Untersuchungen zur Erfassung von Unterschieden in der mikrobiellen Besiedlung und der Haltbarkeit von Möhren aus unterschiedlichen Anbauformen

Carrots cultivated by different methods were compared with respect to their response to post-harvest storage and inoculation with phytopathogenic fungi. No culture-related differences in firmness and in the behaviour of the carrots during lactic fermentation could be detected. Fresh (organic) carrots were found to be more rapidly colonized by Botrytis if they had been cultivated with additional organic nitrogen, and use of “bio-dynamic preparations” strengthened the colonization resistance of these carrots. The SSCP-method revealed different fingerprints of PCR-amplified bacterial DNA isolated from the surface of different batches of carrots. When carrots were stored for 6 month prior to inoculation, resistance against colonization by Fusarium sp. decreased, in particular if they had received additional nitrogen but no “biodynamic preparations”. The results indicate that a combination of inoculation studies, use of novel methods in characterizing the spoilage flora, and selected physical and organoleptic parameters has potential in detecting cultivation-dependent differences between batches of carrots with respect to their spoilage flora and shelf life.