Faba Bean Cultivation – Revealing Novel Managing Practices for More Sustainable and Competitive European Cropping Systems

Faba beans are highly nutritious because of their high protein content: they are a good source of mineral nutrients, vitamins, and numerous bioactive compounds. Equally important is the contribution of faba bean in maintaining the sustainability of agricultural systems, as it is highly efficient in the symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. This article provides an overview of factors influencing faba bean yield and quality, and addresses the main biotic and abiotic constraints. It also reviews the factors relating to the availability of genetic material and the agronomic features of faba bean production that contribute to high yield and the improvement of European cropping systems. Emphasis is to the importance of using new high-yielding cultivars that are characterized by a high protein content, low antinutritional compound content, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. New cultivars should combine several of these characteristics if an increased and more stable production of faba bean in specific agroecological zones is to be achieved. Considering that climate change is also gradually affecting many European regions, it is imperative to breed elite cultivars that feature a higher abiotic–biotic stress resistance and nutritional value than currently used cultivars. Improved agronomical practices for faba bean crops, such as crop establishment and plant density, fertilization and irrigation regime, weed, pest and disease management, harvesting time, and harvesting practices are also addressed, since they play a crucial role in both the production and quality of faba bean

Effects of Post-Harvest Elicitor Treatments with Ultrasound, UV- and Photosynthetic Active Radiation on Polyphenols, Glucosinolates and Antioxidant Activity in a Waste Fraction of White Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Biosynthesis of phytochemicals in leaves of Brassica can be initiated by abiotic factors. The aim of the study was to investigate elicitor treatments to add value to waste of cabbage. A leaf waste fraction from industrial trimming of head cabbage was exposed to UV radiation (250–400 nm, 59 and 99 kJ∙m−2, respectively), photosynthetic active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm, 497 kJ∙m−2), and ultrasound in water bath (35 kHz, at 15, 30 and 61 kJ∙l−1 water), in order to improve nutraceutical concentration. UV was more effective than PAR to increase the level of flavonols (2 to 3-fold higher) and hydroxycinnamate monosaccharides (1 to 10-fold higher). PAR was three times as effective as UV to increase anthocyanins. Interaction of PAR + UV increased antioxidant activity (30%), the content of five phenolics (1.4 to 10-fold higher), and hydroxycinnamic monosaccharides (compared with PAR or UV alone). Indoles were reduced (40–52%) by UV, but the other glucosinolates (GLS) were unaffected. Ultrasound did not influence any parameters. The results are important for white cabbage by-products by demonstrating that UV + PAR can be successfully used as an effectual tool to increase important phenolics and antioxidant activity of waste fraction leaves without an adverse effect on the main GLS

Genetic characterization of European potato onion (Allium cepa var Aggregatum G. Don) collections

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