Nutrition-sensitive breeding of Cucurbita plants

In the previous century, agricultural science and technology were focused to make the most of the crops physiological limits in order to maximize yields. It was succeeded by coupling genetically superior varieties developed in breeding programs with high inputs in production technology. However, this approach often neglected the nutritional quality of the produced food, which is defined in terms of essential nutrients composition and concentration, and by its organoleptic properties.

The main idea of the NutSens_PumpBreed Project is to develop a comprehensive breeding program for improving the nutritional quality of pumpkin fruits. Food processing technology is also a component of this program. This main objective will be achieved through:

• determination of the genetic variability, potential inheritance patterns, and the possibilities to exploit F1 heterosis to improve the quality
• distinguishing between genetic and environmental effects on the nutritional quality components
• investigating the effects of drought and suboptimal fertilization, as currently the most constraining environmental factors affecting nutritional quality and agronomic yield
• investigation the possibility to facilitate breeding by assessing pumpkin tolerance to abiotic stresses in early developmental stages
• testing the most efficient “green” extraction methods for the highest carotenoids yield