Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the etiological agent of the bacterial canker in Actinidia plants, remains the main threat to kiwifruit orchards worldwide. Though environment-friendly disease control methods based on biological control agents (BCAs) represent a promising alternative to xenobiotic pesticides, their efficacy in field conditions has often resulted erratic. The selection of beneficial microorganisms directly from the phyllosphere of the host plant is a promising approach to overcome this limitation since it ensures the adaptation of the isolates to the environment in which they are going to be applied. This work reports the screening of the kiwifruit epiphytic bacterial community from three Psa infected orchards in Portugal to identify potential bacterial BCAs capable of inhibiting Psa growth or interfering with its virulence. Strains of Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas azotoformans efficiently antagonized Psa on flowers and leaves and colonized all susceptible organs with high surviving rates in glasshouse conditions. In vitro metabolic analysis together with genome sequencing and annotation revealed siderophore production, in particular pyoverdine, which may limit iron availability to the pathogen. Moreover, several biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites, were predicted in the genome of both strains, including non-ribosomal peptides, and the bacteriocin pyocin was predicted in the genome of BG1. Overall, these results open new perspectives to develop commercial products for Psa management based on kiwifruit-native bacteria, well-adapted to common orchard management practices, with a high efficiency of host plant colonization, at Psa-conducive temperatures, and point out possible mechanisms of action for these two BCA candidates, supporting further steps to assess their effectiveness in orchard conditions.

CPPU, N-(2-Chloro-4-pyridyl)-N-phenylurea, is a synthetic cytokinin extensively used to enhance fruit size and overall quality in several crops, including kiwifruit. This study aimed to investigate the effects of three different CPPU application strategies (2.3, 3.0, and 4.6 ppm) and two crop load levels on key fruit quality parameters at harvest, as well as on post-harvest storage performance. Our results demonstrate that two applications of CPPU (4.6 ppm) significantly increased fruit weight, especially under standard crop-load conditions, likely due to more efficient resource allocation. Additionally, fruit firmness improved with two or three CPPU applications, probably because of enhanced cell wall development. Crop load consistently influenced fruit firmness, with lower loads resulting in softer fruits. The soluble solids content was not significantly affected by the two CPPU applications; however, it was notably influenced by crop load, with fruits from the standard crop load showing higher sugar accumulation. A similar trend was observed in fruit dry weight, where CPPU had a greater impact under standard crop loads. Regarding post-harvest performance, CPPU applications showed a limited effect on maintaining fruit firmness during the first five months of storage. Overall, CPPU can be a potential strategy to enhance fruit quality, but its effectiveness depends heavily on field management practices. Therefore, controlling field variables is essential to fully realize the benefits of CPPU and to avoid interference with the plant’s physiological responses.

CPPU (Forchlorfenuron (1-(2-chloropyridin-4-yl)-3-phenylurea), a synthetic cytokinin, is extensively used to enhance fruit size and quality size in several crops, including kiwifruit. This study examines the effects of three different CPPU application strategies on two different crop loads on the main fruit quality parameters. Our results show that a two application of CPPU significantly increased fruit weight, especially under standard crop load conditions, due to better resource allocation. Fruit firmness improved with 2 and 3-times CPPU applications, likely due to enhanced cell wall development, and was consistently affected by crop load, with higher loads resulting in softer fruits. CPPU applied twice did not significantly influence soluble solids content. This parameter was instead significantly influenced by the crop load, with standard load fruit showing higher sugar accumulation. Fruit dry weight showed similar trends, with CPPU having a more pronounced effect under standard crop loads. Overall, CPPU proved to be a cost-effective strategy to enhance fruit quality, particularly in orchards with standard crop loads, by balancing yield and sugar content.

