Are processed fruits and vegetables able to reduce diet costs and address micronutrient deficiencies? Evidence from rural Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of integrating processed fruits and vegetables (FV) into diets in terms of diet cost reduction and ensuring nutritional adequacy year-round. DESIGN: Market surveys were conducted to record foods. Focus group discussions (FGD) and 24-h dietary assessments - from children and women - were carried out to determine culturally accepted dietary habits. Six processed FV were considered for addition to diets. Using the Cost of Diet linear programming tool, standards diets were first modelled, and subsequently, the processed FV were included to analyse their impact. SETTING: Rural Tanzania: Mtwara and Morogoro. PARTICIPANTS: Market survey: 50 traders; FGD: 40 women; 24-h recalls: 36 infants aged 6-23 months, 52 children aged 6-13 years and 292 women. RESULTS: The standard diet costs between TZS 232 and 2368 (USD 0·3-3) daily for infants. For children aged 6-13 years, it costs between TZS 1711 and 7199 (USD 2·2-9·1) daily and the cost for the women was between TZS 2793 and 10 449 (USD 3·5-13·2). Addition of the processed FV reduced diet costs by up to 61 %, 48 % and 49 % for children aged 12-23 months, children aged 6-13 years and women, respectively. However, for infants aged 6-11 months, costs rose by up to 127 %. The processed FV addressed all micronutrient gaps in the diets except for infants aged 6-11 months, where some micronutrient intakes were unfulfilled. CONCLUSIONS: Processed FV could provide a feasible option to ensure availability of nutritious but cheap diets year-round. Hence, interventions to process FV into nutritious and affordable products should extensively be pursued.

Morphological and Metabolite Responses of Potatoes under Various Phosphorus Levels and Their Amelioration by Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria.

Low phosphorus (P) availability is a major limiting factor for potatoes. P fertilizer is applied to enhance P availability; however, it may become toxic when plants accumulate at high concentrations. Therefore, it is necessary to gain more knowledge of the morphological and biochemical processes associated with P deficiency and toxicity for potatoes, as well as to explore an alternative approach to ameliorate the P deficiency condition. A comprehensive study was conducted (I) to assess plant morphology, mineral allocation, and metabolites of potatoes in response to P deficiency and toxicity; and (II) to evaluate the potency of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in improving plant biomass, P uptake, and metabolites at low P levels. The results revealed a reduction in plant height and biomass by 60-80% under P deficiency compared to P optimum. P deficiency and toxicity conditions also altered the mineral concentration and allocation in plants due to nutrient imbalance. The stress induced by both P deficiency and toxicity was evident from an accumulation of proline and total free amino acids in young leaves and roots. Furthermore, root metabolite profiling revealed that P deficiency reduced sugars by 50-80% and organic acids by 20-90%, but increased amino acids by 1.5-14.8 times. However, the effect of P toxicity on metabolic changes in roots was less pronounced. Under P deficiency, PGPR significantly improved the root and shoot biomass, total root length, and root surface area by 32-45%. This finding suggests the potency of PGPR inoculation to increase potato plant tolerance under P deficiency.

Cracking and fracture properties of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers and their relation to dry matter, starch, and mineral distribution.

BACKGROUND: Potato disorders lead to a significant reduction in the yield and quality of marketable tubers. Thumbnail cracks are physiological tuber skin disorders that can significantly affect the tuber's appearance and, hence, the overall quality. The aim of this study was to characterize fracture properties of the tuber skin. Knowledge of the physiological reasons that influence the resistance of potato tubers to mechanical impacts and thus to cracking and fracturing is limited. Tuber dry matter (DM) and starch content were found to correlate with the rheological properties of tubers, which, in turn, could affect the resistance of the tubers to cracking and fracturing. Moreover, divalent cations, such as calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), and their distribution in the tuber can affect the tuber's resistance to mechanical impacts via cell-wall stabilizing properties. RESULTS: Tubers with higher DM, starch, and Ca concentrations exhibited the highest resistance to mechanical impacts. CONCLUSIONS: The reason for the increased resistance of tubers with higher DM and starch concentrations to mechanical impacts is assumed to be related to a certain cell structure of these tubers, which is why considerable force is needed to damage the cell structures. The relation between higher Ca concentrations and an improved resistance of tubers to mechanical impacts is assumed to be connected with the role of Ca in linking cell-wall polymers and thus stabilizing the cell wall. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improvement of cocktail tomato yield and consumer-oriented quality traits by potassium fertilization is driven by the cultivar.

