Differences of Quality between Organic and Conventional Cherry Tomatoes Grown in Summer and Autumn

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the components affecting the quality of cherry tomatoes grown on commercial organic farms and conventional ones in summer and autumn. Sixteen pairs of conventional cherry tomato samples and organic ones were taken from 16 farms and the content of ascorbic acid, lycopene, β-carotene, sugars, citric acid, free amino acids and the production of ethylene were analyzed. The organic cherry tomatoes contained significantly high amount of ascorbic acid and lycopene, but produced significantly low rate of ethylene compared to the conventional ones.