Finding safe and reliable alternatives to fungicides is currently one of the biggest challenges in agriculture. In this regard, this experiment investigated the effectiveness of different elicitors, botanical extracts and essential oils to control grey mold (Botrytis cinerea) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) on strawberry plants. This trial was conducted in field conditions under a plastic tunnel with strawberry plants ‘Elsanta’. A first group of strawberry plants was treated before flowering with elicitors [acibenzolar-S-Methyl–(BTH), chitosan], botanical extracts (seaweed extract, alfalfa hydrolysate) and essential oils (thyme and juniper), and grey mold incidence on flowers was evaluated (Experiment 1). Furthermore, a second group of plants was treated before (Experiment 2) and after (Experiment 3) controlled inoculation with P. aphanis. The results indicated that the incidence of flower infected by B. cinerea was reduced by approximately 50% with thyme and juniper essential oils’ applications compared to the untreated control, with no significant difference observed compared to the commercial fungicide penconazole (positive control). As a consequence, the final yield of essential-oil-treated plants was +27% higher than that of non-treated plants. No significant differences emerged for other tested products against grey mold. However, gene expression analysis showed an up-regulation (>2 ÷ 5 folds as compared to control 4 days after application) of FaEDS1, FaLOX and PR gene expression (FaPR1, FaPR5, FaPR10) in leaves treated with BTH. The other natural substances tested also induced defense-related genes, albeit at a lower level than BTH. In Experiment 2, all treatments applied prior to inoculation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of powdery mildew as compared to control. At 28 days after inoculation, chitosan and thyme essential oil applications performed similarly to their positive controls (BTH and penconazole, respectively), showing a significant reduction in disease incidence (by −84 and −92%) as compared to control. Post-inoculum application of essential oils (Experiment 3) showed an efficacy similar to that of penconazole against powdery mildew. These results indicated that the tested substances could be used as alternatives to fungicides for the control of grey mold and powdery mildew in strawberry, therefore representing a valuable tool for the control of these fungal diseases under the framework of sustainable agriculture.

New yellow-fleshed kiwifruit cultivars (Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis) have been developed in the last 20 years, some of them gaining an important share of the market. Due to the rise in the demand of yellow-fleshed kiwifruit, having a year-long kiwifruit distribution is a crucial goal. Postharvest losses related to softening and storage breakdown (SBD) are the major challenges to achieve this goal. SBD is associated with the ripening of kiwifruit at cold storage temperature that may depend on several aspects, such as the preharvest factors, fruit maturity level at harvest, the rate at which fruit are precooled, and storage conditions. SBD develops as water-soaked area of tissue that will progressively occupy more of the inner pericarp and eventually move to the outer pericarp. Symptoms will continue to express as fruit ripen. During ripening fruit emit a complex blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contribute to their aroma. Physiological disorders may change VOCs emission and, therefore, it could be used to detect chilling injuries or disorder before their onset. Furthermore, some of these VOCs may also contribute to the development of symptomatology. Our study aimed at i) determining the risk of SBD and softening incidence in relation to fruit maturation at harvest, ii) characterizing VOCs emission by healthy and SBD affected kiwifruit to identify possible VOCs markers to be used for early detection of this disorder to minimize losses. The evolution of kiwifruit VOCs emission was studied by Proton Transfer Reaction - Time of Flight - Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS). Our results show that different VOCs masses are emitted in SBD-affected fruit and their concentration increased with the severity of symptoms. These evidences suggest that VOCs monitoring could be a promising tool for an early diagnosis of SBD.

Growing conditions and agronomical inputs play a key role in determining fruit qualitative and nutraceutical traits at harvest and post-harvest. The hereby presented research investigated the effects of pre-harvest supplemental LED interlighting on post-harvest quality of hydroponically grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum "Siranzo"). Three LED treatments, applied for 16 h d-1 (h 8.00-00.00), were added to natural sunlight and consisted of Red and Blue (RB), Red and Blue + Far-Red (FR), and Red and Blue + Far-Red at the end-of-day for 30 min (EOD), with an intensity of 180 mu mol m-2 s-1 for Red and Blue, plus 44 mu mol m-2 s-1 for Far-Red. A control treatment (CK), where plants were grown only with sunlight, was also considered. Fruits at red stage were selected and placed in a storage room at 13 degrees C in darkness. Fruit quality assessment was performed at harvest time and after one week of storage. RB and FR increased fruit firmness compared to CK, opening possible benefits toward reducing fruit losses during post-harvest handling. RB treated fruits also maintained a higher content of lycopene and beta-carotene after the first week of storage. The study demonstrates that supplementary LED interlighting during greenhouse tomato cultivation may enhance storability and help preserve fruit nutritional properties during post-harvest.

