Fruit Ripening and Senescence From a Fruit Breeder's Perspective

Understanding postharvest disorders from a genetic perspective is complex and our efforts to identify markers effective in breeding is hampered by this complexity.  Postharvest studies tend to concentrate on major cultivars of commercial importance and for the disorders that affect these prominent cultivars.  Within a breeding program there are many more genetic backgrounds to be considered that influence expression of these disorders.  Breeding programs often have progenies that might offer insights into the resistance/mechanisms of these disorders and processes of ripening and senescence.  An overview will be provided on the use of such progenies, markers developed, and future prospects for collaborations among fruit breeders and post harvest physiologists.