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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2025) | Viewed by 41051

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ajit Govind

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Guest Editor

1. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Cairo, Egypt
2. Institut National de Recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Villenave-d'Ornon, France
Interests: climate mitigation and adaptation; biogeochemical modeling; ecohydrological modeling; crop productivity and biophysical environment; remote sensing & geoinformatics

Dr. Chandrashekhar M. Biradar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Asia Continental Program, New Delhi, India
Interests: digital augmentation for sustainable intensification; excellence in agroforestry; agroecology; system approach for agri-food system transformation; green economic transition; functional agroecosystems; trees outside forests

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues，

Global agriculture is highly vulnerable to a changing climate especially in resource-limited and climate-dependent (e.g. rainfed) contexts. Agriculture remains the livelihood of small holder farmers in most of the developing nations and the agri-food systems remain fragile. Climate change induced vulnerability on agrifood systems has a strong impact on increasing socio-economic challenges as well. Therefore, a radical agrifood transformation is necessary. A dedicated compendium of knowledge products focused on this domain is limited. This special issue of Agronomy is specifically dedicated to addressing transformational perspective of the agri-food systems in resource limited contexts under a changing climate. All the papers need to have that spirit rather than the routine type of study. Thus, the papers need to explicitly discuss how their research studies, tools, technology, etc. contribute or has potential to contribute to agri-food transformation under climate and land use changes. We invite contributions that address the topic at all scales (plot, farm, landscape, and regional). Some example topics are (but not limited to):

Integrated and system level solutions for agronomic and agro-ecological gains.
Studies on soil and water for sustainable intensification.
Studies on enhancing land and crop water productivities.
Systems modeling (agronomic gains, vulnerability assessment, identifying adaptation options, foresight breeding).
Approaches to achieving climate smart agronomy (Bigdata, ICTs, enabling environments).
Studies on digital advisories and early warning systems (digital augmentation, platforms and applications).
Crop diversification and crop–livestock–tree mixture.
Studies on reducing (or reversing) land degradation and desertification.
Studies on spatial modeling and geospatial studies on agriculture.
Studies on socioeconomic and ecological issues affecting agriculture.

We encourage all forms of knowledge contributions such as research articles, reviews, short communications, technical notes and opinion papers. We look forward to receiving your submissions to this special issue.

Dr. Ajit Govind
Dr. Chandrashekhar M. Biradar
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Climate adaptation in agroecosystems by enhancing water productivity at all scales
Decarbonization of agroecosystems (carbon sequestration and reducing GHG fluxes)
Designing early warning systems and advisories towards enhancing climate smartness
Development of digital tools (ICTs) in agricultural and AgriFood transformation and NRM
Capacity development in climate adaptation and mitigation in global drylands
Fostering multi-institutional dialogues in large climate initiatives

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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17 pages, 3984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilizing Hydrophobic Sand to Construct an Air-Permeable Aquiclude to Enhance Rice Yield and Lodging Resistance

by Xiaoyan Ma, Jing Wu, Yuming Su, Shengyi Qin and Francesco Pilla

Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092085 - 12 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1109

Abstract

Global climate change and persistent droughts lead to soil desertification, posing significant challenges to food security. Desertified lands, characterized by high permeability, struggle to retain water, thereby hindering ecological restoration. Sand, a natural resource abundant in deserts, inspired our proposal to design hydrophobic sand and construct Air-permeable Aquicludes (APAC) using this material. This approach aims to address issues related to the ecological restoration of desertified lands, food security, and the utilization of sand resources. Reclamation of desertified land and sandy areas can simultaneously address ecological restoration and ensure food security, with soil reconstruction being a critical step. This study investigated the effects of constructing an Air-permeable Aquiclude (APAC) using hydrophobic sand on rice yield and lodging resistance, using clay aquitard (CAT) and plastic aquiclude (PAC) as control groups. The APAC enhanced soil oxygen content, increased internode strength, and improved vascular bundle density, substantially reducing the lodging index and increasing yield. This research finds that the APAC (a) increased internode outer diameter, wall thickness, fresh weight, and filling degree; (b) enhanced the vascular bundle area by 11.11% to 27.66% and increased density; (c) reduced the lodging index by 37.54% to 36.93% (p < 0.01); and (d) increased yield to 8.09 t·hm⁻², a rise of 12.05% to 14.59% (p < 0.05), showing a negative correlation with lodging index. These findings suggest that APAC has very good potential for desertified land reclamation and food security. In conclusion, the incorporation of hydrophobic sand in APAC construction considerably strengthens rice stem lodging resistance and increases yield, demonstrating considerable application potential for the reclamation of desertified and sandy land and ensuring food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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13 pages, 2584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genotypic Response of Finger Millet to Zinc and Iron Agronomic Biofortification, Location and Slope Position towards Yield

by Demeke Teklu, Dawd Gashu, Edward J. M. Joy, R. Murray Lark, Elizabeth H. Bailey, Lolita Wilson, Tilahun Amede and Martin R. Broadley

Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061452 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2580

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of genotypic differences on responses to zinc and iron agronomic biofortification among yields of finger millet. A field experiment was conducted over two seasons in farmers’ fields in Ethiopia (2019, 2020). The experimental design had 15 treatment combinations comprising three finger millet genotypes and the applications of different combinations of zinc and iron mineral fertilizers. Five soil-applied fertilizer treatments (20 kg h⁻¹ FeSO₄ + 25 kg h⁻¹ ZnSO₄ + NPKS, 25 kg ha⁻¹ ZnSO₄ + NPKS, 20 kg ha⁻¹ FeSO₄ + NPKS, NPKS, and 30% NPKS) at two locations (Gojjam and Arsi Negelle, Ethiopia) and using two slope positions (foot and hill) were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Grain yield and biomass were evaluated on a plot basis. Plant height, total and productive tiller number, finger length of the longest spike and number of fingers per main ear were measured at the maturity stage. The combined soil application of FeSO₄7H₂O and ZnSO₄7H₂O increased the yield of the Meba genotype by 51.6%. Additionally, ZnSO₄7H₂O fertilizer application increased the yield of the Urji genotype by 27.6%. A yield enhancement of about 18.3% of the Diga-01 genotype was achieved due to the FeSO₄7H₂O fertilizers’ application. The findings of the present study suggest that the influence of Zn and Fe agronomic biofortification on the yield of finger millet could be affected by genotype differences and environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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10 pages, 1084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Degradability and Methane Production from By-Products Fed to Ruminants

by Beatriz Elisa Bizzuti, Simón Pérez-Márquez, Flavia de Oliveira Scarpino van Cleef, Vagner Silva Ovani, Wilian Santos Costa, Paulo Mello Tavares Lima, Helder Louvandini and Adibe Luiz Abdalla

Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13041043 - 31 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2754

Abstract

The feasibility of unconventional feed for ruminants must be analyzed for appropriate use as sources of energy or protein that contribute to a sustainable production system addressing concerns about climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and food security. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritive value of by-products including bean residue (BR), bean straw (BS), cassava bagasse (CB), corn straw (CS), orange bagasse (OB), peanut shell (PS), sugarcane bagasse (SB), soybean hull (SH), and sugarcane straw (SS). Chemical composition, in vitro degradability, and fermentative parameters were analyzed and subjected to multivariate and principal component analyses. Crude protein content was highly variable among by-products with BR and SH presenting the highest values (p < 0.001). These values did not differ between BR and SH, while the lowest values were observed in OB, PS, SB, SS, CS, and CB. Neutral detergent fiber content was higher in SB, PS, CS, and SS (p < 0.001), while greater in vitro degradability was found for CB, BR, OB, BS, and SH (p < 0.001). However, the in vitro gas production (p < 0.001) and total short-chain fatty acid concentration (p < 0.001) were higher in CB, BR, BS, and OB. Multivariate cluster analysis showed three distinct groups with the most degradable in group 1 followed by group 2. These results demonstrate that the by-products used in this study did not impair in vitro fermentation, and thus have the potential to be used in the diets of ruminants and to improve the sustainability of the livestock production sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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28 pages, 10255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Changes in the Hydrometeorological Conditions towards Climate-Resilient Agricultural Interventions in Ethiopia

by Satiprasad Sahoo and Ajit Govind

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020387 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2782

Abstract

Climate resilient agriculture (CRA) is very important to achieve long-term improvement in productivity and farm incomes under climate uncertainty. The present study focuses on investigating the plausible changes in the hydrometeorological conditions using big-data analysis techniques in the study of Ethiopia. The original contribution of this work envisages the importance of the CRA system in water-scarce areas for sustainable agriculture planning and management under changing climatic conditions. In the present research, a TerraClimate model was the basis for weather (precipitation and temperature) and hydrological data (runoff, actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, vapor pressure deficit and climate water deficit); these data were used to determine the spatial distribution of the standardized anomaly index (SAI) and the slope of the linear regression for long-term (1958–2020) trend analysis. Future climate trend analysis (2021–2100) has been performed through the CMIP6 (EC-Earth3) shared socio-economic pathway (SSP 2) 4.5 dataset. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with CSR and JPL data were utilized for the generation of water storage heat maps from 2002 to 2021. The results show that the average annual rainfall data for over 62 years was found to be 778.42 mm and the standard deviation is 81.53 mm. The results also show that the western part of the study area has the highest temperature trend, which diminishes as one moves eastward; the minimum temperature trend has been found in the western part of the study area. It was found that the equivalent water thickness (EWT) range of both CSR and JPL products was −15 to 40 cm. These results can help local climate-resilient development planning and enhance coordination with other institutions to access and manage climate finance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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23 pages, 674 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does the Availability of Specific Agri-Equipment Influence Cropping System Design? A Case Study of Pulses

