The effects of environmental factors on the quality of   agricultural species.

The quality of vegetables and fruits depends on the interaction of several factors: genetic, agronomical practices and environmental conditions. They affect differently both qualitative and organoleptic features in the short- and long-term adaptation. Finding the best combination of those factors is the challenge that growers have to face in order to meet high quality standards. The choice of the best genotype is a fundamental step to take for producing high nutritional value food. Green revolution has sought to develop new hybrid vegetable cultivars enhancing yield, taste appearance, disease tolerance and shelf life (107), lycopene and content of other carotenoids in tomatoes (108), flavonols and phenolic acids in lettuce (109), glucosinolates and carotenoids in European Brassiacaceae, e.g. broccoli and cauliflower (110). Specific glucosinolates have also been found responsible for the bitter taste of rocket (111). However, agronomical practices like soilless culture, irrigation and fertilization can permit to save energy and resources while maintaining good productions. The synthesis of health-promoting compounds can be promoted as well as the total antioxidant activity, by increasing the conductivity in the nutrient solution in sweet pepper, cucumber, eggplant, celery and watermelon (32). Pondered water stress induced by irrigation regimes can contribute to the control the vegetative growth of plants and the improvement of fruit quality (112); fertilization can have profound effect on the final product in terms of nutritional and organoleptic properties, accumulation of antioxidant compounds (113).