Comparative analysis of Phytonutrients from Organically and Conventionally Produced Horticultural Crops

Abstract

Organic farming is a method of farming that limits or even forbids the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Organically grown crops are frequently associated with healthier foods than conventionally grown crops. Kinkell Farm is a family-run organic farm based in Lennoxtown, Scotland. The key objective of the farm is to produce healthy organic products. Hence, the study was done to compare the Kinkell Farm organically grown products with conventional products. The plant extract was observed for its phytonutrient content, which was quantified using HPLC and a spectrophotometer. The result shows that products grown by Kinkell Farm on average have increased amounts of vitamin C or ascorbic acid. But different species and cultivars have a lesser increase or even decrease in vitamin C content. Some organic crops also have higher total antioxidant content, even triple that of conventional products. Although the increase of phytonutrients is not the case for all plant species, Other factors such as cultivars and ambient environmental conditions seem to play a bigger role in determining the nutritional content of the crops than the method of farming alone