Sugar and acid profile of processing tomato cultivars grown under conventional or organic conditions

The optimization of tomato taste has gained importance during the last years following consumer demands of higher quality. At the same time consumers also demand a minimum impact on the environment during cultivation. The effect of conventional and organic cultivation on the sugar and acid profile of processing cultivars has been studied in the two main growing regions in Spain. Standard and high lycopene cultivars have been used in order to study the possibility of combining organoleptic and functional quality. High differences in the acid profile (malic vs. citric) and in the sugar accumulation of the cultivars were found. In some cases, the higher values in the content of taste-related compounds coincide with previously described high lycopene contents. The cultivation system had no significant effect on malic and citric acid accumulation, but it affected sugar accumulation and the sucrose equivalents (SEq) to citric and glutamic acid ratios. On average, 7.7 and 10.4% higher contents of glucose and fructose respectively were obtained with the organic cultivation system. The SEq to citric acid and SEq to glutamic acid ratios were consequently higher with this system (8.3 and 46.3% respectively). Organic cultivation of high lycopene cultivars might be an excellent selection to combine high organoleptic and functional quality targeted to quality markets.Leiva-Brondo, M.; Martí, R.; Macua, JI.; Lahoz, I.; González, Á.; Campillo, C.; Rosello Ripolles, S.... (2015). Sugar and acid profile of processing tomato cultivars grown under conventional or organic conditions. Acta Horticulturae. 1081:181-186. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/64166S181186108

Effect of water deficit on the agronomical performance and quality of processing tomato

[EN] The influence of irrigation doses on standard and high lycopene tomato varieties has been analyzed during two years in one of the main processing tomato growing areas of Spain. Deficit irrigation (75% ETc) implied a mean reduction in water use of 28.2%, while it caused a significant reduction in the marketable production of 16.4% and increase insoluble solids (8.4%) and Hunter a/b ratio (2.4%). The effect on lycopene content was not significant. Increasing irrigation dose over the recommended 100% ETc had no significant effect on the agronomical performance, while it provoked a dilution effect reducing total soluble solids and lycopene content. The effects on 33 tomato volatiles were also analyzed, 11 of them related to main aroma notes and 22 to the background volatile profile. The effect of deficit irrigation on aroma was dependant on climatic conditions and it may either not have a significant effect on the aroma profile or may lead to higher logodor units in main aroma volatiles. High lycopene cultivars showed higher contents in most volatiles, including some volatiles originated in pathways that have not been related with carotenoid degradation processes. In both the fresh and processing tomato market the improvement of organoleptic and functional quality and the reduction of the impact of agriculture on environment represent main goals. The use of high lycopene cultivars and restricted irrigation would enhance the aroma of materials targeted to quality markets, contributing to increase the efficiency of water use in agriculture. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This research was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria with the project RTA2007-00095C03. This project was co-funded by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional. The authors thank Dr. Vicente Villardon the development and kindly offer of his software MultBiplot for the data analysis.Lahoz, I.; Pérez De Castro, AM.; Valcárcel-Germes, M.; Macua, JI.; Beltran, J.; Rosello Ripolles, S.; Cebolla Cornejo, J. (2016). Effect of water deficit on the agronomical performance and quality of processing tomato. Scientia Horticulturae. 200:55-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2015.12.051S556520

Acelga: variedades para industria

La acelga (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla L.), es una verdura que pertenece a la familia de las Quenopodiáceas y cuyo consumo está muy extendido en los países mediterráneos desde la Antigüedad por sus propiedades dietéticas y medicinales. Se cultiva con carácter anual, tanto al aire libre como en invernadero. En los últimos años está creciendo su demanda por parte de la industria agroalimentaria, bien en congelado o conserva o bien procesado fresco para IV Gama. El 80% de la producción navarra se destina a la agroindustria. Aunque se trata de un cultivo minoritario, por lo reducido de su superficie, existe un interés por parte de las industrias para mejorar las variedades y la productividad. Por ello el ITG Agrícola lo introdujo en sus planes de experimentación hortícola. En este artículo presentamos los resultados obtenidos en la Finca experimental de Cadreita en las dos últimas campañas, (2005-2006)