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Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Influence of biochar application on nutritional quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Raffaella Petruccelli A E , Alessandra Bonetti B , Maria Laura Traversi A , Cecilia Faraloni B , Massimo Valagussa C and Alessandro Pozzi D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Istituto per la Valorizzazione del Legno e delle Specie Arboree CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.

B Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.

C Minoprio Analisi e Certificazioni, Viale Raimondi 54, 22070 Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy.

D Advanced Gasification Technology, Via G. Cesari 1/A, 26100 Cremona (CR), Italy.

E Corresponding author. Email: petruccelli@ivalsa.cnr.it

Crop and Pasture Science 66(7) 747-755 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP14247
Submitted: 26 August 2014  Accepted: 19 January 2015   Published: 12 June 2015

Abstract

The potential of biochar to improve crop productivity has received interest in recent years; however, little is known about the effects of biochar on crop nutritional quality. In this study, effects of three different biochars (wheat straw biochar, poplar biochar and olive residues biochar) were determined on the major fruit-size parameters, physico-chemical and nutritional properties of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) cv. Rio Grande. Application of biochar alone was sufficient to sustain the fruit growth, but results were affected by feedstock source of biochar. There were no significant differences in size and weight parameters and the sugar content was not significantly modified by biochar amendment. On the other hand, secondary metabolites showed changes relating to biochar type. Total phenol and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activity, were higher in fruits grown in substrate amended with straw biochar and olive residues biochar. Lycopene, β carotene and lutein concentrations from tomato fruits grown on substrates amended with different biochars were significantly lower than from the control. The data require confirmation in field experiments; however, this study offers new knowledge about the biochar effects on horticultural crops.

Additional keywords: antioxidant activity, carbohydrates, fruit quality, HPLC, lycopene.


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