Along with the increase of production efficiency, the reduction of environmental impacts of crop management has become a key objective for growers. The use of Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) and foliar fertilization is a sustainable strategy to boost kiwifruit productivity, fruit quality and storability with a minimal impact on the environment. Biostimulants are exogenous compounds influencing plant physiology by mimicking plant hormones. Similarly, to natural hormones, they are able to induce several different effects on crop plants, and therefore they have found several applications in fruit production, from breaking of dormancy to growth promotion. The present research aimed at evaluating the effects of different biostimulants on quality, production and postharvest storage of A. chinensis var. chinensis at different harvesting time (early, main and late pack). Experiments were performed for two consecutive years in two different orchards in Latina area (Italy). Single or multiple application of urea (2% plus micronutrients), Forchlorfenuron (0.92%), naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA, 1.44%) plus P, K and micronutrients and NAA (0.3%)/gibberellic acid (GA3, 0.15%) plus NPK were tested on standard- and high-crop load vines. The effect of bioregulators depended on crop load and harvest date, however they generally increased fruit dry matter and size, and reduced postharvest losses due to storage breakdown disorder (SBD). From the economic point of view, in the first orchard, P, K and NAA/GA3 treatments provided the best return both in standard (+54% and +50%, respectively) and in high crop load (+34% and +30%, respectively). In the second orchard, triple application of NAA/GA3 provided the highest economic return compared to others in both standard and high crop load (+31% and +28%, respectively), followed by the double application of NAA/GA3 with standard crop load (+21%).

The effects of different trunk girdling practices on yield, fruit quality, and postharvest and shelf- life performance of A. chinensis var. chinensis 'Zesy002' (Zespri((R)) Sungold) fruit were investigated in Italian conditions. The possible effects of girdling on the long-term accumulation of carbohydrates in the root system were also evaluated, to verify whether the temporary interruption of phloem flow may cause chronic starvation of the root system and affect budbreak and canopy growth in the following seasons. For this reason, the study was conducted for 3 growing seasons from 2018 till 2020 in two different orchards located in Cori (Latina Province, Italy). During preharvest, fruit produced from girdled plants showed an increase in the average size and dry matter compared to the control, with a positive trend at all harvesting dates. The best results were generally obtained with the four incisions treatment (20+40+85+105 days after full bloom (DAFB)). The wound healing time ranged from 25 to 45 days and it was influenced by the environmental conditions and the number of incisions. The effect of girdling strategy on postharvest performances varied according to the orchard and the harvest time (early, main or late pack). Late-harvested fruit had a generally higher firmness and soluble sugar content values than fruit harvested at main pack. Trunk girdling increased the economic return, to a variable extent based on the orchard management and the harvest date from 7% (20+105 DAFB) to 44% (20+40+85 DAFB at late harvest). In this study, girdling application did not negatively affect the root sugar content in the long term. Therefore, according to the results obtained, girdling could represent a sustainable practice to produce high-quality kiwifruits, with high dry matter content and increased fruit size and weight.

Disease control of fruit trees is still primarily based on pesticide applications. In the apple orchard many chemical treatments are applied to control apple scab (Venturia inaequalis), fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and pests such as the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). This research, carried out at the experimental farm of the University of Bologna, aimed at the development and optimization of an automated, fixed point, above canopy distribution system to reduce pesticide drift to non-target plants. The fixed spray system was installed along rows of trees planted both under anti-hail, and rainproof nets, thus allowing to also investigate the effect of the cover. The fixed point system was compared with the conventional sprayer (positive control) and untreated trees were used as negative control. The cultivars tested were 'Gala-Buckeye' and 'Pink Lady (R) Rosy Glow*'. The fixed point system reduced disease incidence, but with lower efficacy than the conventional sprayer. Efficacy was improved under the rain cover, which reduced scab incidence up to 22% in 'Gala' especially in early spring, compared to the hail net. Alternative products to chemical pesticides, such as thyme and oregano essential oils, sodium and ammonium bicarbonate, were tested against V. inaequalis and E. amylovora. The biological control agent, Clonostachys rosea was tested against V. inaequalis. All these methods reduced V. inaequalis growth, while only essential oils were effective against E. amylovora. These results suggest that fixed point pesticide application represents a promising alternative to conventional pesticide sprayers, particularly under rain covers. Finally, alternative, green compounds may be used in this system to further reduce pesticide impact on the environment and fruit residues.

