The Effect of Small Cell Size on the Sweetness of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) Leaves

Abstract

Head weight of cabbage plants grown using half the nitrogen fertilizer applied to control plants (hereinafter referred to as the half-treatment group) and plants harvested on 22 November (November group) was markedly less than that obtained from control plants to which the standard amount of nitrogen fertilizer was applied and harvested on 29 July (July group). Cells from the half-treatment and the leaves from the November groups were smaller than those of the control and the July groups, respectively. Glucose and fructose content in the half-treatment and the November groups was higher than in the control and the July groups. It is therefore suggested that the higher sugar content in leaves of cabbage plants grown on media containing less nitrogen fertilizer and at low temperature occurs in response to the smaller cells in the leaves.