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10 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 5 Figs. ; This investigation examines the effects of pH and titratable acidity on the growth and developments of a strain of Monilinia laxa (Aderhold & Ruhland) at seven different pH levels in Potato Dextrose Agar media and on peach fruit from formation to commercial maturity. The fungi growth was obtained by daily measurement of mycelia on the pH amended Potato Dextrose Agar. The sporulation performance was determined after 30 days of culture incubation. Fruits were inoculated with M. laxa, from fruit set to maturity, on weekly basis for brown rot susceptibility. The pathogen development, in vitro, was affected, by the pH (2.4–11.52) amended nutrient media. M. laxa exhibited variation in its growth and sporulation capacities on the seven pH amended PDA, preferring relatively moderate acidic conditions for optimum performance. In the in vitro analysis, there was mycelia growth at pH 2.40 to 8.84, while pH 11.52 did not support any mycelia growth. There was a continuous and stable increase in weight of fruit as it developed whereas the fruit size increased, then decreased and finally increased as the fruit develops. The acidity dynamics exhibited a non-sinusoidal waveform through the growth and development of the fruit. In all these characteristic variations, M. laxa did not develop infection or shown any brown rot incidence in the fruit until the period of commercial maturity. ; This work was financed by the MINECO and the Government of Aragón with projects AGL2014-52063R A44; co-financed with FEDER and ESF, respectively. ; Peer reviewed

18 Pags., 7 Tabls., 1 Fig. ; The influence of seven plum rootstocks (Adesoto, Monpol, Montizo, Puebla de Soto 67 AD, PM 105 AD, St. Julien GF 655/2 and Constantí 1) on individual and total sugars, as well as on antioxidant content in fruit flesh of "Catherine" peaches, was evaluated for three years. Agronomical and basic fruit quality parameters were also determined. At twelve years after budding, significant differences were found between rootstocks for the different agronomic and fruit quality traits evaluated. The Pollizo plum rootstocks Adesoto and PM 105 AD seem to induce higher sweetness to peach fruits, based on soluble solids content, individual (sucrose, fructose and sorbitol) and total sugars. A clear tendency was also observed with the rootstock Adesoto, inducing the highest content of phenolics, flavonoids, vitamin C and relative antioxidant capacity (RAC). Thus, the results of this study demonstrate the significant effect of rootstock on the sugar profile and phytochemical characteristics of peach fruits. In addition, this work shows the importance of the sugar profile, because specific sugars play an important role in peach flavour quality, as well as the studied phytochemical compounds when looking for high quality peaches with enhanced health properties. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL2005-05533, AGL2008-00283 and AGL2011-24576 co-funded by FEDER and the Regional Government of Aragón (A44). C. Font was supported by a JAE fellowship from CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). ; Peer reviewed

33 Págs., 2 Figs., 5 Tabls. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03044238 ; Individual and total sugars in fruit flesh, as well as total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity contents were studied on peach (Prunus persica cv. 'Tebana') and nectarine (P. persica cv. 'Queen Giant') cultivars budded on five almond. ×. peach hybrid rootstocks (Adafuel, Adarcias, Felinem, Garnem and GF 677) and one P. davidiana×. peach hybrid (Cadaman) grown under field conditions. Individual and total sugars were, in general, the highest on Adarcias rootstock in both peach and nectarine cultivars. The highest content of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C and RAC was found on Adarcias, Garnem and GF 677 rootstock for 'Queen Giant' cultivar and on Cadaman (phenolics, flavonoids and RAC) and GF 677 (anthocyanins) rootstocks for 'Tebana' cultivar. Significant correlations were found among individual sugar contents, as well as between tree vigor and fruit sucrose, glucose and fructose, and between some phytochemical parameters, such as flavonoid and phenolic content. Thus, the less vigorous rootstocks, Adarcias and Cadaman, seem to induce the highest fruit quality, showing higher contents of individual and total sugars. Significant differences were found between cultivars and rootstocks for the different fruit quality traits evaluated. Selecting the right combination of the rootstock and cultivar is important for optimizing chemical characteristics of fruit, especially sugar profile, important quality parameter of peach and nectarine. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL2005-05533, AGL2008-00283 and AGL2011-24576 cofunded by FEDER, and the Regional Government of Aragón (A44). C. Font was supported by a JAE fellowship from CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) ; Peer reviewed

