Genetic engineering of horticultural crops contributes to the improvement of crop nutritional quality and shelf life

Environmental factors along with plant genetic background affect crop productivity. Crop losses are caused by biotic agents including insect pests and pathogens, while others could be due to abiotic factors. However, a significant part of the losses occurs during the transportation, storage and marketing of crops that bring additional costs after harvest and when they reach consumers. Traditional methods have been applied to improve crop quality and reduce postharvest losses. The need to provide adequate food for the growing population, however, leaves the conventional methods insufficient. Genetic engineering of plants overcomes obstacles existing in classical plant breeding methods and thus played a pivotal role in the production of products with the desired properties in modern agriculture. Genome modifications toward sustainably delivering sufficient nutrients to the populations suffering from limited food resources as well as reducing the pre- and postharvest losses have been approved as a promising approach. This chapter reviews the current state of the transgenic fruits and vegetables developed for better nutritional quality and shelf life, and assess the impact of modern biotechnological tools in revolutionizing agriculture.