Choosing the right variety or cultivar is of importance to plant breeders, growers, importers and retailers alike.

A successful variety needs to:

• adapt to a range of growing conditions worldwide in order to meet the demands of the market for all year supply
• provide a good return to growers though yield and quality
• meet the requirements of the supply chain with regard to condition, storage and shelf life, and ultimately deliver a high quality product to the consumer

CASE STUDY – Development of varietal screening techniques
We have developed novel methods for selecting high quality varieties of fresh ginger, turmeric and tea, based on the composition of their flavour components. We related the chemical composition analyses with sensory evaluations. In the case of tea, the technology was eventually taken up by the industry in Kenya as a tool for the rapid screening of promising clones

CASE STUDY – Selection of mango varieties for long distance shipment
India produces over a 1000 varieties of mangoes. Some of these are suitable for the fresh market and others for the processing sector. A number of mango producers/exporters have wanted to export their produce to Europe. We have helped select varieties that are suitable for European tastes and investigated whether they can be handled and shipped using MAP to maintain storage and shelf life. The clients successfully exported varieties that had previously not been seen in the market place.

We can provide the following services:

• Sensory profiling of cultivars as part of the varietal selection process e.g. selecting a mango variety which does not have a strong turpentine aftertaste, or a potato variety that is suitable for making frozen chips
• Consumer testing of products to determine consumer acceptance e.g. selecting a variety of blackberries to suit a particular market
• Testing new varieties in terms of handling, storage and shelf life. It’s important that products can be handled and stored in an efficient manner without any deterioration in their quality and shelf life
• Chemical analysis of the volatile and non-volatile compounds in fresh produce which contribute to their quality