Local fruit varieties for sustainable cultivations: pomological, nutraceutical and sensory characterization

摘要

The old varieties, belonging to local genetic pools, show interesting traits such as environmental hardiness and suitability for low-input agricultural systems. Fruits from local varieties of stone and pome species, grown in Lucca province (central Italy) under organic systems, were collected in order to assess the main physical-chemical parameters, antioxidant traits and sensory analysis conducted with trained blind and visually impaired people. This latter new evaluation was introduced with the aim to go beyond appearances, considering that fruits from organic cultivations can often show imperfections, preventing the consumer acceptance. Some varieties, characterized by good pomological and nutraceutical traits, high sensory quality and acceptability, could have interest for promoting new sustainable cultivations. These genotypes could be particularly suitable for niche markets appreciated by more and more consumers which demand for high quality and health-safety food, taking care the environmental protection.