by Souha Kefi, Davide Rizzo and Michel J. F. Dubois

Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2237; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092237 - 19 Sep 2022

Viewed by 2543

Abstract

Cropping system design is being transformed through the twofold evolution of agricultural practices for an agroecological transition, and of equipment diversification for agrotechnical needs. Among the most well-known drivers there are genetic selection, crop diversification, protein and energy autonomy. Protein and energy autonomy but also crop diversification could be achieved by reintroducing pulses into farming systems. The availability of specific equipment might be the simplest prerequisite for developing agroecological farming practices while supporting these goals. However, the links between pulses and agri-equipment are not clarified in the literature. The aim of this study is to understand recent historical and current links between pulses and equipment and to gain insight into the suitability or even to find shortcomings concerning pulses and available agri-equipment. To this end, 21 key informants were identified in the agronomical, sociotechnical, economic, and political sectors in France. We asked them four questions: (i) Can you describe your professional functions? (ii) Do you think that equipment is related to the design of the culture system? (iii) Do you think that pulses require specific equipment? (iv) How do you define agroecology? Respondents’ profiles are equally distributed into profiles directly related to the farmer and profiles not directly related to farmers. All 21 respondents answered questions (ii) and (iv). Only 14 respondents answered question (iii), and most of them are directly related to the farmer. We note that pulses do not require specific agri-equipment in a conventional system. The need for agri-equipment is found in the soil conservation approach where pulses are combined with other crops. Soil conservation approaches appear to achieve agroecological goals through the reintroduction of legumes and the decarbonization of energy associated with reduced mechanical costs and CO₂ emissions. This article presents expert opinions on the impact of equipment in the adaptation of agroecological practices as well as insights into the existing blockages of equipment in relation to soil conservation practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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20 pages, 5327 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Quantification of Actual Evapotranspiration Using Integrated Satellite Data for Sustainable Water Management in Dry Areas

by Rania Gamal, Mohamed El-Shirbeny, Ayman Abou-Hadid, Atef Swelam, Abdel-Ghany El-Gindy, Yasser Arafa and Vinay Nangia

Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2143; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092143 - 9 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2856

Abstract

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a significant consumer of irrigation water and precipitation on cropland. Global and regional interest in the sustainable management of limited freshwater supplies to meet the rapidly increasing population and food demands has resulted in advanced scientific research on ET measurement, rapid water accounting, and irrigation schedules in the NENA region. The primary goal of this paper is to compare actual daily evapotranspiration (ET) collected by a remote sensing model and validated by Energy Balance (EB) flux tower field measurements. The flux tower was installed in a wheat field in Sids Agricultural Research Station in Beni Suef Governorate. Through the integration of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra and Sentinel-2 data, a new remote sensing-based ET model is built on two parties: Thermal condition factor (TCF) and vegetation condition fraction (VCF). The remote sensing-based ET estimation model was evaluated using ET field measurements from the Energy Balance flux tower. The land use and land cover maps were created to assist the interpretation of remotely sensed ET data. Field data for five categories were collected to test the accuracy of the land use and cover maps: Water bodies (93 points), urban areas (252 points), trees (104 points), other field crops (227 points), and wheat (249 points), for a total of 925 ground points. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) imported sentinel-2 datasets and filtered the necessary dates and regions. From 1 October 2020 to 30 May 2021, sentinel-2 data were processed and transformed into the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), which were then combined. The composite layer data were classified using the Random Forest (RF) method on the GEE platform, and the results showed an overall accuracy of 91 percent. The validation factors revealed good indices when RS-based ET results were compared to ground-measured ET. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was 0.84 mm/day. The ‘r’ and ‘d’ values indicated satisfactory results, where ‘r’ yielded a value of 0.785, which indicates that the correlation between predicted and reference results is robust. The analysis of d values revealed a high degree of correlation between predicted (RS-based ET) and reference results (measured ET). The d value was found to be 0.872. Between 21 November 2020 and 30 April 2021, RS-based accumulated ET was 418 mm/season, while ground-measured ET was 376 mm/season. The new RS-based ET model produced acceptable daily and seasonal results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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18 pages, 4411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation of Staple Crop Yields for Determination of Regional Impacts of Climate Change: A Case Study in Chonnam Province, Republic of Korea

by Jinsil Choi, Jonghan Ko, Kyu-Nam An, Saeed A. Qaisrani, Jong-Oh Ban and Dong-Kwan Kim

