ABSTRACT
AMONG the variety of agricultural and technical factors that determine the quality of field crops, fruit and vegetables, the choice of a specific cultivar by the grower, i.e., the choice and combination of genes controlling economically important traits, may be considered the most initial step for defining quality and productivity. It is the factor that determines farmers’ potential output long before any other agricultural measures are taken and even before the seed is sown in the field or greenhouse. As a consequence, the breeding of a cultivar that is adapted to specific demands of the farmer and the consumer may be considered as a preharvest factor per se, even if certain quality characters of this cultivar apply to postharvest stages.
