In the recent years there has been an increasing focus on the quality and health value of organic plant products compared with conventional products.
The use of pesticides and concentrated fertilisers in conventional agriculture implies a risk of effects on plant composition, which may affect health of the
consumer (Brandt & Mølgaard, 2001).
To determine if organically grown plant food could provide more or less benefits to health than conventional food, a first step is to investigate the differences
in the composition and relative concentration of natural compounds in the plant products.
In this project apples were grown with two levels of nitrogen availability and with or without the use of pesticides. The apples were screened for changes in the phytochemical composition and concentration.
The work is affiliated to the project "Organic food and health" supported by the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming (DARCOF).
Biomarkers and biomarker patterns were presented in plants cultivated with low and high N and with pesticides.
One biomarker was related to:
• the type of N with and without pesticides
• pesticides at high N and type of N without pesticides
• pesticides at low and high N
One biomarker pattern was related to:
• the type of N
• the type of N without pesticides
• pesticides at low N and type of N without pesticides
• pesticides at high N and type of N with pesticide