BACKGROUND: The market for cocktail tomatoes is growing continuously, mainly because of their good taste. Titratable acids (TA), total soluble solids (TSS) and dry matter (DM) contents correlate positively with good taste. So far, the impact of different potassium (K) applications on yield and consumer-oriented quality traits has not been comprehensively described for cultivars of smaller fruits. To fill this gap, we tested the effect of different K fertilization regimes on three cultivars of small-sized or cocktail tomatoes. RESULTS: A positive impact on quality parameters (TSS, TA, DM, color and firmness) was detected by raising the K fertilizer application for the cocktail tomato cultivars Primavera and Yellow Submarine. The cultivar Resi showed no response to fertilization, except for TSS and TA. Yield increased significantly by higher K application only in Primavera, the most productive cultivar. The K concentration in tomato rose with increasing K application. CONCLUSION: Because TSS and TA increased in all cultivars, whereas only one cultivar showed an increase in yield, the results of the present study emphasize the importance of the application of cultivar-specific mineral fertilizers on yield- and consumer-oriented quality traits. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification of Differently Regulated Proteins afterFusarium graminearum Infection of Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) at Several Grain Ripening Stages.

This study was conducted to improve the knowledge of molecular processes involved in the interaction between Fusarium graminearum and emmer in the course of grain ripening. Emmer plants were artificially inoculated with a F. graminearum spore suspension at anthesis. In the course of grain ripening from milk ripe to plant death stage, grains at four phenological growth stages were collected for analysis. The infection degree was evaluated based on the F. graminearum DNA content in emmer grain infolding tissues (glumes and rachis). For proteome analysis the albumin and globulin fractions of emmer grains, consisting of proteins with various functions related to the development and stress response, were analysed regarding the changes due to Fusarium infection by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Altogether, forty-three proteins affected by infection were identified by mass spectrometry. Enzymes detoxifying reactive oxygen species were regulated at all developmental stages. In the early stage of grain development, the abundance of proteins related to stress response, such as 2-Cys peroxiredoxin, a chitinase, a xylanase inhibitor and a spermidine synthase was increased. During later stage of grain development, the abundance of stress-related proteins, such as chitinases, heat shock proteins and an α-amylase inhibitor-like protein, decreased. During all ripening stages, but especially during medium milk stage (BBCH 75) and soft dough stage (BBCH 85), the abundance of proteins related to carbon metabolism, starch and protein biosynthesis as well as photosynthesis increased due to F. graminearum infection. At the plant death stage (BBCH 97) the abundance of only two proteins related to metabolism decreased.

Bee pollination improves crop quality, shelf life and commercial value.

Pollination improves the yield of most crop species and contributes to one-third of global crop production, but comprehensive benefits including crop quality are still unknown. Hence, pollination is underestimated by international policies, which is particularly alarming in times of agricultural intensification and diminishing pollination services. In this study, exclusion experiments with strawberries showed bee pollination to improve fruit quality, quantity and market value compared with wind and self-pollination. Bee-pollinated fruits were heavier, had less malformations and reached higher commercial grades. They had increased redness and reduced sugar-acid-ratios and were firmer, thus improving the commercially important shelf life. Longer shelf life reduced fruit loss by at least 11%. This is accounting for 0.32 billion US$ of the 1.44 billion US$ provided by bee pollination to the total value of 2.90 billion US$ made with strawberry selling in the European Union 2009. The fruit quality and yield effects are driven by the pollination-mediated production of hormonal growth regulators, which occur in several pollination-dependent crops. Thus, our comprehensive findings should be transferable to a wide range of crops and demonstrate bee pollination to be a hitherto underestimated but vital and economically important determinant of fruit quality.

Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems: Calculating the WISH Scores for Women in Rural East Africa.

Diets should be healthy for the benefits of both humans and the environment. The World Index for Sustainability and Health (WISH) was developed to assess both diets' healthiness and environmental sustainability, and the index was applied in this study. Food intake quantities for single foods were calculated based on the data collected from four 24-h recalls during two seasons in 2019/2020 with women of reproductive age in two rural areas each in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (n = 1152). Single foods were grouped into 13 food groups, and the amount of each food group consumed was converted to an overall WISH score and four sub-scores. The food groups with a low WISH score were fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, fish, unsaturated oils and nuts, meaning that their consumption was outside the recommended range for a healthy and sustainable diet. Contrariwise, the intake of red meat and poultry was partly above the recommended intake for those women who consumed them. The overall WISH score and sub-scores showed that the consumption of "protective" food groups needed to increase in the study population, while the consumption of "limiting" food groups was sufficient or should decrease. For future application, we recommend dividing food groups that are critical for nutrition, e.g., vegetables, into sub-groups to further understand their contribution to this index.

