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Organic tomatoes accumulate more vitamin C, sugars than conventionally grown fruit

Date:
February 20, 2013
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Tomatoes grown on organic farms accumulate higher concentrations of sugars, vitamin C and compounds associated with oxidative stress compared to those grown on conventional farms, according to new research.
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Tomatoes grown on organic farms accumulate higher concentrations of sugars, vitamin C and compounds associated with oxidative stress compared to those grown on conventional farms, according to research published February 20 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Maria Raquel Alcantara Miranda and colleagues from the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil.

In their study, the researchers compared the weights and biochemical properties of tomatoes from organic and conventional farms. They found that tomatoes grown on organic farms were approximately 40% smaller than those grown by conventional techniques, and they also accumulated more compounds linked to stress resistance.

According to the authors, organic farming exposes plants to greater stress than conventional farming. They suggest that this increased stress may be the reason organic tomatoes had higher levels sugars, vitamin C and pigment molecules like lycopene, an anti-oxidant compound -- all of which are associated with the biological response to stress. Based on these observations, the authors suggest that growing strategies for fruits and vegetables should aim to balance plant stress with efforts to maximize yield and fruit size, rather than trying to eliminate stress to increase yields.


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Journal Reference:

  1. Aurelice B. Oliveira, Carlos F. H. Moura, Enéas Gomes-Filho, Claudia A. Marco, Laurent Urban, Maria Raquel A. Miranda. The Impact of Organic Farming on Quality of Tomatoes Is Associated to Increased Oxidative Stress during Fruit Development. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056354

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Public Library of Science. "Organic tomatoes accumulate more vitamin C, sugars than conventionally grown fruit." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 February 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184945.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2013, February 20). Organic tomatoes accumulate more vitamin C, sugars than conventionally grown fruit. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184945.htm
Public Library of Science. "Organic tomatoes accumulate more vitamin C, sugars than conventionally grown fruit." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220184945.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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