6 Pags., 2 Tabls. The definitive version is available at: http://www.actahort.org/index.htm ; The influence of six rootstocks ('Adafuel', 'Adarcias', 'Cadaman', 'Felinem' 'Garnem' and 'GF 677') on trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), yield efficiency, and peach fruit quality parameters [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] was evaluated. The six rootstocks were grafted with 'Tebana' peach and 'Queen Giant' nectarine cultivars during the summer of 1997, and trees were established in a trial during the winter of 1998-1999. The experiment was located in the Ebro Valley (Zaragoza, Spain), on a heavy and calcareous soil. The fruit quality parameters (fruit weight, firmness, soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, and ripening index) and phytochemical constituents (vitamin C, phenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents, and relative antioxidant capacity) were determined. In addition, the most important sugars found in fruit flesh (sucrose, glucose, fructose and sorbitol) were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In the eleventh year after grafting, the lowest vigour was induced by 'Adarcias' rootstock with both varieties, although differences were not significant with 'Cadaman' when grafted with 'Queen Giant'. For this cultivar, yield efficiency was higher on 'Cadaman' rootstock, although differences were not significant with 'Felinem'. In the case of 'Tebana, no significant differences among rootstocks were found. Regarding fruit quality parameters, the greatest soluble solids content (SSC) was recorded on 'Adarcias' and 'Cadaman' and the lowest on 'GF 677', while in the case of 'Queen Giant', no significant differences were found among all the other rootstocks. With this cultivar, the highest firmness was also induced by 'Cadaman' and the lowest by 'GF 677', whereas significant differences were not found among the other rootstocks. The highest titratable acidity (TA) was induced by 'Cadaman', although this did not differ significantly from 'Adafuel' when grafted with 'Queen Giant'. The highest vitamin C content was shown on 'Adarcias' rootstock, and the lowest on 'GF 677', while no significant differences were found among all the other rootstocks when grafted with 'Tebana'. Differences were also found in the antioxidant contents among rootstocks. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MIC1NN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL2005- 05533 and AGL-2008-00283, cofunded by FEDER, and the Regional Government of Aragon (A44). C. Font was supported by a JAE fellowship from CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). ; Peer reviewed

26 Pags., 6 Tabls, 2 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03044238 ; The agronomical and fruit quality trait influence was evaluated for five almond × peach hybrid and one Prunus davidiana × peach hybrid rootstocks. The six rootstocks, Adafuel, Adarcias, Cadaman, Felinem, Garnem and GF 677, were budded with 'Tebana' peach and 'Queen Giant' nectarine cultivars during the summer of 1997, and trees were established in two adjacent plots during the winter of 1998–1999. The trial site was located in the Ebro Valley (Zaragoza, Spain), on a heavy and calcareous soil typical of the Mediterranean area. At the twelfth year after budding, growing conditions generated varying levels of tree mortality, the highest with Felinem and Garnem rootstocks. In contrast, all Adarcias and GF 677 trees survived and the mortality rate was low in Adafuel and Cadaman. The lowest vigour was induced by Adarcias for both cultivars, a 37% and 48% reduction in trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) for 'Tebana' and 'Queen Giant' respectively compared to vigour on GF 677. For 'Queen Giant', cumulative yield was greater on Felinem, although no significant differences were found with Garnem. Other rootstocks that showed high cumulative yields were Adafuel and GF 677. The highest yield efficiency was recorded on Cadaman rootstock with both varieties, although differences were not significant with Felinem for 'Queen Giant'. On average, the highest fruit weight was recorded on Adafuel and Cadaman for both cultivars. For 'Queen Giant', the greatest soluble solids content (SSC) was recorded on Adarcias and Cadaman, and the lowest on Garnem and GF 677. The highest titratable acidity was also induced by Cadaman rootstock but it did not differ significantly from Adarcias. Correlations between some agronomical and fruit quality traits were found. The less vigorous rootstocks seem to induce a better fruit quality to the studied cultivars based on fruit sugar content. Our results show the relationship between the characteristics on plant adaptability and development, such as yield, vigour or fruit weight, and the factors of fruit quality value. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL2005-05533, AGL2008-00283 and AGL2011-24576, and RFP 2009-00016 co-funded by FEDER and the Regional Government of Aragon (A44). C. Font was supported by a JAE fellowship from CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). ; Peer reviewed