Mycorrhized wheat and bean plants tolerate bismuth contaminated soil via improved metal detoxification and antioxidant defense systems.

Contamination of agricultural fields with bismuth (Bi) reduces crop yield and quality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to enhance plant growth and crop production, even under stressful conditions such as soil contamination with heavy metals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of AMF on the mitigation of Bi-phytotoxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the physiological and biochemical basis for the growth and development of AMF-induced plants under Bi stress conditions. Wheat and bean were treated by Bi and AMF individually and in combination. Then the physiological and biochemical responses in the shoot and roots of the two crop species were studied. Evident retardations in plant growth and key photosynthesis-related parameters and accumulation of MDA, H2O2, as markers of oxidative stress, were observed in plants subjected to Bi. AMF colonization reduced the uptake and translocation of Bi in the plant organs by enhancing the exudation of polyphenols and organic acids into the rhizospheric soil. Mycorrhized wheat and bean plants were able to attenuate the effects of Bi by improving metal detoxification (phytochelatins, metallothionein, total glutathione, and glutathione-S-transferase activity) and antioxidant defense systems (both enzymatic and non-enzymatic) and maintaining C assimilation and nutrient status. The current results suggest the manipulation of AMF as a powerful approach to alleviate the phytotoxicity of Bi in legumes and grasses.

Organically grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.): bioactive compounds in the fruit and infection with Phytophthora infestans.

BACKGROUND: Tomato fruits are characterized by a good nutritional profile, including different bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid. The objective of this study was to analyze the content of bioactive compounds in the fruit and the infection by Phytophthora infestans of 28 tomato genotypes from organic outdoor production. The relationship between bioactive compounds in the fruit and infection with P. infestans was estimated. Field experiments were carried out in 2004 and 2005 at two locations in central Germany. RESULTS: Significant variation among genotypes, locations and years was observed for the content of lycopene, ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and the infection level of P. infestans. Antioxidant capacity seemed to be influenced mainly by the phenolics and was highest in small fruits, which were less infected with P. infestans. CONCLUSION: The large genetic variation among tomato genotypes for the content of bioactive compounds in their fruit allows for selection gains. None of the investigated bioactive compounds can be recommended for the indirect selection for increased field resistance against P. infestans.

Plant-Based Alternative Products: Are They Healthy Alternatives? Micro- and Macronutrients and Nutritional Scoring.

In recent decades, the demand, supply, and consumption of plant-based (pb) alternative products have increased worldwide. The objective of this study was to characterize pb meat and cheese products and compare them with their respective animal-based products. Data were collected in online market analyses (2019/2021). Nutritional data, Nutri-Score, and analysis of micronutrients are presented in this article. The number of products has grown in all categories, with the largest increase of 110% in pb cheese. The main protein sources in pb meat were soy and wheat, followed by an increasing use of peas. Pb meat generally contained less energy and total and saturated fat, but more carbohydrates and sugars than meat. In pb cheese, the protein content was lower than that of cheese. In 3 of 17 food groups, the salt content of pb alternatives was lower than in animal products. The daily requirement for iron could be covered better by pb alternatives than previously anticipated as well as the need for the vitamins E and K. The calculated Nutri-Score was generally lower for pb meat and higher for pb cheese than for the respective animal products. The trend towards consumption of pb alternative products is increasing, but the high level of processing, wide range of nutrients, and high salt content indicate the need for nutritional guidelines for these products.

Plant-Based Only: Investigating Consumers' Sensory Perception, Motivation, and Knowledge of Different Plant-Based Alternative Products on the Market.

