Scientists Setting Sights On Better-Tasting Blueberries

UF/IFAS researchers are on the right track in their mission to breed tastier blueberries thanks to a three-year study that examined the flavor traits consumers’ desire.

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James-OlmsteadThe study, recently published in the online journal PLOS ONE, shows what transpired when UF/IFAS Plant Innovation Center scientists harvested 19 cultivars of blueberries and tested them in 30 panels at the UF sensory lab. The diverse group of cultivars allowed researchers to test a wide range of blueberry flavors, said Jim Olmstead, UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences.

Of the 217 people who taste-tested the blueberries, many were repeat panelists, Olmstead said, who led the experiment. As a result of the high participation level, researchers were able to determine which biochemical compounds were most closely associated with blueberry flavor and that people liked the most.

“After identifying the compounds most associated with blueberry flavor, we sought to determine those that are more regulated by genetics,” Olmstead said. “These are the things that can be improved by breeding and selection.”

Olmstead said he can select cultivars for higher or lower levels of a taste compound if it has a high level of genetic control.

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“We put the same genetics in different environments to determine which compounds were the most stable,” Olmstead said.

This study builds on one last year in which UF/IFAS scientists found that consumers prefer blueberries’ taste over their nutritional value when surveyed about blueberry preferences.

Both of these studies are part of an ongoing group effort by multi-disciplinary scientists in the UF/IFAS Plant Innovation Center to make new fruit cultivars that appeal to consumers because they look, smell and taste better.

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