Vegetable quality as affected by genetic, agronomic and environmental factors

Consumer interest in the quality of vegetable products has increased in recent years especially for the beneficial effects of vegetables on human health. Vegetable quality is a broad term and includes physical properties, flavor, and health–related compounds. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature of the main pre-harvest factors that can improve the quality of vegetables and consequently their beneficial role in human diet. The importance of genotype and grafted plants selection, the optimization of the environmental conditions (light and temperature) and the advantages and disadvantages of greenhouse in comparison to open field cultivation concerning product quality will be outlined first; followed by the optimization of agricultural practices in particular, water quantity and quality, mineral nutrition, salinity and growing system (e.g. soilless). The review will conclude by identifying several prospects for future research such as modeling of the nutritional value of vegetable crops.