The definitive version is available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/102881/ ; Agronomic and fruit quality traits were evaluated and compared for three consecutive years on 1,111 seedlings coming from 15 peach and nectarine breeding crosses, grown under a Mediterranean climate. Significant differences among and within the different progenies were found for most of the traits analyzed. The breeding population segregated for several Mendelian characters such as peach or nectarine fruit, round or flat fruit, yellow or white flesh and freestone or clingstone. In addition, aborting fruit and flat fruit trees were found in our progeny, and our data seem to support multi-allelic control of both flat shape and aborting fruit. The variation within the progenies of some traits such as blooming and harvesting date, yield, fruit weight and SSC was continuous, suggesting a polygenic inheritance. Relationships between qualitative pomological traits and these agronomic and fruit quality parameters were also found. Valuable correlations among agronomic and fruit quality parameters were found, although coefficients of variation depending on the progeny should be considered. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) revealed several relationships among quality traits in the evaluated progenies. Based on this evaluation, 26 outstanding genotypes were pre-selected from the initial breeding population for further studies. ; This study was supported by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL-2005-05533 and AGL-2008-00283, and the Regional Government of Aragón (A44). C.M. Cantín was supported by a FPU fellowship from Spanish MICINN. ; Peer reviewed

The definitive version is available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/ ; BACKGROUND: Specific sugar contents are well known for contributing to a range of quality traits of fresh fruits such as flavour, texture and health properties. Peaches and nectarines of 205 genotypes from 14 different breeding progenies cultivated under Mediterranean conditions were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography for their content of these sugar traits. RESULTS: A high contribution of cross to the phenotypic variance of all evaluated fruit quality traits was found. There were significant differences in mean sugar concentrations between peach and nectarine, yellow- and white-fleshed or freestone and clingstone genotypes. Pre-selected genotypes from the original breeding programme showed enhanced soluble solid content (SSC), total sugar and sucrose contents. A significant effect of year was found for SSC, sucrose and glucose contents, whereas no effect was found for fructose and sorbitol contents. Individual sugar contents correlated significantly with each other and with other fruit quality traits. CONCLUSION: A significant effect of cross, year and qualitative traits on the sugar profile of peaches and nectarines was found. Moreover, the differences shown in sugar traits between the breeding population and the pre-selected genotypes indicated the importance of sugar profile in the global quality of peaches and nectarines. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL-2005-05533 and AGL-2008-00283, cofunded by FEDER, and the Regional Government of Aragon (A44). C. M. Cantín was supported by a FPU fellowship from the Spanish MICINN. ; Peer reviewed

The version of the publisher is available at: http://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau ; Antioxidant capacity and contents of total phenolics, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and vitamin C were evaluated in 218 genotypes from 15 peach and nectarine breeding progenies. Significant differences were found among progenies on the fruit antioxidant profile, corroborated by the high contribution showed by cross to the phenotypic variance of each phytochemical trait analyzed (16−45%). Phytochemical profile varied depending on peach/nectarine and yellow/white flesh color qualitative traits. On the other hand, no significant effect of year was found on the bioactive profile of peaches and nectarines. Antioxidant capacity was linearly correlated to total phenolic content, but correlation varied depending on the progeny. No correlation was found for vitamin C versus any other phytochemical trait. The results suggest the importance of genetic background on the antioxidant profile of peaches and nectarines and stress its relevance for the ultimate objective of this work: selecting new peach and nectarine genotypes rich in bioactive compounds to benefit consumer's health. ; This study was supported by Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) Grants AGL-2005-05533 and AGL-2008-00283 and the regional government of Aragn (A44). C.M.C. was supported by a FPU fellowship from the Spanish MICINN. ; Peer reviewed