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2544; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122544 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2935

Abstract

This study sought to simulate regional variation in staple crop yields in Chonnam Province, Republic of Korea (ROK), in future environments under climate change based on the calibration of crop models in the Decision Support System for Agricultural Technology Transfer 4.6 package. We reproduced multiple-year yield data for paddy rice (2013–2018), barley (2000–2018), and soybean (2004–2018) grown in experimental fields at Naju, Chonnam Province, using the CERES-Rice, CERES-Barley, and CROPGRO-Soybean models. A geospatial crop simulation modeling (GCSM) system developed using the crop models was then applied to simulate the regional impacts of climate change on the staple crops according to the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Simulated crop yields agreed with the corresponding measured crop yields, with root means square deviations of 0.31 ton ha⁻¹ for paddy rice, 0.29 ton ha⁻¹ for barley, and 0.27 ton ha⁻¹ for soybean. We also demonstrated that the GCSM system could effectively simulate spatiotemporal variations in the impact of climate change on staple crop yield. The CERES and CROPGRO models seem to reproduce the effects of climate change on region-wide staple crop production in a monsoonal climate system. Added advancements of the GCSM system could facilitate interpretations of future food resource insecurity and establish a sustainable adaption strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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17 pages, 3397 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global Sensitivity Analysis for CERES-Rice Model under Different Cultivars and Specific-Stage Variations of Climate Parameters

by Haixiao Ge, Fei Ma, Zhenwang Li and Changwen Du

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2446; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122446 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2770

Abstract

Global sensitivity analysis (SA) has become an efficient way to identify the most influential parameters on model results. However, the effects of cultivar variation and specific-stage variations of climate conditions on model outputs still remain unclear. In this study, 30 indica hybrid rice cultivars were simulated in the CERES-Rice model; then the Sobol’ method was used to perform a global SA on 16 investigated parameters for three model outputs (anthesis day, maturity day, and yield). In addition, we also compared the differences in the sensitivity results under four specific-stage variations (vegetative phase, panicle-formation phase, ripening phase, and the whole growth season) of climate conditions. The results indicated that (1) parameter Tavg, G4, and P2O are the most influential parameters for all model outputs across cultivars during the whole growth season; (2) under the vegetative-phase variation of climate parameters; the variability of model outputs is mainly controlled by parameter P2O and Tavg; (3) under the panicle-formation-phase or ripening-phase variation of climate parameters, parameter P2O was the dominant variable for all model outputs; (4) parameter PORM had a considerable effect (the total sensitivity index,

S T_{i}

;

S T_{i} > 0.05

) on yield regardless of the various specific-stage variations of the climate parameters. Findings obtained from this study will contribute to understanding the comprehensive effects of crop parameters on model outputs under different cultivars and specific-stage variations of climate conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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15 pages, 2728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socio-Economic Implications and Potential Structural Adaptations of the Tunisian Agricultural Sector to Climate Change

by Aymen Frija, Amine Oulmane, Ali Chebil and Mariem Makhlouf

Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112112 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3854

Abstract

Climate change is expected to have serious economic and social impacts on Tunisian rural farmers. The extent of these impacts will largely depend on the level of political and structural adaptations. This study aims to evaluate the effect of increasing water shortages on agricultural income and employment. It also analyzes structural adaptation strategies implemented by farmers in response to this challenge. We have therefore developed a regionally disaggregated supply model to simulate three types of scenarios concerning (i) decreasing quantities of irrigation water at the regional level; (ii) enhanced irrigation water use efficiency; and (iii) higher production prices. Observed crop production data for 21 crops and 24 districts of Tunisia have been used. Districts have been aggregated into five regions based on bioclimatic homogeneity. Results show that climate change will lead to the reduction of irrigated areas and an increased importance of rainfed agriculture. It will also have a negative impact on farm income and employment. This negative effect can be fully mitigated by improving water use efficiency, at farm and perimeter levels, and can be reversed by offering more attractive producer prices to farmers through enhanced value chain integration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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Review

