Quality of Organic Vegetables Grown in Two Certified Sites on the Outskirts of Bucharest Municipality

What is it about?

Soil fertility properties, irrigation water quality, mineral nutrition, and some vegetables mineral composition were studied in the frame of a project regarding yield quality monitoring in certified organic vegetable farms, in two farms placed on the outskirts of Bucharest Municipality which provide products for the town’s organic market. Chemical analysis of the soil samples collected from the two farms reflects a good fertility, close to the natural one of this region soils, with well balanced organic matter, total nitrogen, accessible phosphorus and potassium contents. The nitrates contents concord with the plants nutrition demands and donʼt present the risk to accumulate in vegetables or to leach into the groundwater. Slightly increased microelements, both total and soluble forms, occur. Soil microbiological properties are favorable for vegetable plants growth. A good biodiversity is noticed. There are differences between soil properties in open field and greenhouses, induced both by the type and degree of mechanical works and materials applied for fertilization and plant protection. Good conditions are generally created for plants mineral nutrition. Mineral nutrition status of the vegetables grown in organic conditions, assessed by the leaves mineral composition, doesn’t differ from the one of the vegetables grown in conventional conditions. The vegetables (fresh material) harvested from the two studied farms have good, even high, concentrations of mineral elements important for the yield nutritional quality. The excessive microelements quantities noticed in soil donʼt transfer in the yield, so the latter quality and nutritional properties are not altered.

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Why is it important?

Organic farming continuously evolves, in terms of occupied areas, number of farmers involved, grown yields, consumers categories, markets. Social aspects are often approached regarding the impact of organic farming practices or conversion from conventional to organic farming, or of perception and behavior of consumers or potential consumers (Dumitrașcu and Ștefănescu, 2007). Not least, organic farming aims to contribute to environment quality improvement. Although, according to the concept and regulation legislation, organic products quality lies in the manner in which they are obtained, more and more researchers, and not only them, become preoccupied of its qualitative and quantitative quantification. Pursuits developed regarding yield quality, as compared or not to the quality of products obtained in conventional agriculture.

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