ISHS Acta Horticulturae 579: II Balkan Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes
NITRATE AND PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN PROCESSING TOMATO FRUITS |
| Authors: | M. Christou, Y. Dumas, M. Chrysayi-Tokousbalides, P. Bussičres, L.C. Ho, E. Paroussis, R. Bues, R. Giovinazzo, A. Battilani, M. Dadomo, G.DI. Lucca, T. Koutsos, M. Lavado, J.P. Lyannaz, R. Machado, C. San Martín, Z. Vassiliou, P. Cornillon |
| Keywords: | Lycopersicon esculentum, crop management, quality |
| Abstract:
The determination of nitrate and pesticide residues in red tomato fruits was part of a three-year experimental project on crop management modeling (TImod) of processing tomato, which was carried out at ten sites of the Mediterranean region in the Qualitom program. The TImod treatment was tested in comparison with the crop management system followed locally by well informed, farmers (TIloc). The nitrogen fertilization within TImod treatment was based on soil analysis and the needs of tomato plants for yield of high quality, and the pest management program was based on weather and crop parameters. Nitrate content was determined in whole dry fruits, while whole fresh fruits were used for pesticide residue determination. Analyses were performed for 19, 15 and 28 pesticides in 1997, 1998 and 1999 trials, respectively. The concentration level of nitrate residues in every sample from all participating sites was found to fall within the commonly accepted range. The range of nitrates in samples from the TImod treatment was 0.03-0.15, 0.06-0.17 and 0.03-0.12% of d.m., from the 1997, 1998 and 1999 trials, respectively, while the range of nitrates in TIloc treatment was 0.05-0.12, 0.08-0.19 and 0.02-0.11% of d.m., for the respective years. Considerable differences were observed in the concentration of nitrate residues among the sites. Pesticide residues from the TImod treatments were not detected, being below the determination limit of the methods used, in 76, 70 and 78% of the cases in 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. Interestingly, the percentages of TIloc cases with non-detectable residues were at about the same levels, i.e. 78, 75 and 74% in the respective years. On the other hand, the determined residues lower than the established Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for tomato were found in 21, 30 and 22 % of the cases from the TImod treatments, for the respective years. Similarly, residues below the MRLs were found in 16, 25 and 26% of the TIloc cases. Residues of only two pesticides were found at concentration slightly higher than the MRLs and only in samples from one site, in 1997. Differences in the pesticide residue levels between the samples from either treatment at each site were not significant. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