Consumer acceptance and product development of sustainable, healthy, and tasty plant-based alternative products (PBAPs) are closely interlinked. However, information on consumer perceptions of the sensory profile of plant-based meat, cheese, and milk remains scarce. The study aimed to investigate German consumers' (1) sensory evaluation of PBAPs and (2) consumers´ motivations and knowledge underlying the purchase of such products. This was analyzed in relation to different dietary styles of consumers (omnivore, flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan). A sample of 159 adults completed two tasks: first, a sensory test in which participants tasted and rated three different PBAPs in two consecutive sessions, and second, a questionnaire on consumption behavior, motivation, and knowledge. Results show few differences between nutrition styles in sensory evaluation of individual product attributes. However, overall liking was rated significantly higher by vegans than by omnivores. All dietary styles reported animal welfare and environmental aspects as the main motivations for consuming PBAPs. Most participants acknowledged that meat and cheese alternatives are highly processed foods and not a fad but are not automatically healthier or more environmentally friendly than their animal-based counterparts. Future research should focus on emerging product segments such as plant-based cheeses to better understand how consumers evaluate PBAPs.

Comparison of the Effects of Potassium Sulphate and Potassium Chloride Fertilisation on Quality Parameters, Including Volatile Compounds, of Potato Tubers After Harvest and Storage.

Potatoes are an important staple food with high yield potential and great nutritional value. Potassium (K) fertilisation can increase both tuber yield and quality, but its effects differ depending on the K fertilisation form. Potatoes are known to be chloride sensitive, since chloride ions can influence, for example, the starch content. Therefore, fertilisations shortly before planting using potassium sulphate (K2SO4) are often recommended instead of potassium chloride (KCl). However, the use of different fertilisation forms is contradictory, and the chloride sensitivity of potatoes remains unclear. To examine this issue in more detail, a 2-year field experiment using two cultivars, "Laura" and "Marabel," was conducted. K fertilisation with 240 kg K2O as K2SO4 and KCl was applied, and the control remained unfertilised. Quality traits, including internal and external parameters, were analysed after harvest and after 5 months of storage at 6°C. The results revealed minor effects on yield, but the starch content and ascorbic acid concentration were reduced due to the KCl supply. Furthermore, the reducing sugar concentration in tubers increased during storage more after KCl compared to K2SO4 fertilisation. Moreover, volatile compounds were affected by the K fertilisation form, with higher levels of lipid-derived off-flavour compounds after KCl application. However, the effects of cultivation year, cultivar, and storage interacted with the influence of the fertilisation form. In summary, KCl fertilisation can disadvantageously influence several quality traits, but the use of potato cultivars should also be considered when recommending fertilisers.

Flavor and Other Quality Traits of Tomato Cultivars Bred for Diverse Production Systems as Revealed in Organic Low-Input Management.

This study was conducted to determine the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with fruit flavor in diverse tomato cultivars (salad and cocktail cultivars) under organic low-input production. For this objective, 60 cultivars deriving from very diverse breeding programs 1880-2015 were evaluated in 2015, and a subset of 20 cultivars was selected for further evaluation in 2016. The diversity of instrumentally determined traits, especially for VOCs concentration and sensory properties (fruit firmness, juiciness, skin firmness, sweetness, sourness, aroma, and acceptability), was investigated at two harvest dates. The evaluation of the cultivars exhibited a wide range of variation for all studied traits, with the exception of a few VOCs. Cultivar had the most important effect on all instrumentally determined traits, while the influence of cultivar × harvest date × year interaction was significant for 17 VOCs, but not for total soluble solid (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA). The VOCs with the highest proportion (>8%) were hexanal, 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one, 2-isobutylthiazole, and (E)-2-hexenal, which were identified in all cultivars. Twelve VOCs significantly correlated with one or more sensory attributes and these VOCs also allowed differentiation of the fruit type. Among these VOCs, phenylethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol positively correlated with acceptability in the cocktail cultivars, whereas 2-isobuthylthiazole and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol negatively correlated with acceptability in the salad cultivars. As a result of this study, organic breeders are recommended to use cultivars from a wide range of breeding programs to improve important quality and agronomic traits. As examples, salad tomatoes "Campari F1", "Green Zebra", and "Auriga", as well as cocktail tomatoes "Supersweet 100 F1", "Sakura F1", and "Black Cherry" showed higher scores for the sensory attributes aroma and acceptability under organic low-input growing conditions. It remains a challenge for breeders and growers to reduce the trade-off of yield and quality.

Proteome analysis of Fusarium head blight in grains of naked barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. nudum).

