Phytochemical content in organic and conventionally grown Italian cauliflower

An experiment was conducted that compared the phytochemical content of two genotypes (Emeraude and Magnifico) of a green typology cauliflower under conventional or organic management. In addition, three fertilisation regimes were considered within the framework of organic agriculture. The two genotypes showed a contrasting response to organic practices: the phytochemical content of Emeraude was generally reduced, while in Magnifico, most of the quality parameters were unaffected or increased. In addition, under organic management, the use of higher fertilisation levels significantly increased the phytochemical production of Magnifico, in particular ascorbic acid (P < 0.05) and polyphenols (P < 0.01). However, the same fertigation treatments decreased the phytochemical production of Emeraude, particularly glucosinolates and ascorbic acid. This genotype was identified as a key factor in the determination of cauliflower quality under different management practices. Moreover, our results indicate that the addition of fertilisers to organic soil might be effective only with a cauliflower genotype suited to organic agriculture.