Raspberry is a delicious fruit with important nutritional and health properties for consumers. The efficiency of achieving raspberry breeding aims such as productivity, fruit quality, and adequate response to stressors, etc., depends directly on knowledge of the inheritance of traits and genetic factors of influence and their pragmatic use. In this study, the main morphological characteristics and chemical components of fruits of 24 raspberry genotypes were studied in a comparative field trial; 14 were promising selections and the other 10 included their parental forms (Autumn Bliss, Glen Moy, Glen Prosen, Opal, Pathfinder, Titan, Tulameen, Veten, Willamette) and Glen Ample cultivar, which was used as control. The results highlighted significant differences and a large variation among the genotypes (between 2.40 and 4.90 g for fruit weight, 0.19–0.47 kg/cane for yield, 50–106 for drupelets/fruit, 10.0–12.7% for dry matter, 0.23–2.00% pectin, 1.61–2.72% glucose, etc.). The inheritance of the analyzed traits, considered quantitative, was different, but a low heritability was recorded for non-marketable fruits and the number of drupelets in fruit. In several hybrid selections, negative heterosis prevailed, highlighting the breeding difficulties of the important desired traits of the species. The values of heterosis and the broad-sense and narrow-sense heritability of some traits demonstrate that, through judiciously choosing parents, raspberry breeding in the desired direction can be successful.

Blueberry breeding requires a significant commitment of time, skilled labour, and financial resources, but it is essential to develop new cultivars that can meet challenges such as climate change, disease resistance, and changing market preferences. Intraspecific hybridisationis a widely used breeding strategy to increase genetic diversity, broaden the selection base, and develop new cultivars. By crossing different varieties and making advanced selections, breeders can introduce desirable traits such as improved fruit quality, increased yield, improved disease resistance and greater adaptability to environmental conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate the heritability of some key biometric and biochemical parameters inblueberry hybrids derived from intraspecific crosses to assess their inheritance patterns. The results can guide breeders in selecting parent combinations that maximise genetic gain, ultimately supporting the advancement of commercial blueberry production. The ‘Delicia × 4/6’ hybrid combination showed excellent performance for total polyphenol content, flavonoids, tannins, and ascorbic acid, with high genetic gain and near complete heritability, making it a promising candidate for improving antioxidant activity. The ‘Azur × Northblue’ hybrid had favourable total anthocyanin and tannin content, but an unfavourable sugar and ascorbic acid profile.The ‘Simultan × Duke’ hybrid combination showed the highest genetic gain for total soluble solids and firmness, together with high positive heterosis and heterotic progress, highlighting its potential for high-quality cultivars suitable for mechanical harvesting and storage. This research provides valuable insights into the efficiency of intraspecific hybridisationin the development of new blueberry cultivars with improved agronomic and nutritional qualities.

This study evaluates and compares the nutritional quality and bioactive compounds of berry fruits from Lonicera caerulea (honeyberry) grown in Romania. These berries are known for their rich content of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, which contribute to their potential health benefits. The study was carried out over a period of two years to evaluate fruit size, average weight per fruit, firmness, but also the total content of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins and carotenoids, along with vitamin content. C, total sugar, extracted from fresh berries. The aim of the study was to compare the fruit quality, chemical composition of berries from new introduced in the Institute’s collection blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) cultivars bred in Poland: 'Wojtek', HoneyBee, Jugana, Docz Velika, and 'Bakczarskij Velikan', along with a Romanian cultivar 'Kami', which was used as a control. The research carried out showed the following results: average weight per plant recorded values between 0.52 g ('Bakczarskij Velikan') and 1.03 g ('Honey Bee'); fruit firmness showed variations from 6.37 N ('Docz Velika') to 15.07 N ('Bakczarskij Velikan'); total soluble solids ranged from 11.37°Brix ('Honey Bee') to 13.33°Brix ('Kami'); polyphenol content oscillated from 9,977.24 mg GAE/100g ('Kami') to 8,538.30 mg GAE/100g ('Honey Bee'); and vitamin C levels ranged from 619.69% ('Kami') to 247.23% ('Wojtek'). These results indicate the importance of the Lonicera cultivars for their role in health and nutrition.

The berry breeding program aims to improve the quality, yield, and disease resistance of berry crops through systematic selection and hybridization. This evaluation focuses on advanced selections developed in recent breeding cycles, assessing their performance in key traits such as fruit size, flavor, texture, and overall resilience to environmental stressors. By analyzing these traits, the program seeks to identify the most promising candidates for commercialization, ultimately contributing to the advancement of berry cultivation and providing growers with superior varieties that meet consumer demands. The analysis of the hybrid progeny from 'Azur' × 'Duke' revealed interesting trends in biometric characteristics. The parental variety 'Elsanta' demonstrated the highest yield at 789.33 g, indicating its potential for maximizing harvests. In contrast, hybrid 17-4-150 exhibited a significantly larger average fruit weight of 22.97 g, highlighting its promise for quality production. The objective is to evaluate fruit quality and weight traits of various advanced selections of strawberries and blueberries, with the aim of identifying new genotypes for subsequent breeding stages. This assessment will focus on traits such as size, weight, flavor, texture, and biochemical compounds, ensuring that selected genotypes not only meet market preferences but also contribute to improved yield and disease resistance in future breeding programs. The evaluation of these strawberry hybrids indicates significant potential for improving both physical and chemical characteristics. Continuous selection and breeding efforts can yield cultivars that are not only high-yielding but also of superior quality and consumer appeal. The variability observed in traits such as sweetness, firmness, and color offers a strategic foundation for future breeding programs aimed at meeting market demands.

Five Cornus mas L. genotypes were analysed based on their attractive colour and high productivity. The ‘Bordo’ cultivar stood out, demonstrating the highest berry weight (3.07 g) and yield per plant (8.24 kg). Close behind was the MH-7-17 selection, with an average yield of 7.37 kg per plant. Both the ‘Bordo’ cultivar and the MH-7-17 selection exhibited excellent agronomic potential, making them ideal candidates for large-scale cultivation. UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy was used to quantify the fruits’ levels of sugars, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins and carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene) and to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. The ‘Bordo’ cultivar had the highest carotenoid content (0.88 mg lycopene and 2.47 mg β-carotene per 100 g), while the TG-J-9-17 and TG-J-20-17 selections had the highest total content of sugars, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins and the highest antioxidant capacity. According to the correlations analysis, bigger fruit (which correlated to higher yield) had higher carotenoid content, although lower-level tannin (TTC), flavonoid (TFC), anthocyanin (TAC), and sugar (TSC). Also, total phenolic content (TPC) was positively correlated to TTC, TFC, and radical scavenging activity (RSA), while TFC was positively correlated to TTC, TAC, RSA, but also to TSC. Other positive correlations were those found between TTC and RSA and between lycopene and β-carotene. FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify the characteristic vibrations of the biochemical constituents. Processing the FTIR data using chemometric techniques (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis) revealed consistent clustering patterns between samples with similar characteristics.