The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Horticultural Commodities

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural production is placing an increasing emphasis on sustainable development and the biological balance of ecosystems. Without losing sight of this overarching goal, actions are taken to ensure that crops are characterized by parameters that define high quality. Therefore, new environmentally friendly production systems are being developed, in which the growing methods and techniques are strongly based on environmental conditions. This involves breeding new cultivars with improved resistance to adverse factors, using crop rotation to limit exposure to pathogens in soil, organic mulching, stimulating biological processes in the rhizosphere, and applying biological preparations for plant protection and nutrition to improve product quality.

Just like other food products, horticultural products offered to consumers should be of good quality and, above all, safe to eat. Each step from the field to the table must be subject to procedures that ensure that relevant quality requirements are met. Fruit, vegetables, edible flowers and other horticultural commodities must fulfil the highest quality standards, which, according to the literature, fall into three areas: sensory quality, health-promoting properties and their availability, and the increasingly important symbolic quality.

Consumer choices are dictated by the appearance, taste, nutritional attributes, safety and often environmental considerations regarding production.

Aside from the growing method, pruning, pollination, protection and fertilization, product quality is affected by environmental conditions, the most notable of which include all macro- and microclimatic elements and soil environment. Among these conditions is air temperature, which affects physiological processes by slowing them down when above 35 °C and causes physiological disorders or damage to plants when below 0 °C. Similarly important are precipitation, sun radiation and wind conditions. These factors play a significant role in shaping the quality of fruit intended for fresh consumption, processing or therapeutic purposes as a source of bioactive compounds during the growth period.

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz P. Łysiak
Guest Editor

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