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18 pages, 6217 KiB

Open AccessReview

Toward an Environmentally Friendly Future: An Overview of Biofuels from Corn and Potential Alternatives in Hemp and Cucurbits

by Jelena Visković, Dušan Dunđerski, Boris Adamović, Goran Jaćimović, Dragana Latković and Đorđe Vojnović

Agronomy 2024, 14(6), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14061195 - 1 Jun 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2354

Abstract

Increased energy consumption and climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, pose significant risks to global sustainability. Concerns about using agricultural land for fuel production and its competition with food production have made feedstocks like corn (Zea mays) highly controversial. This study explores the potential of alternative feedstocks, such as hemp (Cannabis sativa) and cucurbits (family Cucurbitaceae), for biofuel production amidst environmental concerns linked to fossil fuel usage. Hemp is widely acknowledged as a promising feedstock for sustainable biorefinery due to its agricultural adaptability and its ability to produce oil and carbohydrates. Cucurbits seeds are characterized by a high oil content, which can be utilized in the food industry or for energy production as biofuel. As a byproduct of cucurbits processing, a significant number of seeds often remains, which constitutes waste. By examining hemp and cucurbit byproducts and waste, which are suitable for bioenergy production, this research highlights the promise these alternative feedstocks hold for the biofuel industry. Utilizing these resources presents a viable route to diminish dependence on fossil fuels and transition toward a more environmentally sustainable energy future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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30 pages, 3542 KiB

Open AccessReview

Machine Learning-Driven Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture in India—A Systematic Review

by Shweta Pokhariyal, N. R. Patel and Ajit Govind

Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2302; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092302 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 7385

Abstract

In India, agriculture serves as the backbone of the economy, and is a primary source of employment. Despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture and allied sectors in India exhibited resilience, registered a growth of 3.4% during 2020–2121, even as the overall economic growth declined by 7.2% during the same period. The improvement of the agriculture sector holds paramount importance in sustaining the increasing population and safeguarding food security. Consequently, researchers worldwide have been concentrating on digitally transforming agriculture by leveraging advanced technologies to establish smart, sustainable, and lucrative farming systems. The advancement in remote sensing (RS) and machine learning (ML) has proven beneficial for farmers and policymakers in minimizing crop losses and optimizing resource utilization through valuable crop insights. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of studies dedicated to the application of RS and ML in addressing agriculture-related challenges in India. We conducted a systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and evaluated research articles published from 2015 to 2022. The objective of this study is to shed light on the application of both RS and ML technique across key agricultural domains, encompassing “crop management”, “soil management”, and “water management, ultimately leading to their improvement. This study primarily focuses on assessing the current status of using intelligent geospatial data analytics in Indian agriculture. Majority of the studies were carried out in the crop management category, where the deployment of various RS sensors led yielded substantial improvements in agricultural monitoring. The integration of remote sensing technology and machine learning techniques can enable an intelligent approach to agricultural monitoring, thereby providing valuable recommendations and insights for effective agricultural management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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46 pages, 3435 KiB

Open AccessReview

Maintaining the Quality and Safety of Fresh-Cut Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum): Overview of Recent Findings and Approaches

by Branka Levaj, Zdenka Pelaić, Kata Galić, Mia Kurek, Mario Ščetar, Milan Poljak, Draženka Dite Hunjek, Sandra Pedisić, Sandra Balbino, Zrinka Čošić, Filip Dujmić and Maja Repajić

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2002; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082002 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5135

Abstract

Fresh-cut potatoes (FCP), like other fresh-cut (minimally processed) vegetables, are a convenient but highly perishable product. Unlike most fresh-cut vegetables, which are “ready-to-eat”, FCP must be cooked before consumption. Therefore, in addition to the safety (chemical and microbiological), quality and sensory characteristics of raw FCP, the same requirements should be applied for cooked potatoes. It is known that many factors play a role in meeting all these requirements: (i) selection of cultivars less susceptible to browning; (ii) use of anti-browning and antimicrobial agents and/or certain physical methods against browning and microbial growth; (iii) packaging and cold storage conditions. In recent studies on FCP, scientists have attempted to deepen their knowledge of the mechanisms of browning prevention to better understand changes at the molecular level as well. The main objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent research, which aimed at deepening knowledge of the various changes that occur in potatoes during processing, and to develop new approaches that could help improve quality and extend FCP shelf life. It also discusses the effects of subsequent cooking of FCP on sensory and other properties, as well as on chemical constituents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transforming AgriFood Systems under a Changing Climate)

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