Strawberry production is challenged by several abiotic and biotic stresses, such as drought, soil salinity, and the angular leaf spot (ALS) disease caused by Xanthomonas fragariae. In recent decades, the development of commercial products containing combinations of different Plant-Growth-Promoting (PGP) microorganisms has been one of the main focuses of agricultural research. However, their results are often erratic depending on crop species, environmental conditions, and competition among the different strains or indigenous plant microbiota. The use of beneficial microorganisms selected from the crop-specific microbiota may help overcome this limitation, promoting their utilization for sustainable agriculture. The culturable bacteriota of strawberry plants was screened to identify PGP activities in vitro. Bacterial isolates were tested in vivo on strawberry plants in both optimal and stress (X. fragariae infection or salinity) conditions, allowing the selection of strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and Agrobacterium rubi whose application showed a significant increase in plant growth and fruit production (up to seven-fold), even under stress conditions, and the ability to control ALS by over 50%. Potential synergistic effects among PGP isolates were tested by coordinated inoculation. However, plant growth and fruit quality were not promoted, except for fruit weight and size, by coordinate inoculation in comparison to m23 and m27 single-strain treatment.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the causal agent of bacterial canker, the most devastating disease of kiwifruit. The control of this disease is still challenging since it relies primarily on the use of copper-based pesticides and plant-resistance inducers. The recent restrictions in the European regulations on chemical pesticide, together with the rising interest of the public opinion on sustainable production methods, organic agriculture and environment-friendly pest and disease control, led to development and optimization of methods based on biological control agents (BCAs) in fruit production. However, the efficacy of BCAs has often resulted erratic thus limiting their adoption in commercial horticultural production. The selection of beneficial microorganisms directly from the phyllosphere of the host plant is a promising approach to overcome this limitation. This work aimed at screening the kiwifruit epiphytic microbiome from three infected orchards in Portugal to identify bacterial candidates able either to directly inhibit or to interfere with Psa growth, to be used for the biological control of Psa. Strains of Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas poae were found to efficiently antagonize Psa on flowers (reduction from 10(7) to 10(4) CFU mL(-1) in 24 h), and colonized all susceptible organs with high surviving rates in greenhouse conditions. BCA candidates will also be evaluated for their ability to promote plant growth or induce plant resistance. These results open new perspectives for developing commercial product based either on single bacterial strain or multiple bacteria with complementary mode of action, with high efficiency in colonizing the host plant.

Raspberry fruit (Rubus idaeus L.) is highly appreciated by consumers for its quality characteristics and aromatic profile, determined by nearly 300 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although several microbes produce VOCs, their direct involvement in fruit aroma determination has been largely overlooked. In this study, the contribution of fruit-associated microbiota to fruit volatile emissions was evaluated by performing an untargeted GC-MS analysis of VOCs occurring in control (C), sterile (S) and artificially reinoculated berries (R). C and R bacterial fruit microbiomes were characterised by next generation sequencing (NGS). The treatments significantly affected the fruit volatilomes, thus confirming the role of bacteria in fruit aroma construction. In particular, aldehydes, monoterpenes, norisoprenoids, and other aroma-active compounds were significantly lower in S raspberries, and recolonisation could only partially restore the emission of terpenoid compounds. Significant correlations were found among NGS data and volatile emissions, including a positive correlation between Lactobacillus and Pae-nibacillus spp. and norisoprenoids, and a negative correlation between Enterobacteriaceae and monoterpenes. Several VOC-emitting bacterial taxa (including Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Methylobacterium, Paenibacillus, Pseudo-monas spp.) are recurrently found in the raspberry-associated microbiome, suggesting that future applications aimed at the control of microbial colonisation may enhance fruit aroma.

