Feasibility of developing a novel breeding methodology to improve berry flavour

Flavour is a complex trait under large environmental and seasonal effects which already poses a

challenge to breeders and will be more problematic with extreme weather events and climate changes.

Conventional breeding and selection techniques are slow and hindered by seasonal and environmental

variation with QTL mapping also varying with the environment. Recent omics tools have been developed

(genome scaffolds, gene expression & metaboloics data, correlation networks) that will allow us to

investigate and validate links between berry flavour and its controlling factors (metabolites, genes,

environment) to develop a useful model. This feasibility study aims to improve raspberry flavour by

utilising omics data alongside historic genotype, phenotype, met & QTL data with novel flavour profiling

research to develop new breeding models.