Effects of cultivation systems on the antimicrobial, colour retainment and slice healing properties of consumer ready market samples of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract

A recently developed Stress Storage Test for cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) allows analysis of the impact of different cultivation systems on the Antimicrobial (AMP), Colour Retainment (CRP) and Slice Healing Properties (SHP) of cucumbers following harvest. The latter parameter reflects the ability of the sample to develop ‘healing tissue’ after a complete slicing of the cucumber into alternating 15 and 20 mm slices.The aim of this study was to research the effectiveness of the test in differentiating between conventionally (Conv), organically (Org) and biodynamically (Dyn) grown cucumbers. The study was conducted at three independent European laboratories using fresh samples sourced from local markets. The mean values of CRP, AMP and SHP in 3 × 8 experiments were found to be highest for the Dyn cucumbers and lowest for the Conv cucumbers. In 58 to 71 % of the experiments, the Dyn cucumbers demonstrated the best stress storage properties. The Org and Conv cucumbers exhibited the best stress storage properties in 25 to 38 % and 4 to 8 % of the experiments, respectively. In summary, the cucumber Stress Storage Test method showed differences between conventional, organic and biodynamic samples in our investigations, regarding the three stress storage parameters CRP, AMP and SHP. In the majority of cases, the Dyn cucumber samples demonstrated the most favourable outcomes. Further investigations under different growth conditions should be carried out to check the reproducibility of the method.