Night temperatures are expected to increase considerably in Italy over the next decades due to climate change. Nevertheless, research in viticulture has focused mainly on the effects of daily maximum temperatures on anthocyanin biosynthesis, which is strongly affected by light and temperature combination. An integrated approach involving biochemical, molecular, and enzymatic analyses was applied to understand the effect of two different night temperature regimes on anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, hypothesizing a transcriptional and enzymatic control driven by low temperatures. To test this hypothesis, potted grapevines of 'Corvina' were cooled overnight (10-11 degrees C) during veraison (LNT) and compared to control vines (C) grown at ambient night temperature (15-21 degrees C). No effects of night temperature on soluble solids concentration and titratable acidity were detected, but LNT berries were characterized by a slowdown in anthocyanin accumulation during the treatment and by an accelerated anthocyanin synthesis after the end of the treatment in comparison to C. Low night temperatures enhanced the expression of the key genes of anthocyanins biosynthesis (MYBA1 and UFGT), although gene expression did not always match a simultaneous anthocyanin accumulation, while UFGT enzymatic activity seemed to be better correlated with night temperature. These results suggest that the rising trend in night temperatures may lead to reduced anthocyanin production in red grapevine berries and wines in the future years and that the mechanisms that underlie berry response involve a different control at the levels of transcription and protein activity regulation.

In recent years, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have experienced a wide increase in their employment for protected horticulture in Northern Europe, offering the possibility to enhance plant growth under controlled environmental facilities. Light is an important source of energy for plant development and, therefore, the lack of a proper supply of sunlight can be a drawback which can lead to a decrease in the plant yield. Supplemental LED interlighting can prevent light shortage by providing plants with the needed radiative fluxes. In this study, the effects of supplemental LED interlighting on vegetative growth, fruit growth, yield, fruit quality and physiological traits of high-wire tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum 'Siranzo') during the spring season were addressed. Tomato plants were grown under hydroponic conditions in an environmentally controlled commercial greenhouse. Two treatments were applied, including a control relying on solar radiation only and an illuminated treatment, where plants were supplied with supplementary LED interlighting system consisting of blue and red diodes (RB ratio of 3), whose peak wavelength were 465 and 669 nm, respectively. Interlighting lamps were placed at 2 m height within the canopy and supplied 170 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) light at 30 cm distance from the lamp for 16 h day(-1). Weekly measurements highlighted greater vegetative and fruit growth, yield and physiological parameters when supplementary lighting was provided. The research explores the sustainability of supplemental LED interlighting in Mediterranean high-tech greenhouse tomato production.

Plant-associated bacteria, including pathogens, recognise host-derived signals to activate specific responses. The genome of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the aetiological agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit, encodes for three putative LuxR-like receptors. Proteins of this family are usually involved in the quorum sensing system, through the perception of autoinducers (AHLs) produced by a cognate LuxI. However, Psa does not produce AHLs according to the lack of LuxI-encoding gene. It has been proposed that the so-called LuxR solos may be involved in the perception of environmental stimuli. We thus hypothesised that Psa LuxR-like receptors could be involved in host-derived signal sensing. Psa virulence traits, i.e., biofilm formation, motility and endophytic colonisation, were stimulated by growing the pathogen in host plant extracts, but not in non-host plant extracts or rich medium. Moreover, the phenotypic analyses of Psa mutant strains lacking the LuxR solo-encoding genes, demonstrated that PsaR2 plays a major role in host recognition and induction of virulence responses. The heterologous expression of PsaR2, followed by affinity chromatography and fraction activity assessment, confirmed the specific recognition of plant-derived components by this sensor. Overall, these data provide a deeper understanding of the regulation of Psa virulence through interkingdom communication, which represents a interesting target for the development of tolerant/resistant genotypes or innovative control strategies.

Light composition modulates plant growth and defenses, thus influencing plant–pathogen interactions. We investigated the effects of different light-emitting diode (LED) red (R) (665 nm) and blue (B) (470 nm) light combinations on Actinidia chinensis performance by evaluating biometric parameters, chlorophyll a fluorescence, gas exchange and photosynthesis-related gene expression. Moreover, the influence of light on the infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the etiological agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit, was investigated. Our study shows that 50%R–50%B (50R) and 25%R–75%B (25R) lead to the highest PSII efficiency and photosynthetic rate, but are the least effective in controlling the endophytic colonization of the host by Psa. Monochromatic red light severely reduced ΦPSII, ETR, Pn, TSS and photosynthesis-related genes expression, and both monochromatic lights lead to a reduction of DW and pigments content. Monochromatic blue light was the only treatment significantly reducing disease symptoms but did not reduce bacterial endophytic population. Our results suggest that monochromatic blue light reduces infection primarily by modulating Psa virulence more than host plant defenses.

