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Influence of Agronomic Practices and Environmental Conditions on Phytochemical Accumulation...
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Influence of Agronomic Practices and Environmental Conditions on Phytochemical Accumulation and Antioxidant Activity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 1940

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Urszula Sadowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Machinery Exploitation, Ergonomics and Production Processes, Faculty of Mechanisation and Energy Technologies in Agriculture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Majora Łupaszki 6, 30-198 Krakow, Poland
Interests: herbs; essential oils; plant cultivation
Dr. Jacek Słupski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Product Technology and Nutrition Hygiene, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Interests: fruits; vegetables; raw material; food processing; freezing; canning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes play vital roles in plant defense mechanisms and contribute significantly to antioxidant activity in medicinal and aromatic plants. These bioactive compounds are not only essential for plant stress responses but are also valuable for their potential applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional food industries.

Recent research has demonstrated that the accumulation of phytochemicals and associated antioxidant activity in plants can be significantly influenced by agronomic practices, including fertilization regimes, irrigation management, planting density, and tillage systems, as well as by soil characteristics and climatic factors.

This Special Issue aims to explore the interaction between agricultural management practices and environmental conditions in shaping the phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of medicinal and aromatic plants. Contributions focusing on field-based studies, greenhouse trials, or modeling approaches that connect crop cultivation methods with bioactive compound production are particularly welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The effects of fertilization, irrigation, and soil amendments on phytochemical content;
  • The influence of cultivation systems (organic vs. conventional);
  • The role of abiotic stress (drought, salinity, temperature) in secondary metabolite biosynthesis;
  • Genotype–environment–management (G×E×M) interactions;
  • Post-harvest practices affecting antioxidant activity;
  • Sustainable production and land management approaches.

By bridging plant biochemistry with agronomic science, this Special Issue seeks to provide insights into optimizing cultivation strategies for enhanced antioxidant potential in medicinal crops.

Dr. Urszula Sadowska
Dr. Jacek Słupski
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Agronomy 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

  • medicinal plants
  • aromatic plants
  • phytochemicals
  • antioxidants
  • agronomic practices
  • fertilization
  • soil and climate interactions
  • secondary metabolites
  • functional traits
  • sustainable cultivation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 1786 KB  
Article
The Effect of Cultivation Techniques on the Antioxidant Properties and Phenolic Acid Content in the Roots of Five Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Cultivars Grown Under the Climatic and Soil Conditions of Southeastern Poland
by Barbara Krochmal-Marczak, Tomasz Cebulak, Ireneusz Kapusta, Urszula Sadowska, Jacek Słupski, Barbara Sawicka, Izabela Betlej, Małgorzata Stryjecka, Barbara Krzysztofik, Piotr Pszczółkowski, Piotr Barbaś and Anna Siwiec
Agronomy 2026, 16(9), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16090895 - 28 Apr 2026
Viewed by 383
Abstract
This study confirmed that cultivation technologies, cultivar, and meteorological conditions significantly influenced the contents of ascorbic acid, total polyphenols, and phenolic acids in sweet potato roots. Ascorbic acid content ranged from 27.22 to 111.9 mg·100 g−1 DW, with the highest values recorded [...] Read more.
This study confirmed that cultivation technologies, cultivar, and meteorological conditions significantly influenced the contents of ascorbic acid, total polyphenols, and phenolic acids in sweet potato roots. Ascorbic acid content ranged from 27.22 to 111.9 mg·100 g−1 DW, with the highest values recorded in the traditional cultivation system (TC), reaching 111.9 mg·100 g−1 DW in ‘Carmen Rubin’ and 111.4 mg·100 g−1 DW in ‘Beauregard’. In contrast, in the ‘Satsumo Imo’ cultivar grown under nonwoven fabric (WC), ascorbic acid content decreased to 49–58% of the values obtained in TC. Genetic factors strongly differentiated the contents of bioactive compounds. The ‘Purple’ cultivar showed the highest contents of total polyphenols (up to 963.5 mg·100 g−1 DW) and phenolic acids (17,067.42 mg·100 g−1 DW), whereas the lowest values were recorded in ‘Satsumo Imo’ (858.82–1225.89 mg·100 g−1 DW). Cultivation under polyethylene film (FC) increased and stabilized phenolic compounds. The ‘Carmen Rubin’ cultivar also exhibited high phenolic acid content (5332.04–5447.60 mg·100 g−1 DW), while ‘Beauregard’ was characterized by high stability of this trait (1535.93–1581.46 mg·100 g−1 DW). From a practical perspective, the results highlight the importance of appropriate cultivar selection and cultivation technology for obtaining raw material with high functional value. These findings may serve as a basis for developing agrotechnical recommendations aimed at producing sweet potatoes with enhanced nutritional and health-promoting qualities under the climatic and soil conditions of Poland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influence of Agronomic Practices and Environmental Conditions on Phytochemical Accumulation and Antioxidant Activity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)
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18 pages, 2325 KB  
Article
Exogenous Application of Methyl Jasmonate Affects the Phytochemical Accumulation and the Antioxidant Activity in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Inflorescences
by Romina Beleggia, Valentina Giovanniello, Valeria Menga, Serafino Suriano and Daniela Trono
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020157 - 8 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 837
Abstract
Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJ) at different concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 µM) during flowering was studied for its impact on phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and biomass accumulation in hemp inflorescences of the monoecious cv. Codimono. MeJ treatments had no significant [...] Read more.
Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJ) at different concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 µM) during flowering was studied for its impact on phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and biomass accumulation in hemp inflorescences of the monoecious cv. Codimono. MeJ treatments had no significant effect on CBD levels, while a 23–54% decrease in total terpene levels was observed in plants treated with 1 and 10 μM MeJ. In particular, MeJ treatments reduced β-caryophyllene and α-humulene levels by 24–43%, α-bisabolol levels by 30–40%, and α-pinene, β-pinene, and β-myrcene levels by 32–61%. By contrast, MeJ treatments had a positive effect on all other classes of phytochemicals analyzed. Plants treated with 100 μM MeJ experienced the highest increases in total flavonoid and phenolic acid levels (+42% and +50%, respectively). In particular, this treatment increased orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin levels by 36–52%, while ferulic acid level increased by 103%. Treatments with 10 and 100 µM MeJ resulted in the highest increases in total carotenoid and tocopherol levels (+41% and +33%, respectively). In particular, lutein, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol levels increased by 44%, 35%, and 36%, respectively. In line with these findings, total antioxidant activity increased by 26% following treatment with 100 μM MeJ and by 13% following the other two treatments. Interestingly, MeJ treatments did not affect plant growth and biomass accumulation in the inflorescences. This implies higher yields for those phytochemicals whose concentrations were increased by MeJ. In summary, our results indicate that hemp plants treated with 100 μM MeJ represent an interesting source of phytochemicals, fiber, and biomass. These characteristics make them suitable for multiple industrial applications and enhance both the economic and health-related value of this crop. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influence of Agronomic Practices and Environmental Conditions on Phytochemical Accumulation and Antioxidant Activity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)
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