Comparison of the Nutritional Value and Storage Life of Carrot Roots From Organic and Conventional Cultivation

In the years 2008-2011, research was conducted whose objective was to assess the nutritional value and storage life of the roots of the carrot cultivars Perfekcja and Regulska grown in conventional and organic systems. The carrot roots came from a certified experimental field with a stable ecosystem adapted to conducting research on the organic cultivation of vegetables. In parallel, in the same climatic conditions, carrots were grown in the conventional system. The carrot roots were stored at a temperature of 0-1°C and relative humidity of 95-98%. Immediately after harvest and after several months of storage, the carrot roots were analyzed for dry matter content, total sugars, β-carotene, and nitrates. The results of the qualitative chemical assessment of the carrots showed no significant differences in the levels of dry matter and total sugars depending on the cultivar and the cultivation and storage methods (on average for three years). The carrots grown by the conventional method contained significantly more β-carotene than the carrots grown by the organic method, both before and after storage. It was found that the roots of the carrot cultivar Regulska had a higher β-carotene content than the roots of the cultivar Perfekcja grown in both the organic and conventional systems. The nitrate content in carrot roots immediately after harvesting both cultivars grown in the conventional system was significantly higher than in the roots from organic cultivation and ranged from 349.9 to 554.4 mg·kg^-1. There were marked differences in storage life depending on the cultivar, cultivation method and storage period. A higher percentage of marketable roots after storing the cultivars Regulska and Perfekcja was achieved from conventional cultivation compared with organic cultivation. Losses (diseased roots and weight losses) were higher for the organic carrots than for those grown conventionally. There was a markedly higher percentage of marketable roots among the carrots of the cultivar Regulska compared with Perfekcja. For the cultivar Perfekcja, more diseased roots were found among the organically grown carrots. For the cultivar Regulska, the highest weight losses were recorded following the storage of the roots from organic cultivation.