CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT: ACCELERATED INTROGRESSION OF SYNTHETIC HEXAPLOID DERIVED DIVERSITY INTO AN APPLIED HARD WINTER WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

The major goal of this project is to develop cucumber varieties with improved flavor for fresh consumption or elevated accumulation of (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal/(E)-2-nonenal volatiles for industry use. There are four specific objectives in this project.Objective 1: To investigate volatile components and their association with cucumber flavor and sensory preferences.Objective 2: To understand genetic basis of flavor-enhancing traits in cucumber through QTL mapping.Objective 3: To develop germplasm with enhanced flavor and key volatile accumulation through marker-assisted QTL pyramiding.Objective 4: To develop key cucumber volatiles for potential use in food, fragrance, and pharmaceutical industries.