Detalle de: From pollination to fruit set in subtropical fruits grown in Europe

Tropical and subtropical fruit trees are crucial for food security in many low- or middle-income countries, although their commercial importance has been increasing significantly worldwide. In this regard, Spain is the only European country with significant commercial production of subtropical fruits, although a noteworthy trend in recent years is the expansion of these crops, particularly avocados, to other Spanish regions and Mediterranean countries. In addition to production in the Canary Islands, in mainland Spain, this production is mainly located along the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, particularly in the provinces of Málaga and Granada. Being the only country in Europe with significant subtropical fruit production has allowed us to establish ourselves as a leading group in international research on these crops. This project arises as a continuation of previous efforts aimed at optimizing more sustainable production of subtropical fruits in continental Europe, which have led to significant advances in the development and application of molecular markers in subtropical fruit crops, as well as in understanding the mechanisms present in flowers that regulate fertilization, fruit set, and final production. This new proposal is a continuation of an ongoing project that will conclude in 2026 (PID2022-141851OB-I00). As a result of the efforts made in previous projects, we are in a key position to continue advancing knowledge in these species by combining basic and applied approaches in a multi- and interdisciplinary project. The main objective of the project is to advance the understanding of reproductive biology in Mediterranean climates for four species: avocado, cherimoya, mango and pawpaw. It is structured around three main goals: developing new variability, studying the development of the gametophyte and ovule, and studying fertilization and embryonic development. This is a clearly multidisciplinary project that combines advanced microscopy studies with fieldwork, the application of molecular, biotechnological tools, and omics approaches. The new information generated in the project will have both basic and applied implications. In addition to the direct impact on the productive sector, the phylogenetic situation of three species included in the project (cherimoya, pawpaw, and avocado) in the basal Magnoliid clade of angiosperms provides an additional impact from an evolutionary perspective, both in genomic and reproductive biology aspects in angiosperms. The proposal has an important component of internationalization and cooperation for development thanks to the participation of foreign scientists and the transfer of results to the productive sector in low- and middle-income countries through the projects and networks in which we participate.