The Influence of Climate and Fertilizer Practices upon the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Vegetables

Somers, G. Fred; Beeson, Kenneth C.

doi:10.1016/s0065-2628(08)60210-4

Cited by 32 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Large genotypic variation in vitamin content was reviewed by Stevens (1974) and Harris (1975). Other preharvest factors include climatic conditions and cultural practices (Somers and Beeson, 1948;Lee, 1974;Harris, 1975;Mozafar, 1994;Weston and Barth, 1997). All these factors are responsible for the wide variation in vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables at harvest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops

Lee

Kader

2000

Postharvest Biology and Technology

1,891

117

1,088

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Vitamin C, including ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid, is one of the most important nutritional quality factors in many horticultural crops and has many biological activities in the human body. The content of vitamin C in fruits and vegetables can be influenced by various factors such as genotypic differences, preharvest climatic conditions and cultural practices, maturity and harvesting methods, and postharvest handling procedures. The higher the intensity of light during the growing season, the greater is vitamin C content in plant tissues. Nitrogen fertilizers at high rates tend to decrease the vitamin C content in many fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C content of many crops can be increased with less frequent irrigation. Temperature management after harvest is the most important factor to maintain vitamin C of fruits and vegetables; losses are accelerated at higher temperatures and with longer storage durations. However, some chilling sensitive crops show more losses in vitamin C at lower temperatures. Conditions favorable to water loss after harvest result in a rapid loss of vitamin C especially in leafy vegetables. The retention of vitamin C is lowered by bruising, and other mechanical injuries, and by excessive trimming. Irradiation at low doses (1 kGy or lower) has no significant effects on vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables. The loss of vitamin C after harvest can be reduced by storing fruits and vegetables in reduced O 2 and/or up to 10% CO 2 atmospheres; higher CO 2 levels can accelerate vitamin C loss. Vitamin C of produce is also subject to degradation during processing and cooking. Electromagnetic energy seems to have advantages over conventional heating by reduction of process times, energy, and water usage. Blanching reduces the vitamin C content during processing, but limits further decreases during the frozen-storage of horticultural products.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops

Lee

Kader

2000

Postharvest Biology and Technology

1,891

117

1,088

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“…Whereas food composition databases provide, ideally, a nationwide average value, the vitamin C content of a particular fruit or vegetable as consumed is affected by numerous factors, including cultivar, growing conditions, maturity at harvest, and postharvest handling, processing, and storage . Ascorbic acid can be irreversibly oxidized (to 2,3‐diketogulonic acid) or degraded by endogenous enzymes, and these processes are influenced by temperature, pH, cell integrity, and the presence of oxygen, oxidants, or antioxidants .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variability of the vitamin C content of fresh fruits and vegetables in a local retail market

et al. 2018

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“…Such studies established that the nutrient content of crops varies widely, and effectively eclipsed concern over the effects of farming practice on nutrient density. Indeed, the early recognition of large differences in vitamin and mineral content between crop varieties and farms came to frame the longconventional view that any effects of tillage or chemical fertilizers would be of little nutritional importance (Hamner, 1945;Somers and Beeson, 1948). Variability due to other factors seemed likely to swamp any effects of farming practices.…”

Section: Early Studies Of Nitrogen Fertilizersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Health and Nutrient Density: Beyond Organic vs. Conventional Farming

Montgomery

Biklé²

2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Controversy has long surrounded the question of nutritional differences between crops grown organically or using now-conventional methods, with studies dating back to the 1940s showing that farming methods can affect the nutrient density of crops. More recent studies have shown how reliance on tillage and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers influence soil life, and thereby soil health, in ways that can reduce mineral micronutrient uptake by and phytochemical production in crops. While organic farming tends to enhance soil health and conventional practices degrade it, relying on tillage for weed control on both organic and conventional farms degrades soil organic matter and can disrupt soil life in ways that reduce crop mineral uptake and phytochemical production. Conversely, microbial inoculants and compost and mulch that build soil organic matter can increase crop micronutrient and phytochemical content on both conventional and organic farms. Hence, agronomic effects on nutritional profiles do not fall out simply along the conventional vs. organic distinction, making the effects of farming practices on soil health a better lens for assessing their influence on nutrient density. A review of previous studies and meta-studies finds little evidence for significant differences in crop macronutrient levels between organic and conventional farming practices, as well as substantial evidence for the influence of different cultivars and farming practices on micronutrient concentrations. More consistent differences between organic and conventional crops include that conventional crops contain greater pesticide levels, whereas organically grown crops contain higher levels of phytochemicals shown to exhibit health-protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, part of the long-running controversy over nutritional differences between organic and conventional crops appears to arise from different definitions of what constitutes a nutrient—the conventional definition of dietary constituents necessary for growth and survival, or a broader one that also encompasses compounds beneficial for maintenance of health and prevention of chronic disease. For assessing the effects of farming practices on nutrient density soil health adds a much needed dimension—the provisioning of micronutrients and phytochemicals that support human health.

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The Influence of Climate and Fertilizer Practices upon the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Vegetables

Cited by 32 publications

References 60 publications

Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops

Preharvest and postharvest factors influencing vitamin C content of horticultural crops

Seasonal variability of the vitamin C content of fresh fruits and vegetables in a local retail market

Soil Health and Nutrient Density: Beyond Organic vs. Conventional Farming

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