The genetic diversity of many Spanish apple collections has been evaluated, but some areas from Central Spain have not been included. In the present work, a set of 41 accessions (33 diploids and 8 triploids) of 23 traditional apple cultivars collected in the region of Madrid and maintained at the IMIDRA collection was analysed with 13 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) to evaluate its diversity. Three reference cultivars ('Fuji', 'Granny Smith' and 'Reineta Gris') were included as reference to align the SSR profiles. The average number of alleles per locus was 7.66, which increased to 8.75 with triploids, and the number of rare alleles was 36. Moreover, the observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.74 and the expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.66, indicating disequilibrium. The probability to find two identical individuals was very low (PID = 3.60 × 10−12). After the cluster analysis, 29% of the accessions were found to have redundant profiles. Principal coordinate analysis, clustering and Bayesian model suggested the presence of four well-defined subgroups in the diploid of traditional apple. In clustering, diploid reference cultivars were nested with triploids independently from diploid traditional cultivars. Finally, after comparing profiles and names with other traditional Spanish cultivars, we conclude that the following studied collection shares the ubiquitous accessions from cultivar groups, such as «camuesas», «peros» and 'Reineta' but contains novel and uncharacterised cultivars with potential opportunities in breeding programmes and rural development: 'Agridulce', 'Amarillo de El Paular', 'Hojancas', 'Maílla blanca', 'Pepita de melón' and 'Rabudas'. As these cultivars were collected in such a small area with environmental distinctiveness, they constitute a singular germplasm reservoir, which deserves to be preserved and more deeply studied. ; This work was supported by the IMIDRA (Madrid Institute for Research and Rural Development in Food and Agriculture), under the local project "Prospection, characterization, ethnobotanical documentation and conservation of traditional horticultural cultivars of the Community of Madrid" (ref. FP16-ETNOBOT) and a predoctoral contract funded by the INIA (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology). Partial support was obtained from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) co-financed with the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (project AGL2017-83358-R to Y.G; AEI/FEDER, UE) and the Aragón Government (Group A09-20R). ; Peer reviewed

19 Pags., 4 Figs., 2 Tabls. ; Ten simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were used to study polymorphism in 54 almond genotypes. All genotypes used in this study originated from almond-growing areas in Tunisia with different climatic conditions ranging from the sub-humid to the arid and are preserved in the national collection at Sidi Bouzid. Using ten SSR, 130 alleles and 250 genotypes were revealed. In order to develop an identification key for each accession, the data were analysed separately for each microsatellite marker. The most polymorphic microsatellite (CPDCT042) was used as a first marker. Two microsatellite loci (CPDCT042 and CPDCT025) were sufficient to discriminate among all accessions studied. Neighbour-joining clustering and principal coordinate analysis were performed to arrange the genotypes according to their genetic relationships and origin. The results are discussed in the context of almond collection management, conformity checks, identification of homonyms, and screening of the local almond germplasm. Furthermore, this microsatellite-based key is a first step toward a marker-assisted identification almond database. ; Financial support was provided in part by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2008-00283/AGR co-financed by FEDER), the Aragon Government (Group A44), and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (A/5339/06 and A/8334/07). ; Peer reviewed

