Enhancing agrifood systems with metabolomics: from crop improvement to food quality

Metabolomics has emerged as a prominent tool in agrifood production and agriculture, offering comprehensive insights into the metabolic processes of plants and animals. In Uruguay, where agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy, the application of metabolomics has the potential to significantly enhance the productivity and sustainability of agrifood systems. This review explores its diverse applications, highlighting its role in optimizing crop yield, agrifood quality, and agricultural sustainability. It also emphasizes the transformative impact of metabolomics in advancing agricultural practices and ensuring food security. This review discusses examples of agrifood production, including soybeans, meat, olive oil, citrus fruits, and potential new fruit crops. By providing detailed comprehension into the metabolic processes of plants and animals, metabolomics enables researchers, stakeholders and farmers to make more informed decisions about breeding, cultivation, and production practices. This, in turn, leads to improved crop yields, higher quality agrifood products, and more sustainable agricultural systems.