A new platform housing data from over 100 apple varieties could shave years off of the breeding process and enable data-driven assessments of how to boost the health benefits of America’s favorite fruit.

This new analysis platform developed by a team of Ohio State University scientists combines the genetics behind specific traits and information on hundreds of chemical compounds — from sugars and acids to a host of antioxidants — in the fruit that help make apples a healthful food.

By showing relationships between genetics and compounds in apple fruits known as phytochemicals, the platform has potential to take some of the guesswork, and time, out of the breeding process: It typically takes about seven years to get from mating parent varieties to the first taste test of a new kind of apple, and it could take decades to create a completely new cultivar.

Additionally, complementary research on phytochemicals that may provide health benefits could give researchers a head start on studies to confirm which compounds offer the best chance to develop a more nutritious apple, said study author Jessica Cooperstone, assistant professor of horticulture and crop science at Ohio State.

«It’s an approach that allows us to better understand how apple genetics affect the production of many compounds in apple fruit. We wanted to help develop tools that make this process simpler and allow people to use data to make decisions about the apple breeding process,» she said.

Cooperstone specializes in chemical compounds called metabolites that make apples and tomatoes nutritious. She and her colleagues focus on figuring out how to create and grow the most healthful versions of these crops as possible.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Emily Caldwell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.