Microorganisms (Jul 2021)

Does Organic Farming Increase Raspberry Quality, Aroma and Beneficial Bacterial Biodiversity?

  • Daniela Sangiorgio,
  • Antonio Cellini,
  • Francesco Spinelli,
  • Brian Farneti,
  • Iuliia Khomenko,
  • Enrico Muzzi,
  • Stefano Savioli,
  • Chiara Pastore,
  • María Teresa Rodriguez-Estrada,
  • Irene Donati

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081617
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 8
p. 1617

Abstract

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Plant-associated microbes can shape plant phenotype, performance, and productivity. Cultivation methods can influence the plant microbiome structure and differences observed in the nutritional quality of differently grown fruits might be due to variations in the microbiome taxonomic and functional composition. Here, the influence of organic and integrated pest management (IPM) cultivation on quality, aroma and microbiome of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruits was evaluated. Differences in the fruit microbiome of organic and IPM raspberry were examined by next-generation sequencing and bacterial isolates characterization to highlight the potential contribution of the resident-microflora to fruit characteristics and aroma. The cultivation method strongly influenced fruit nutraceutical traits, aroma and epiphytic bacterial biocoenosis. Organic cultivation resulted in smaller fruits with a higher anthocyanidins content and lower titratable acidity content in comparison to IPM berries. Management practices also influenced the amounts of acids, ketones, aldehydes and monoterpenes, emitted by fruits. Our results suggest that the effects on fruit quality could be related to differences in the population of Gluconobacter, Sphingomonas, Rosenbergiella, Brevibacillus and Methylobacterium on fruit. Finally, changes in fruit aroma can be partly explained by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by key bacterial genera characterizing organic and IPM raspberry fruits.

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