17 Pag., 5 Tabl., 3 Fig. ; Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of fruit rich in phenolic compounds is associated with health-protective effects due to their antioxidant properties. For these reasons quality evaluation has become an important issue in fruit industry and in breeding programs. Phytochemical traits such as total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, L-ascorbic acid, sugar content and relative antioxidant capacity (RAC) were analyzed over four years in flesh fruit of an F1 population "Venus" × "Big Top" nectarines. Other traits such as harvesting date, yield, fruit weight, firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA) and ripening index (RI) were also determined in the progeny. Results showed high variability among genotypes for all analyzed traits. Total phenolics and flavonoids showed significant positive correlations with RAC implying that both are important antioxidant bioactive compounds in peaches. We found genotypes with enhanced antioxidant capacity and a better performance than progenitors, and in consequence the best marketability. ; This study was supported by the Spanish MICINN (Ministry of Science and Innovation) grants AGL-2008-00283 and the Regional Government of Aragón (A44). W. Abidi and S. Jiménez were supported by a JAE-Pre and JAE-Doc fellowships from CSIC, respectively. ; We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI). ; Peer reviewed

6 Pags.- 3 Tabls. Artículo basado en aportación original previa de los autores al VII International Cherry Symposium (Plasencia, España. June 23-27 2013). The definitive version is available at: http://www.actahort.org/index.htm ; The influence of Adara, CAB 6P, Gisela 5, MaxMa 14, Saint Lucie GF 64 (SL 64), Saint Lucie GF 405 (SL 405), Tabel-Edabriz and VSL 2 rootstocks onto fruit weight, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, firmness, titratable acidity (TA) and ripening index of 'Van' and 'Stark Hardy Giant' sweet cherry cultivars was studied during three consecutive years, between the eleventh and thirteenth year after budding. Trunk cross sectional area (TCSA), annual production and yield efficiency were also determined. The experiment was performed in the Ebro Valley (Zaragoza, Spain), on a heavy and calcareous soil. Significant differences for most agronomic and fruit quality parameters were observed among rootstocks. By year thirteenth, 'Van' trees on Adara and 'SHG' on MaxMa 14 showed the highest vigour (TCSA) whereas the lowest values were shown by Gisela 5 for both cultivars. The cumulative yield was the highest on Adara rootstock for 'Van' cultivar, although no significant differences were found when compared with CAB 6P. Similarly, the cumulative yield for 'SHG' was also higher for these rootstocks and MaxMa 14. The highest yield efficiency was recorded on Gisela 5 and CAP 6P for both cultivars, although no significant differences were found between them and Adara in the case of 'Van'. Regarding fruit quality, cherries of 'SHG' trees budded on Adara and Gisela 5 showed higher firmness. Despite the higher firmness of fruits on Gisela 5 and highest yield efficiency, the smaller size of fruits resulted in a non-interesting rootstock in terms of fruit quality for the growing conditions. This study demonstrates that the scion-rootstock combination greatly influences some important sweet cherry attributes such as vigour, yield, fruit size, SSC, and firmness. ; This study was funded by the Spanish MICINN and MINECO grants AGL2005- 05533, AGL2008-00283, AGL2011-24576, and HH2008-0012, co-funded by FEDER and the Regional Government of Aragón (A44). ; Peer reviewed

29 Pags.- 3 Tabls.- 2 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/40.htm ; Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is an important fodder and is a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production in dry areas. Our objectives were to assess the effect of elevated CO2 and/or reduced irrigation on biomass production and levels of sugars and proteins in leaves of pearl millet and to test whether mycorrhizal inoculation could modulate the effects of these abiotic factors on growth and metabolism. Results showed that mycorrhizal inoculation and water regime most influenced biomass of shoots and roots; however, their individual effects were dependent on the atmospheric CO2 concentration. At ambient CO2, mycorrhizal inoculation helped to alleviate effects of water deficit on pearl millet without significant decreases in biomass production, which contrasted with the low biomass of mycorrhizal plants under restricted irrigation and elevated CO2. Mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced water content in shoots, whereas reduced irrigation decreased water content in roots. The triple interaction between CO2, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and water regime significantly affected the total amount of soluble sugars and determined the predominant soluble sugars in leaves. Under optimal irrigation, elevated CO2 increased the proportion of hexoses in pearl millet that was not inoculated with AMF, thus improving the quality of this plant material for bioethanol production. By contrast, elevated CO2 decreased the levels of proteins in leaves, thus limiting the quality of pearl millet as fodder and primary source for cattle feed. ; This study has been supported by the 'Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación' and 'Gobierno de Aragón' (Spain) (BFU2011-26989, Group A-44). Eliseu Geraldo dos Santos Fabbrin received a grant from CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) from the Brazilian Government. ; Peer reviewed

