Title : Effect of organic and conventional cropping systems on bioactive compounds in maize genotypes
Abstract:
Maize cultivation through organic methods promotes environmental sustainability and benefits both producers and consumers by eliminating synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable global growth in both the production and consumption of organic food. As a key ingredient in many food products, maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most extensively grown cereal crops in the world and provides an essential to human nutrition. Therefore, in order to examine the effects of conventional and organic cropping systems on the nutritional composition and potential for sustainable grain production, the content of total phenolic compounds, phenolic acids, total carotenoids, and antioxidant capacity in four added-value maize genotypes (ZP 5048 red, ZP 552b, ZP QPM13, and ZP 555) recently developed at the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, was investigated. The most significant results were concerning the concentrations of total phenolic compounds, phenolic acids, and antioxidant activity, which were, on average, 14.45%, 8.99%, and 16.15% higher in maize grown in organic systems, respectively. This can be one argument to justify organic foods' greater functional potential and health benefits. The content of total phenols in conventional cropping ranged from 2395.01 µg GAE/g to 2626.91 µg GAE/g, while in organic cropping the range was 2340.71 µg GAE/g to 3296.57 µg GAE/g. The p-coumaric content in maize genotypes ZP 552b, ZP QPM13, and ZP 555 was 9.68%, 17.07%, and 31.97% higher in organic than in conventional cropping systems, respectively. Although it can be stated that the organic cropping system contributed to the improvement in antioxidant capacity, our results showed that genotype had a predominant impact. This is most noticeable in the case of maize genotype ZP 5048 red, which showed the opposite trend and had a lower content of carotenoids, total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic acids in the organic cropping system. These results suggest that while organic cropping systems may enhance the functional potential and nutritional value of maize, genotype selection remains the key factor in achieving optimal quality and sustainability in food production. Future studies should explore a broader range of maize genotypes and environmental conditions to fully elucidate the complex interactions between cultivation system and genetic potential.
