Agricultural practices for enhanced human health

Abstract

Phytochemicals in vegetables are known to be responsible for protective effects against many human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and different types of cancer. Environmental conditions and physiological factors may modify the amounts of these compounds present in vegetables and fruits, but also crop management strategies could increase the production of phytochemicals. Therefore, the effects of mineral nutrition, soil composition and water content on the production of phytochemicals have been considered in the development of different fertilisation strategies, efficient water management and techniques such as grafting. Finally, the contents of health-promoting compounds in vegetables and fruits depend both quantitatively and qualitatively on their genetic bases. Thus, conventional breeding and genetic modification have been developed as new methodologies to enhance the nutritional properties of plants.

Grafts of Crops on Wild Relatives as Base of an Integrated Pest Management: The Tomato Solanum lycopersicum as Example

“…Many plants are difficult to propagate by other techniques; desirable varieties with poor root development are candidates for grafted on strong rootstock (Poincelot, 2004). Furthermore, the use of grafts may also induce tolerance to adverse environmental factors such as salinity (Martinez-Ballesta et al, 2008), drought (Pire et al, 2007) and adverse temperatures (Venema et al, 2008), among others. The grafts also tend to produce stronger plants and yielding (Khah et al, 2006).…”

“…The grafts also tend to produce stronger plants and yielding (Khah et al, 2006). In addition, grafted plants induce better quality of fruits (Martinez-Ballesta et al, 2008;Godoy et al, 2009). However, one of the principal uses of grafts is to induce resistance or tolerance to pests and diseases, such as nematodes and soil fungi (Lee, 1994;Kubota et al, 2008).…”

“…Protected vegetable production without crop rotation as control measure, has led the increase of pests and diseases that are a real problem for this type of agriculture. The main alternative for nematode and disease control was the use of fumigants such as methyl bromide, but with the recent ban on its use in the Montreal protocol, the graft in vegetables is seen as a major strategy in the pest and diseases management; and in general, to transfer valuable traits to the crops (Lee, 1994;Gonzalez et al, 2008;Kubota et al, 2008;Martinez-Ballesta et al, 2008).…”

“…For example, it has been documented that some rootstocks may influence the nutritional characteristics of fruits (Martinez-Ballesta et al, 2008) and even get translocation of toxic compounds into the scion, as happened with the first tomato grafts in wild solanum D. stramonium (Kubota et al, 2008). It has recently been documented that the effect of the rootstock towards the graft can even up the genetic level (Zhang et al, 2008).…”

Influences of the Supply Chain on the Composition of Mediterranean Plant Foods

“…It has been shown that vegetables such as tomatoes and brassicas grown with a decreased water supply produce increased levels of phytochemicals [11]. Controlled reduction in water supply, known as 'regulated deficit irrigation', is increasingly being used to control vegetative growth in fruits (where this is economically favourable) whilst at the same time encouraging phytochemical production, for example to increase anthocyanin production in grapes during veraison (the stage when grapes turn colour).…”