19 Pags.- 2 Tabls.- 7 Figs. This Document is Protected by copyright and was first published by Frontiers (http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/373). All rights reserved. it is reproduced with permission. ; Prunus persica L. Batsch, or peach, is one of the most important crops and it is widely established in irrigated arid and semi-arid regions. However, due to variations in the climate and the increased aridity, drought has become a major constraint, causing crop losses worldwide. The use of drought-tolerant rootstocks in modern fruit production appears to be a useful method of alleviating water deficit problems. However, the transcriptomic variation and the major molecular mechanisms that underlie the adaptation of drought-tolerant rootstocks to water shortage remain unclear. Hence, in this study, high-throughput sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to assess the transcriptomic changes and the key genes involved in the response to drought in root tissues (GF677 rootstock) and leaf tissues (graft, var. Catherina) subjected to 16 days of drought stress. In total, 12 RNA libraries were constructed and sequenced. This generated a total of 315 M raw reads from both tissues, which allowed the assembly of 22,079 and 17,854 genes associated with the root and leaf tissues, respectively. Subsets of 500 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in roots and 236 in leaves were identified and functionally annotated with 56 gene ontology (GO) terms and 99 metabolic pathways, which were mostly associated with aminobenzoate degradation and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The GO analysis highlighted the biological functions that were exclusive to the root tissue, such as "locomotion," "hormone metabolic process," and "detection of stimulus," indicating the stress-buffering role of the GF677 rootstock. Furthermore, the complex regulatory network involved in the drought response was revealed, involving proteins that are associated with signaling transduction, transcription and hormone regulation, redox homeostasis, and frontline barriers. We identified two poorly characterized genes in P. persica: growth-regulating factor 5 (GRF5), which may be involved in cellular expansion, and AtHB12, which may be involved in root elongation. The reliability of the RNA-seq experiment was validated by analyzing the expression patterns of 34 DEGs potentially involved in drought tolerance using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The transcriptomic resources generated in this study provide a broad characterization of the acclimation of P. persica to drought, shedding light on the major molecular responses to the most important environmental stressor. ; This study was funded by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grants AGL-2008-00283, AGL2011-24576, and AGL2014-52063; and the Government of Aragón with grants A44 and la Caixa-GA0007/2010, which were co-financed with European Union FEDER and ESF funds, respectively. S. Jiménez was supported by a JAE-Doc contract from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), which was co-funded by ESF, and which enabled him to carry out research at the University of Clemson. N. Ksouri received a Master's fellowship awarded by the CIHEAM-IAMZ. ; Peer reviewed

17 Pags., 7 Tabls., 1 Fig. The definitive version is available at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10681 ; Phenotypic data for tree and fruit characteristics was collected over three consecutive years from a germplasm collection of 94 peach and nectarine accessions representing both traditional Spanish as well as foreign cultivars with widespread global plantings. All accessions were grown at the Experimental Station of Aula Dei located in the Ebro Valley (Northern Spain, Zaragoza) under a Mediterranean climate. Tree traits evaluated included bloom and harvest date, vigor, yield, yield efficiency and flower and leaf characteristics. Fruit traits included fresh weight, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, levels of individual soluble sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose and sorbitol), vitamin C, total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, relative antioxidant capacity and ripening index. Extensive variability was observed for most qualitative and quantitative traits with significant correlations identified between many traits. While the traditional Spanish accessions demonstrated good adaptability to the northern Spain evaluation site, opportunities for continued improvement in tree and fruit quality traits were demonstrated by an extensive phenotypic variability within the germplasm collection. ; This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) grants AGL2005-05533, AGL2008-00283 and AGL2011-24576, and RFP 2009-00016 cofunded by FEDER and the Regional Government of Aragon (A44). C. Font was supported by a JAE fellowship from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). ; Peer reviewed