2022 Volume 60 Issue 1 Pages 91-101
Seasonal variations of health-promoting properties of fruits have been known to depend upon environmental conditions and plant growth parameters; therefore, their trend lines need to be predicted. This study was aimed at finding out the impact of seasonal variations, induced by changes in the environmental conditions, to health-promoting properties of cherry tomato in long-term cultivation and at developing their statistical predictive models. Both total ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity increased gradually during research period regardless the experimental site or year. Polyphenol content was the lowest at the initial date of study but it depended on experimental years. In addition, by the stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, we were able to develop a predictive model for health-promoting properties by using environmental data and plant growth/agronomic quality traits. In the best-fitted model, the combinations of data set and the data period were different for each compound. Furthermore, health-promoting properties can be predicted with high accuracy by using several environmental data 2 or 3 weeks before the harvest time and the growth/agronomic quality data at the harvest day. Thus, we conclude that constructed models may contribute to a good practice for the prediction of health-promoting properties of tomato.
