Combined Effects of Drought and Soil Fertility on the Synthesis of Vitamins in Green Leafy Vegetables

Taewan Park, Sahrah Fischer, Christine Lambert, Thomas Hilger (), Irmgard Jordan and Georg Cadisch
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Taewan Park: Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Sahrah Fischer: Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Christine Lambert: Department of Nutritional Science, University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Thomas Hilger: Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Irmgard Jordan: Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT, Food Environment and Consumer Behaviour Lever, 00621 Nairobi, Kenya
Georg Cadisch: Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Green leafy vegetables, such as Vigna unguiculata , Brassica oleraceae , and Solanum scabrum , are important sources of vitamins A, B1, and C. Although vitamin deficiencies considerably affect human health, not much is known about the effects of changing soil and climate conditions on vegetable vitamin concentrations. The effects of high or low soil fertility and three drought intensities (75%, 50%, and 25% pot capacity) on three plant species were analysed ( n = 48 pots) in a greenhouse trial. The fresh yield was reduced in all the vegetables as a result of lower soil fertility during a severe drought. The vitamin concentrations increased with increasing drought stress in some species. Regardless, the total vitamin yields showed a net decrease due to the significant biomass loss. Changes in vitamin concentrations as a result of a degrading environment and increasing climate change events are an important factor to be considered for food composition calculations and nutrient balances, particularly due to the consequences on human health, and should therefore be considered in agricultural trials.

Keywords: drought; environment; food composition; food security; human health; nutrition security; plant nutrition; soil fertility; vitamin A; vitamin B1; vitamin C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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