Breeding for improved taste of fresh market tomatoes: breeders` selection and molecular markers

PhD project Julia Hagenguth. Funded by Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur. This project is part of the consortium „Partizipative Entwicklung von QualitätsTomaten für den nachhaltigen regionalen Anbau“ with the Divisions Quality of Plant Products (coordination) and Marketing, University of Göttingen; Fachgebiet Gemüseproduktion und Verarbeitung, Hochschule Osnabrück; Gemüsebauzentrale Papenburg, Culinaris, other partners in the organic value chain.
How can modern breeding methods be used to improve tomato taste? Approaches are

• the investigation and improvement of “breeders` selection” i.e. the test of many genotypes by a small team,
• the identification of QTL for substances relevant for tomato taste,
• the identification of SNP molecular markers associated with superior taste, and
• the comparison of sensory and marker assisted selection.