The effect of artificial Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum infection at the level of the proteome on grains of naked barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. nudum) was investigated in comparison to naturally infected samples. Fusarium infection in barley led to numerous host-specific biochemical responses. NEPHGE 2-D PAGE and MS were used to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in response to fungal infection and growing location of the plants. Moreover, the mycotoxin concentration of the grains was evaluated to characterize the infection degree. Inoculation of naked barley with Fusarium led to grain deoxynivalenol concentrations of up to 1.2 mg/kg. The carbon and nitrogen grain concentrations were not significantly changed after fungal infection, but differed between growing locations. Eleven proteins related to fungal infection were detected as were three proteins with effects based on growing location. These proteins belong to different protein groups involved in various cell functions: transcription regulation, defence response, nutrient reservoirs and starch biosynthesis. The results gave indications on plant defence strategies and changes as response to Fusarium infection in mature grains after a long infection period as well as being influenced by the growing location.

Dietary Patterns as Characterized by Food Processing Levels and Their Association with the Health Outcomes of Rural Women in East Africa.

Overweight and obesity are rapidly rising in Sub-Saharan Africa including in rural areas. However, most studies focus on urban centers, and have attributed this epidemic to the consumption of processed foods without their clear characterization. This study investigated food intake patterns defined by food processing levels and their association with overweight/obesity in rural areas. Four 24-h dietary recalls, anthropometric measurements, and socio-demographic characteristics were collected from 1152 women in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The PCA method was used to extract patterns characterized by food processing levels. The association between patterns and overweight/obesity was ascertained with regression models. The overweight/obesity rate was 47%, 42%, 26%, and 38% in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and East Africa (as pooled data), respectively. Several patterns were identified, yet a "plant-based pattern" largely characterized by unprocessed and minimally processed foods and a "purchase pattern" mainly distinguished by highly processed foods were dominant. The "plant-based pattern" was inversely or not associated with overweight/obesity, while the "purchase pattern" had a positive association or no association. A clear distinction on processed foods as healthy and unhealthy should be made based on their nutrient provision to avoid their mischaracterization as unhealthy. Policies to reverse consumption of unhealthy processed foods while promoting healthy ones should be pursued.

Cultivar-Dependent Responses in Plant Growth, Leaf Physiology, Phosphorus Use Efficiency, and Tuber Quality of Potatoes Under Limited Phosphorus Availability Conditions.

The limited availability of phosphorus (P) in soils causes a major constraint in the productivity of potatoes, which requires increased knowledge of plant adaptation responses in this condition. In this study, six potato cultivars, namely, Agria, Lady Claire, Milva, Lilly, Sieglinde, and Verdi, were assessed for their responses on plant growth, leaf physiology, P use efficiency (PUE), and tuber quality with three P levels (Plow, Pmed, and Phigh). The results reveal a significant variation in the cultivars in response to different P availabilities. P-efficient cultivars, Agria, Milva, and Lilly, possessed substantial plant biomass, tuber yield, and high P uptake efficiency (PUpE) under low P supply conditions. The P-inefficient cultivars, Lady Claire, Sieglinde, and Verdi, could not produce tubers under P deprivation conditions, as well as the ability to efficiently uptake P under low-level conditions, but they were efficient in P uptake under high soil P conditions. Improved PUpE is important for plant tolerance with limited P availability, which results in the efficient use of the applied P. At the leaf level, increased accumulations of nitrate, sulfate, sucrose, and proline are necessary for a plant to acclimate to P deficiency-induced stress and to mobilize leaf inorganic phosphate to increase internal PUE and photosynthesis. The reduction in plant biomass and tuber yield under P-deficient conditions could be caused by reduced CO2 assimilation. Furthermore, P deficiency significantly reduced tuber yield, dry matter, and starch concentration in Agria, Milva, and Lilly. However, contents of tuber protein, sugars, and minerals, as well as antioxidant capacity, were enhanced under these conditions in these cultivars. These results highlight the important traits contributing to potato plant tolerance under P-deficient conditions and indicate an opportunity to improve the P efficiency and tuber quality of potatoes under deficient conditions using more efficient cultivars. Future research to evaluate molecular mechanisms related to P and sucrose translocation, and minimize tuber yield reduction under limited P availability conditions is necessary.

