A California researcher is identifying the genes in peaches that control internal quality, in an attempt to increase consumer satisfaction with peaches. Dr. Cameron Peace, molecular geneticist at the University of California-Davis, hopes to find a long-term way to maximize the quality of peaches at harvest and maintain the quality until they’re consumed. He has located a gene in peach that has major effects on fruit softening and ripening. Simple cold storage can help delay ripening for several weeks, but can lead to internal breakdown in many cultivars, resulting in poor flavor and mealy texture. Preconditioning (two days of ripening) […]