SUMMARY: Fresh berries are a popular and important component of the human diet. The demand for high‐quality berries and sustainable production methods is increasing globally, challenging breeders to develop modern berry cultivars that fulfill all desired characteristics. Since 1994, research projects have characterized genetic resources, developed modern tools for high‐throughput screening, and published data in publicly available repositories. However, the key findings of different disciplines are rarely linked together, and only a limited range of traits and genotypes has been investigated. The Horizon2020 project BreedingValue will address these challenges by studying a broader panel of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry genotypes in detail, in order to recover the lost genetic diversity that has limited the aroma and flavor intensity of recent cultivars. We will combine metabolic analysis with sensory panel tests and surveys to identify the key components of taste, flavor and aroma in berries across Europe, leading to a high‐resolution map of quality requirements for future berry cultivars. Traits linked to berry yields and the effect of environmental stress will be investigated using modern image analysis methods and modeling. We will also use genetic analysis to determine the genetic basis of complex traits for the development and optimization of modern breeding technologies, such as molecular marker arrays, genomic selection and genome‐wide association studies. Finally, the results, raw data and metadata will be made publicly available on the open platform Germinate in order to meet FAIR data principles and provide the basis for sustainable research in the future.

A comprehensive lexicon is a necessary communication tool between the panel leader and panelists to describe each sensory stimulus potentially evoked by a product. In the current scientific breeding and trading scenario, a multilingual sensory lexicon is necessary to ensure the consistency of sensory evaluations when tests are conducted across countries and/or with international panelists. This study aimed to develop a reference multilingual lexicon for raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to perform comparative sensory tests through panels operating in different countries using their native language. Attributes were collected from state-of-the-art literature and integrated with a detailed description of the sensory stimulus associated with each term. A panel of sensory judges was trained to test lexicon efficacy. After training, panelists evaluated three cultivars of blueberry and raspberry through RATA (Rate All That Apply), which allowed missing attributes to be excluded while rating those actually present. Results showed the discerning efficacy of the lexicon developed can be a valuable tool for planning sensory evaluations held in different countries, opening up further possibilities to enrich blueberry and raspberry descriptor lists with emerging terms from local experience and evaluations of berry genotypes with peculiar traits.

ISHS International Symposium on Advances in Berry Crops The BreedingValue integrated data platform

For fruit quality evaluation, sensory characterisation is necessary, to satisfy the needs in both research and along the value chain. Garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is globally the most important small fruit, with numerous varieties and intense breeding strategies. In this study, we introduce a multilingual lexicon of 36 sensory attributes, to provide a tool for consistent and comparative sensory evaluations of strawberries across different countries. The attributes were based on scientific literature, selected by a multicultural group of scientists and berry industry actors, and supplied with attribute descriptions in seven languages (English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish). The lexicon was applied by trained sensory panels for validation of attributes related to eating acceptance across three countries, applying the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) test, an intensity-based sensory analysis method. We highlight the lexicon’s efficiency and potential to define the fruit quality of different strawberry varieties, and discriminate between them. To identify the most relevant terms in defining the sensory profile of strawberries, the cross-region comparison revealed the importance of the flavours ‘strawberry’, ‘berry’, ‘fruity’, ‘floral’, ‘peach’ and ‘watery’, as well as ‘sweet’ and ‘sour’ tastes, the mouthfeel attributes ‘juicy’, ‘firm’, ‘fibrous’, ‘crunchy’, and the metadescriptor ‘fresh’. Further attributes distinguished between varieties or had local importance. The introduced sensory lexicon can be a key tool for harmonised communication among actors in the strawberry sector, not only sensory professionals, horticultural scientists, and breeders, but also product developers and market stakeholders, despite different cultural backgrounds or native languages, sharing the sensory knowledge of strawberry.

For fruit quality evaluation, sensory characterisation is necessary, to satisfy the needs in both research and along the value chain. Garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is globally the most important small fruit, with numerous varieties and intense breeding strategies. In this study, we introduce a multilingual lexicon of 36 sensory attributes, to provide a tool for consistent and comparative sensory evaluations of strawberries across different countries. The attributes were based on scientific literature, selected by a multicultural group of scientists and berry industry actors, and supplied with attribute descriptions in seven languages (English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish). The lexicon was applied by trained sensory panels for validation of attributes related to eating acceptance across three countries, applying the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) test, an intensity-based sensory analysis method. We highlight the lexicon’s efficiency and potential to define the fruit quality of different strawberry varieties, and discriminate between them. To identify the most relevant terms in defining the sensory profile of strawberries, the cross-region comparison revealed the importance of the flavours ‘strawberry’, ‘berry’, ‘fruity’, ‘floral’, ‘peach’ and ‘watery’, as well as ‘sweet’ and ‘sour’ tastes, the mouthfeel attributes ‘juicy’, ‘firm’, ‘fibrous’, ‘crunchy’, and the metadescriptor ‘fresh’. Further attributes distinguished between varieties or had local importance. The introduced sensory lexicon can be a key tool for harmonised communication among actors in the strawberry sector, not only sensory professionals, horticultural scientists, and breeders, but also product developers and market stakeholders, despite different cultural backgrounds or native languages, sharing the sensory knowledge of strawberry.