbers AGL-2014-54201-C4-4-R and AGL2017-83738-C3-3-R], CajaMar and Fundación Lucio Gil de Fagoaga.

La raza japonesa Wagyu posee características muy especiales en cuanto a su composición cárnica, presentando mucha grasa intramuscular. Asimismo, presenta niveles de metabolitos característicos de raza (Piao et al. 2015), entre ellos: colesterol, triglicéridos y glucosa. A pesar de que se han aplicado frecuentemente biotecnologías reproductivas en esta raza (An et al. 2016), no existe mucha bibliografía que documente la relación entre el perfil metabólico y el éxito en dichas biotecnologías. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio fue describir la relación entre diferentes metabolitos en novillas pura raza Wagyu, y su producción embrionaria tras incluirlas en un programa MOET.