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Genetic, geographic, and climatic factors shape the physicochemical and biochemical properties of coffee (Coffea arabica), which in turn shape its sensory complexity. While research has explored these influences individually, the combined impact on sensory quality remains unclear. This study examines the relationships between coffee growing geographic and climatic conditions, physicochemical properties, biochemical composition, volatile compounds, and sensory attributes in green Arabica beans. Beans from diverse Ethiopian coffee-growing origins were analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics by using official methods in dry matter basis: HPLC for biochemical composition, HS-SPME-GC-MS for volatile compounds, and sensory evaluation by expert cuppers. Results revealed significant variability in key characteristics, including hundred-bean weight (14.53–17.28 g), moisture content (8.5 %–11.87 %), crude fat (10.39 %–16.83 %), pH (4.3–5.41), and titratable acidity (1.93–3.02 mL of NaOH per gram). Biochemical composition also varied, with caffeine (0.88–1.07 g/100 g), chlorogenic acid (3.7–8.2 g/100 g), trigonelline (0.48–2.31 g/100 g), and sucrose (5.8–15.7 g/100 g) differing across regions. Significant correlations emerged between the geographic and climatic conditions, bean properties, and volatile compounds, contributing to sensory notes such as citrus, fruity, floral, mocha, and spicy. Multi-factor analysis explained 60 % of variability, underscoring the impact of geographic and climatic factors on the beans' physicochemical, biochemical, and sensory properties. By linking these variables to coffee quality, this study highlights their role in enhancing traceability, authenticating origin, and preserving the unique qualities of green Arabica beans across regions.

Recent introduction of beta-carotene rich orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) has resulted to consumers’ low demands for traditional white-fleshed sweet potatoes (TWFSP), without due consideration of their nutritional qualities. This study appraised the nutritional compositions of OFSP and TWFSP. They were analyzed for mineral content, antinutrients, and phytochemicals at National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike. The field experiment was conducted using randomized complete block design with three replicates. TWFSP showed higher concentrations of minerals, anti-nutrients and phytochemicals than OFSP. In TWFSP, potassium ranged from 1879.20 ± 0.01 mg kg-1 (‘B3V3’) to 1960.30 ± 0.01 mg kg-1 (‘B2V2’) while in OFSP it varied from 1162.60 ± 0.02 mg kg-1 (‘B26T26’) to 1800.20 ± 0.01 mg kg-1 (‘B10T10’). The antinutrients and phytochemicals results showed that flavonoids in TWFSP ranged from 0.30 ± 0.01 mg TAE kg-1 (‘B1V1’) to 970.50 ± 0.02 mg TAE kg-1 (B3V3) while it varied from 0.20 ± 0.01 mg TAE kg-1 (‘B4T4’) to 670.30 ± 0.01 mg TAE kg-1 (‘B8T8’) in OFSP. Heritability estimates were high for all antinutrients and minerals while genetic advance was high only for potassium (42.206) and phosphorus (10.288) traits. Variation between phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation was negligible, with the former higher for most minerals and antinutrients. TWFSP were found richer than OFSP, and suggests improvement by selection.

High humidity is a major constraint to increased tomato fruit production in a cool tropical monsoon climate. However, the genetic variation observed in Solanum pimpinellifolium makes it a good gene donor for breeding tomato cultivars capable of thriving under high humidity. The objective of this study was to estimate heterosis, heritability for higher yield, and to assess the adaptability of the genotypes to humid conditions. Genotypes were raised from five morphologically divergent parents, viz., wild parent (W)–“LA2093,” “CLN2498D” (D), “CLN2417H” (H), “Tima” (T), and “UC Dan INDIA” (U). The F1s were generated by biparental mating design using “LA2093” as a common pollen donor that was selfed to produce F2s and backcrossed to both parents to obtain BC1s and BC2s. The trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Data were collected on selected yield-influencing traits and analyzed. “D × W” and “U × W” hybrids showed significant positive better parent heterosis for fruit weight per plant (30.4% and 35.5%) and total fruit yield (48.6% and 26.9%), respectively. The additive variance was higher than dominance variance for all the traits, including total fruit yield in all hybrids viz., “H × W,” “D × W,” “T × W,” and “U × W.” High narrow sense heritability estimate of ≥60% was observed in “D × W” and “U × W” hybrids for the majority of the floral and fruit traits including total fruit yield. This makes the improvement of “D × W” and “U × W” hybrids by direct selection advantageous. Hence, the adoption of selection for the affected traits in subsequent tomato breeding programs would enhance fruit yield and adaptability to humid environments.