Abstract
Background: There is increasing evidence that the reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers in agriculture has significant negative environmental and/or health impacts and poses a risk for future food security. Systematic reviews/meta-analyses showed that organic production systems, which omit the use of agrochemicals, produce crops with lower yields, but superior nutritional composition. However, the agronomic parameters responsible for differences in crop yields and nutritional quality are poorly understood. Methods: Here we report results for four field vegetable crops from the Nafferton Factorial Systems Comparison (NFSC) trial. This long-term factorial field experiment was designed to (i) identify effects of growing season/climatic variation, and contrasting rotational designs, crop protection protocols and fertilization regimes used in organic and conventional systems on crop health, yield and nutritional parameters and (ii) estimate the relative importance of climatic and agronomic drivers for crop health, yield and nutritionally relevant quality parameters. Quality parameters monitored in harvested products, included phenolic, glucosinolate, vitamin C, vitamin B9, carotenoid, cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and glycoalkaloid concentrations. Results: Climatic conditions during the growing season were found to have a larger impact on crop yield and quality than the agronomic factors (pre-crop, crop protection, fertilization) studied. However, the (i) interactions between growing season with contrasting climatic conditions and agronomic factors identified by ANOVA for crop health, yield and quality parameters and (ii) the associations between the three climatic drivers (precipitation, temperature, radiation) and crop yield and quality parameters differed substantially between the four crop plant species. Among the agronomic factors, fertilization had a substantially larger impact compared with both pre-crop and crop protection. Specifically, crop yields were found to be significantly increased by the use of (i) conventional fertilization and crop protection methods in potato, (ii) conventional fertilization, but organic crop protection methods in cabbage, and (iii) conventional fertilization regimes in lettuce, while none of the agronomic factors had a significant effect on onion yields. When important crop pest and diseases were assessed, (i) conventional crop protection resulted in significantly lower late blight severity in potato, while (ii) organic crop protection resulted in lower bird damage and cabbage root fly (CRF) incidence in cabbages, and Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce and (iii) organic fertilization resulted in lower CRF and Sclerotinia incidence in cabbage and lettuce respectively. When concentrations of nutritionally relevant phytochemicals were compared, organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce—but lower concentrations of toxic glycoalkaloids in potato. Significant effects of crop protection protocols on phytochemical concentrations were only detected in cabbage with conventional crop protection resulting in higher glucosinolate and vitamin B9 concentrations. When toxic metal concentrations were compared, organic fertilization resulted in significantly lower Cd concentrations in all four crops and lower Ni concentrations in potato, cabbage and onion. Significant effects of crop protection were only detected in cabbage, where organic crop protection resulted in lower Ni concentrations. Pb concentrations were not affected by any of the agronomic factors. The potential implications of results for improving (i) strategies to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and environmental impacts of vegetable production and (ii) the productivity of organic and other low-input vegetable production systems without compromising food quality are discussed. Conclusions: The study confirms that organic vegetable production protocols result in higher concentrations of phenolics and other nutritionally desirable phytochemicals, but lower concentrations of the toxic metals Cd and Ni in harvested products. It also demonstrates, for the first time, that this is primarily due to differences in fertilization regimes. The finding that in three of the four crops (cabbage, lettuce and onion) the application of synthetic chemical crop protection products had no measurable positive impact on crop health and yield should be considered in the context of the growing concern about health impacts of pesticide use in field vegetable crops.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Growing season climate had a larger impact on vegetable yield and quality than the studied agronomic factors.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Climatic conditions during the growing season were found to have a larger impact on crop yield and quality than the agronomic factors (pre-crop, crop protection, fertilization) studied.”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilization had a larger overall impact than pre-crop and crop protection.
Verbatim
e0“Among the agronomic factors, fertilization had a substantially larger impact compared with both pre-crop and crop protection.”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
conventional fertilization and crop protection methods increased potato yield.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosume0 - Treatment
- conventional fertilization and crop protection methodse0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“crop yields were found to be significantly increased by the use of (i) conventional fertilization and crop protection methods in potato”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
conventional fertilization, but organic crop protection methods increased cabbage yield.
- Taxon
- cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitatae0 - Treatment
- conventional fertilization, but organic crop protection methodse0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“(ii) conventional fertilization, but organic crop protection methods in cabbage”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
e1“crop yields were found to be significantly increased by the use of (i) conventional fertilization and crop protection methods in potato”
Claim · model-written summary
conventional fertilization regimes increased lettuce yield.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativae0 - Treatment
- conventional fertilization regimese0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“(iii) conventional fertilization regimes in lettuce”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
e1“crop yields were found to be significantly increased by the use of (i) conventional fertilization and crop protection methods in potato”
Claim · model-written summary
The tested agronomic factors had no significant effect on onion yield.
- Taxon
- onion
Allium cepae0 - Treatment
- agronomic factorse0
- Outcome
- onion yieldse0
- Direction
- significant effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“none of the agronomic factors had a significant effect on onion yields.”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional crop protection lowered potato late blight severity.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Treatment
- conventional crop protectione0
- Outcome
- late blight severitye0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“conventional crop protection resulted in significantly lower late blight severity in potato”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic crop protection lowered bird damage in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- organic crop protectione0
- Outcome
- bird damagee0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic crop protection resulted in lower bird damage and cabbage root fly (CRF) incidence in cabbages, and Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic crop protection lowered cabbage root fly (CRF) incidence in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatat0
- Treatment
- organic crop protectione0
- Outcome
- cabbage root fly (CRF) incidencee0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic crop protection resulted in lower bird damage and cabbage root fly (CRF) incidence in cabbages, and Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic crop protection lowered Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- organic crop protectione0
- Outcome
- Sclerotinia incidencee0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic crop protection resulted in lower bird damage and cabbage root fly (CRF) incidence in cabbages, and Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce”
t0“Potato, Cabbage, Lettuce and Onion”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization lowered CRF incidence in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- CRFe0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in lower CRF and Sclerotinia incidence in cabbage and lettuce respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization lowered Sclerotinia incidence in lettuce.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Sclerotinia incidencee0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in lower CRF and Sclerotinia incidence in cabbage and lettuce respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised phenolic concentrations in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- phenolic concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised phenolic concentrations in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- phenolic concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised phenolic concentrations in lettuce.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- phenolic concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised vitamin C concentrations in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- vitamin C concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised vitamin C concentrations in cabbage.
- Taxon
- cabbageBrassica oleracea var. capitatae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- vitamin C concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised vitamin B9 concentrations in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- vitamin B9 concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic fertilization raised vitamin B9 concentrations in lettuce.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Treatment
- organic fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- vitamin B9 concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic fertilization resulted in significantly higher phenolic concentrations in potato, cabbage and lettuce, higher glucosinolate and carotenoid concentrations in cabbage, higher vitamin C concentrations in potato and cabbage and higher vitamin B9 concentrations in potato and lettuce”
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See all 450 papers →8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.