Insights into the Mechanism of Flavor Loss in Strawberries Induced by Two Fungicides Integrating Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis.

Consumers have been complaining about the deterioration of the flavor of strawberries. The use of pesticides could have potential impacts on fruit flavor but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we spayed boscalid and difenoconazole on the small green fruit of strawberries to investigate their effect on fruit flavor quality and the mechanism. The results indicated that both fungicides decreased the contents of soluble sugar and nutrients but increased acids in mature fruits, changed the levels of volatiles, and caused oxidative damage, which ultimately reduced the flavor quality of strawberries, and the negative effect of boscalid was greater. Combined with transcriptome and metabolome, boscalid altered the genes in sugar-acid metabolism ( SUT , SPS , and INV ), volatiles ( FaQR , FaOMT , FaLOX , and FaAAT ), and amino acid synthesis pathways and metabolites. This study elaborated on the effects of fungicides on the flavor quality of strawberries from physiological-biochemical and molecular levels and laid the foundation for improving the strawberry flavor quality.