The effect of potassium fertilization on the metabolite profile of tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

The macronutrient potassium (K) has vital physiological functions in plants and its availability can strongly impact quality of crops like tomato. The impact of K nutrition on conventional tomato fruit quality parameters has been described several times, but detailed investigations on the effect of K supply on the fruit metabolite profile are still rare. To fill this gap, we investigated the influence of K fertilization on the metabolite profile of tomato fruits. For this purpose, an outdoor pot experiment with three different cocktail tomato cultivars was performed. A fertilization regimen with five K levels was applied, ranging from deficiency to sufficient supply. Fruit samples were analyzed by untargeted GC×GC-MS to cover the primary metabolite profile as well as some secondary metabolites. As verified using ICP-OES, fruit K content was highly proportional to the supplied amount of K. At the metabolite profile level, the most prominent and cultivar-independent effect of increased K fertilization was the rise of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates. Further effects were more cultivar-specific, for example an increase of the mobile nitrogen pool (e.g. amines like putrescine and amides like asparagine), changes in the profile of minor sugars (especially disaccharides) as well as higher levels of some secondary metabolites. Pronounced response patterns were mainly observed in the cultivars Primavera and Yellow Submarine that were recently characterized as higher yielding, demanding a stronger consideration of cultivar differences in future studies.

Comparison of Grain Processing Techniques on Saponin Content and Nutritional Value of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Cv. Yellow Pang-da) Grain.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Quinoa grain contained saponin in pericarp, which causes bitter flavor. After harvesting, quinoa grain is required to remove saponin before being consumed. Thus, this study aimed to study post harvest management of grain processing on the saponin and nutrition value of quinoa grain. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and saponin removal technique with milling process (T₁-T₂) and reagent washing (T₃-T₈) were used as experimental treatments comparing with non-process grains as a control (T₉). Nutrition analysis was an indication of quality in post-process quinoa grain. <b>Results:</b> The experiment found that T₁, T₃, T₄, T₅, T₆ and T₇ could reduce saponin content significantly different from T₉, while T₂ and T₈ still show high saponin content when compared with T₉. T₂ and T₄ techniques could maintain most of the nutritional value of quinoa grain when compared with control (T₉). <b>Conclusion:</b> Finally, this experiment could be concluded that quinoa was washed by alkaline solution (pH 8) for 8 min by three times (T₄) could be an optimum of saponin removal technique. This technique not only removed saponin but could also maintain quinoa grain qualities. Meanwhile, it potentially reduced for 66.03 percent of saponins content when compared with control treatment, which did not change in protein content, flavonoid content, moisture content, starch content, phenolic content and color (L*) of quinoa grain.

Biodiversity in Tomatoes: Is It Reflected in Nutrient Density and Nutritional Yields Under Organic Outdoor Production?

In many regions of the world, human nutrition is still characterized by an insufficient intake of essential nutrients like minerals such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). In view of decreasing resources and a growing world population, the efficiency and the sustainability of cultivation systems should be considered not only in terms of crop yield and profit margin but also in terms of the yield of essential nutrients. Tomatoes are the most consumed vegetable in the world. Organic outdoor tomato cultivation is generally characterized by a higher diversity of varieties and lower fertilization input compared to conventional production. A 2-year field experiment with a set of 20 cultivars was performed to evaluate their variation regarding fruit mineral concentrations [potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorous (P), Fe, and Zn], their contribution to the dietary reference intake (DRI), and the nutritional yields (adults ha-1 year-1). Results show that mineral concentrations differed significantly by cultivar and by year. However, even though significant genotype-by-year effects appear, several cultivars exhibit high genotype stability across years for the single traits studied. Taking this together with medium-to-high heritability, genetics strongly controls most studied traits. Among the cultivars, the contribution of 100 g fresh fruits varied from 4.5 to 7.7% for K, 0.8 to 1.8% for Ca, 2.3 to 4.4% for Mg, 3 to 6.6% for P, 3.1 to 6.9% for Fe, and 1.9 to 4.2% for Zn to meet daily requirements. Based on average fruit yields per hectare, the cultivars varied with regard to the nutritional yields for all the studied minerals, but most strongly for Fe (44-120 adults ha-1 year-1) and Zn (22-84 adults ha-1 year-1). In terms of contribution to the DRI and nutritional yield for Fe, the cocktail cultivar "Bartelly F1" produced the highest results, while for Zn the salad cultivar "Bocati F1" showed the highest values. Our results show that the targeted use of tomato biodiversity in organic outdoor production can be suitable to achieve high fruit yields as well as to produce high nutritional yields per unit area, thus contributing to more effective land use and improved food security. These findings also provide valuable insights for tomato breeders to improve the tomato fruit quality while maintaining yield.