Bioactive Compounds in Fruits, Vegetables, Berries and Leaves: The Role of Growing Conditions and Harvest Timing
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2025) | Viewed by 687
Special Issue Editors
Interests: the influence of abiotic and biotic factors upon the safety and quality of plant raw materials; the storage and processing of plant raw materials; organic/biodynamic food; bioactive compounds
Interests: plant cultivation in all farming systems, especially the biodynamic agriculture, storage, processing, quality, and safety of food raw materials; biological active compounds in plant raw material as influenced by harvest time, ripening stage, and genotype
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bioactive compounds are an important part of plant metabolism and are known for their potential health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. These compounds are chiefly derived from food, for instance, fruits, vegetables, berries, leaves, etc. Various factors, including soil composition, climate, cultivation practices, and the developmental stage of the plants at harvest, significantly influence the quantity and quality composition of these beneficial compounds.
The aim of the Special Issue is to elucidate the optimal growing conditions and harvest time that enhances the bioactive compounds content of fruits, vegetables, berries, and leaves. These research areas can contribute valuable insights into optimizing growing conditions and harvest practices to enhance the nutritional value of plant raw materials and health benefits, ultimately contributing to public health and sustainable food production.
The research may explore the impact of different soil properties (nutrient levels, pH), climate conditions (temperature, humidity, sunlight exposure), fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation techniques, genetic factors, and harvest timing on bioactive compound concentrations in fruits, vegetables, berries, and leaves. In addition, papers can compare the levels of bioactive compounds in produce grown under organic and biodynamic versus conventional farming practices and conduct studies to assess how the different year effects the concentration of bioactive compounds in crops due to varying environmental conditions.
Dr. Nijolė Vaitkevičienė
Dr. Dovilė Levickienė
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- plant metabolites
- antioxidants
- agricultural practices
- environment
- growing conditions
- harvest timing
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
