Summary
This narrative review, published in Acta Horticulturae, synthesises evidence on the major determinants of nutritional quality in vegetables, spanning genetic, environmental, and agronomic factors through to post-harvest management. Dias (2012) likely draws on a broad body of horticultural and food science literature to assess how practices such as fertilisation regimes, irrigation, and storage interact with crop genotype to shape nutrient density. The paper is intended to inform growers, breeders, and researchers seeking to optimise vegetable quality for human health outcomes.
UK applicability
Although the review is international in scope and not UK-specific, its findings on soil management, cultivar selection, and agronomic practice are broadly applicable to UK horticulture and are relevant to policy discussions around improving the nutritional quality of domestically grown produce.
Key measures
Vitamin content; mineral concentration; antioxidant capacity; phytochemical levels (e.g. carotenoids, glucosinolates, polyphenols); influence of cultivar, fertilisation, irrigation, light, temperature, and storage conditions
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews the principal factors — including genotype, soil conditions, climate, agronomic practices, and post-harvest handling — that determine the nutritional composition of vegetables. It examines how these factors influence concentrations of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other health-relevant compounds.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.