Heritability and genetic and phenotypic correlations of apple (Malus x domestica) fruit volatiles in a genetically diverse breeding population.

Flavor is an important quality trait of fruit and a target for improvement through plant breeding. Eighty-nine flavor volatiles from 240 apple (Malus domestica) genotypes from a highly diverse breeding population were measured by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) over 2 years. Heritabilities and phenotypic and genetic correlations were calculated for 23 flavor volatiles. Genetic correlations showed coinheritance of five groups of volatiles, ethyl esters, alcohols and alpha-farnesene, propyl and butyl esters, propanoate and 2-methylbutanoate esters, and acetate esters, consistent with our knowledge of volatile biosynthesis in apple. This work demonstrates a genetic structure underlying the highly variable volatile profiles observed for apple fruit and the potential of GC-MS volatile profiling for the genetic analysis of aroma volatiles in genetically diverse populations.