Type: Book
Apples are one of the most highly consumed fruits globally, with estimations that almost 88 million tonnes of apples are produced worldwide each year. As a result of this popularity, consumers have extremely high expectations of the sensory quality of the apples they consume.
Improving the quality of apples provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on the processes which determine the key quality attributes of apples, including texture and nutritional content. The book addresses how these properties can be enhanced during the pre- and postharvest stages to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the role of breeding programmes in identifying genes directly related to sensory quality characteristics.
In its detailed exploration of the key quality attributes of apples, the book provides its readers with an insight into the science behind producing the ‘perfect’ product and how influential quality attributes are on consumer purchasing behaviours.
“Several books on different aspects of apple cultivation, including optimising quality attributes of the fruit, already exist. However, this new book edited by Professor Fabrizio Costa goes further than simply describing the quality attributes of apples. The contributing authors instead explore the practical results of the implementation of particular breeding and crop management practices to optimise fruit quality during the pre- and postharvest stages of production. Edited by an internationally-renowned expert on apple growth and ripening, I’m sure this book will be hugely successful.” (Emeritus Professor Silviero Sansavini, University of Bologna, Italy)
“Apples are one of the most important fruit crops worldwide, with tremendous advancements in breeding and storage protocols a contributing factor to their year-round availability. Improving the quality of apples has been edited by a leading authority in this subject area and provides the reader with up-to-date information on key quality attributes of apples, as well as the impact of preharvest and postharvest factors on qualitative and nutritional properties of apples.” (Professor George Manganaris, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus)
Part 1 Quality attributes
Part 2 Breeding and crop management to optimise quality