Tomatoes will be sweeter and juicier thanks to new technique

Sweeter, juicier tomatoes could be available to consumers in the future, according to research published this week in the journal Nature.

According to many studies, modern breeding techniques that prioritize high yield often damage genetic factors that are one of the factors that govern tomato flavor.

Based on that, a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted flavor tests on more than 100 tomato varieties and identified 33 natural flavoring agents that influence consumer preferences.

In the future, growers may be able to sell sweeter, juicier tomatoes.

The team then analyzed the levels of these flavor compounds in more than 400 tomato samples from around the world and sequenced their genes. The results revealed 49 genes that influence flavor, including two genes that regulate fruit sugar content.

When the team disabled these two genes, sugar levels in tomatoes increased by 30%. Such gene editing could have a similar effect on fruit sugar levels in mass-produced tomatoes.

This way, growers can sell sweeter, juicier tomatoes without worrying about weight or yield loss. And consumers can get a taste of the richness they knew before modern hybridization techniques.

Commenting on the study, researcher Christophe Rothan from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research said that this discovery opens up the possibility of using the genetic diversity present in wild plants, which has been partly lost in domesticated species, to improve modern varieties. In addition, the study is also an important step forward in better understanding the process of sugar formation and storage in fruits.