The Ministry of Agriculture, through Murcia's Institute of Research and Development for Agriculture and Food (IMIDA), is developing a project to obtain high quality tomatoes, with a higher content of bioactive compounds and antioxidants, such as lycopene, vitamins C and E, as well as phenolic compounds. The project counts with funding from the National Institute of Agricultural Research.
To accomplish this objective, IMIDA is carrying out tests in growth chambers and greenhouses. Pilar Flores, Pilar Hellín and José Fenoll, researchers of IMIDA's Quality Food team, have spent two years studying the effects of an increase in light exposure and temperature on the quality of the fruit and how to optimise the management of mineral nutrition, especially of nitrogen.
According to the researchers, tomatoes, besides being essential for the socio-economic development of the Region of Murcia, are one of the crops with a higher content of antioxidants and bioactive compounds, such as lycopene, a carotenoid which gives them their red colour and is associated with a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.
Additionally, environmental factors, such as light intensity and temperature, have a great influence on the quality of the fruit. The relevance of the study has grown lately, due to variations in environmental conditions caused by climate change and its impact on agriculture.
In this sense, the researchers pointout that an increase in temperature and light intensity affects the synthesisof lycopene and other bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and vitamins Cand E. Other compounds like sugars and organic acids are also affected, whichhas an impact on the organoleptic characteristics of the fruit. Optimising plantnutrition management, adapted to environmental conditions, will make itpossible to obtain better quality tomatoes with a high content of bioactivecompounds.
Source: Murciaeconomia