GENETIC AND CULTIVATION MANIPULATION FOR IMPROVING TOMATO FRUIT QUALITY

The importance of individual quality attributes of tomato fruit differs for the fresh market and processing industry. The introduction of mechanical harvesting and the advocacy of added health value in the processing products have changed the priority of fruit quality attributes in processing tomato. All the fruit quality attributes are the products of certain physiological processes, particularly during the ripening period, which are genetically determined but where the expression of the genes involved can be affected by the growing environment. Therefore, both the genetic determination and the environmental effects on the relevant physiological processes have to be considered together for future improvement of tomato quality. The recent advances in molecular biology and genomics have made it possible to speed up the improvement of fruit quality through molecular marker assisted breeding as well as quality based optimal cultivation practice. The advance in research on the relevant genetics and physiology of selected fruit quality attributes such as solid content, colour, taste and flavour, and health factors in tomato fruit are encouraging. The direction of future research for improving tomato quality should aim at the regulation of relevant physiological processes through both genetic manipulation and cultivation practice.