Fruit-growing systems and fruit quality

The organoleptic quality of fruit is crucial to consumer satisfaction. However, the economic climate of recent decades has prioritised quality criteria that have a significant impact on market value: fruit size, visual appearance and shelf life. New challenges linked to the development of sustainable agriculture are driving the design of cropping systems that deliver high economic and environmental performance, whilst producing fruit of very high quality. We demonstrate the value of integrative approaches aimed at designing coherent and logical technical protocols in line with the multi-criteria objectives sought. Various case studies are presented using prototyping, model-assisted design and multi-criteria system evaluation methods. In peach and nectarine cultivation, we demonstrate the value of water management as a key lever for action, in conjunction with tree management and fruit load management, to design innovative technical scenarios. In the case of apple trees, a system-level experiment illustrates the multi-criteria evaluation of different systems designed to reduce the use of plant protection products. These examples highlight the importance of integrating all levers for action right from the design stage and of carrying out a multi-criteria assessment of innovative cropping systems in terms of their low environmental impact and the organoleptic quality of the fruit.