IntroductionSpecific microbial communities are associated to host plants, influencing their phenotype and fitness.Despite the rising interest in plant microbiome, the role of microbial communities associated with perennial fruit plants remains overlooked.ObjectivesThis work provides the first comprehensive descriptionof the taxonomical and functional bacterial and fungal microbiota of below- and above-ground organsof three commercially important strawberry genotypes under cultural conditions.MethodsStrawberry-associatedfungal and bacterial microbiomes were characterised by Next-Generation Sequencing and the potential functions expressed by the bacterial microbiome were analysed by both in silico and in vitro characterisation of plant growth-promoting abilities of native bacteria. Additionally, the association between the strawberry microbiome, plant disease tolerance, plant mineral nutrient content, and fruit quality was investigated.ResultsResults showed that thestrawberry core microbiome included 24 bacteria and 15 fungal operational taxonomicunits (OTUs).However, plant organ and genotype had a significant role in determining the taxonomical and functional composition of microbial communities. Interestingly, the cultivar with the highesttolerance against powdery mildew and leaf spot and the highest fruit productivity was the only one able to ubiquitously recruit the beneficial bacterium, Pseudomonasfluorescens, and to establish a mutualistic symbiosis with the arbuscular mycorrhizaRhizophagus irregularis.ConclusionThis work sheds light on the interaction of cultivated strawberry genotypes with a variety of microbes and highlights the importance of their applications to increase the sustainability of fruit crop production.

Soil properties and the ability to sustain agricultural production are seriously impaired by salinity. The cultivation of halophytes is seen as a solution to cope with the problem. In this framework, a greenhouse pot experiment was set up to assess salinity response in the perennial C4 species Atriplex halimus, and in the following three cultivars of the annual C3 Atriplex hortensis: green, red, and scarlet. The four genotypes were grown for 35 days with water salinity (WS) ranging from 0 to 360 mM NaCl. Plant height and fresh weight (FW) increased at 360 vs. 0 WS. The stomatal conductance (GS) and transpiration rate (E) were more severely affected by salinity in the C4 A. halimus than in the C3 species A. hortensis. This was reflected in a lower leaf water potential indicating stronger osmotic adjustment, and a higher relative water content associated with more turgid leaves, in A. halimus than A. hortensis. In a PCA including all the studied traits, the GS and E negatively correlated to the FW, which, in turn, positively correlated with Na concentration and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), indicating that reduced gas exchange associated with Na accumulation contributed to sustain iWUE under salinity. Finally, FTIR spectroscopy showed a reduced amount of pectin, lignin, and cellulose under salinity, indicating a weakened cell wall structure. Overall, both species were remarkably adapted to salinity: From an agronomic perspective, the opposite strategies of longer vs. faster soil coverage, involved by the perennial A. halimus vs. the annual A. hortensis cv. scarlet, are viable natural remedies for revegetating marginal saline soils and increasing soil organic carbon.

Plant-associated microbes can shape plant phenotype, performance, and productivity. Cultivation methods can influence the plant microbiome structure and differences observed in the nutritional quality of differently grown fruits might be due to variations in the microbiome taxonomic and functional composition. Here, the influence of organic and integrated pest management (IPM) cultivation on quality, aroma and microbiome of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruits was evaluated. Differences in the fruit microbiome of organic and IPM raspberry were examined by next-generation sequencing and bacterial isolates characterization to highlight the potential contribution of the resident-microflora to fruit characteristics and aroma. The cultivation method strongly influenced fruit nutraceutical traits, aroma and epiphytic bacterial biocoenosis. Organic cultivation resulted in smaller fruits with a higher anthocyanidins content and lower titratable acidity content in comparison to IPM berries. Management practices also influenced the amounts of acids, ketones, aldehydes and monoterpenes, emitted by fruits. Our results suggest that the effects on fruit quality could be related to differences in the population of Gluconobacter, Sphingomonas, Rosenbergiella, Brevibacillus and Methylobacterium on fruit. Finally, changes in fruit aroma can be partly explained by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by key bacterial genera characterizing organic and IPM raspberry fruits.