Determinação da qualidade do fruto em citrinos de diferentes modos de produção

Dissertação mest., Agricultura Sustentável, Universidade do Algarve, 2007

The conversion of the agricultural explorations to more sustainable production technologies intends to reduce the impact of the agricultural activities on the environment and improve the hygienic-sanitary quality of the food products. However, in relation to this last aspect, the available scientific information about the food quality differences between different production forms is quite scarce in general and particularly in what respects to the citrus. The investigation work consisted of fruit sampling in orchards with different forms of agriculture and in its subsequent analysis in laboratory, with the objective of determining the possible quality differences among citrus coming from organic farming way and conventional farming. After the analyses it was verified that the medium weight and the dimensions of the fruit were superior in the fruits coming from conventional orchards. In this form of agriculture it was recorded the largest juice percentage, the smallest concentration of acidity, the most intense coloration, the largest tenor of soluble solids and the higher maturation index. By opposite, the smallest thickness of the fruits peel, the largest concentrations of analyzed acids, with exception of the oxalic acid, and the highest concentrations of sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose) were recorded in the biological agriculture fruits.