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Flavor consists of taste plus aroma, with aromatic compounds presenting an important part of food selection. The aroma makes our food more pleasing to the eye, diverse, and inviting to eat. As aroma and cooking methods are critical factors influencing consumer acceptance, more information on the aromatic volatile compounds in boiled sweetpotato cultivars is needed as those currently available are insufficient. Slips (rooted cuttings) of four orange-fleshed sweetpotato cultivars – Beauregard, Evangeline, Orleans, and Covington – were cultivated on the Tennessee State University certified Organic Farm. After 120 days, cultivars were harvested and cured for 7 days under controlled environmental conditions. After storage, sweetpotato roots were prepared by boiling, and the electronic nose was used to discriminate the aroma profiles of sweetpotato volatiles. The volatile compounds were identified and analyzed. Approximately 40 aromatic volatile compounds including active volatile categories were alcohols, acids, aldehydes, esters, ketones, pyrazine, terpinenes, and phenylpropenes. The ability to understand sweetpotato flavors could help researchers establish tastes and aromas that are acceptable to consumers and would lead to an increase in demand for the crop in the fresh market and potential economic gains for producers.

Different processing methods particularly thermal treatments would impact the potato texture distinctly thus understanding the influence of different thermal treatments on textural characteristics of sweetpotato is needed. Six varieties of sweetpotato were grown on the organic farm and subjected to three thermal treatments (baking, pressure cooking and open cooking). Baking was done in an oven. Pressure cooking was done with a pressure cooker and open cooking was done using a vessel of water. Textural parameters were recorded with a texture analyzer. Objectives were to evaluate the impact of different thermal processing techniques on textural properties of sweetpotatoes and to generate the texture profile analysis of cooked potatoes. Cohesiveness (0.08-0.12%), gumminess (1.96-54.71) and chewiness (0.89-45.39) were highest in baked treatments while hardness (61.24-475.55N) and resilience (0.02-0.11%) were highest in open cooked treatments. Hardness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience reduced with pressure cooking. Based on these results desirable sensory properties can be optimized to maximize consumer acceptance.

Almost one-third of the entire U.S. is buying organic produce. It is believed that organic foods taste better and are more nutritious than conventional foods. To develop successful market positioning, the characteristics desirable to consumers, for sweetpotato must be identified. Different processing methods particularly thermal treatments would impact sweetpotato textures differently and as such affect the consumer liking and eventually product acceptability. Clear understanding of the influence of different thermal treatments on the textural characteristics of sweetpotato is therefore needed. The major objective of this research work was to evaluate the impact of different thermal processing techniques such as baking, pressure cooking, and open cooking on the textural characteristics of sweetpotato cultivars. Six cultivars of sweetpotato grown on a certified organic farm were subjected into different thermal treatments. Baking was done using an air oven for 60 min. Pressure cooking was done using a pressure cooking for 15 min and open cooking was done using a vessel filled with water (500 ml) for 1 hour. In all thermal treatments, the inside product temperature was kept constant (60±2°C). The texture parameters were recorded with a texture analyzer using a 100 mm dia probe. The samples were also penetrated 5 mm from the surface using a needle probe of 2 mm dia. Maximum peak force was set in Newtons. Across the treatments, open cooked Japanese Purple was found to be the hardest although not significantly different from Hernandez open cooked cultivar. Baked Old Yellow sweetpotato was the most gummy and chewy while the softest cultivar was the pressure cooked Old Yellow; however it did not differ significantly from the other five cultivars tested.

Organic farming is becoming popular among the consumers and growers in urban areas as well. Twenty-four cultivars of six leafy green vegetables were evaluated at the certified organic field at Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN. In lettuce, 'Buttercrunch' provided the highest yield reaching 21,116 kg ha-1 followed by 'Merville 4 season' with a yield of 19,195 kg ha-1. 'Red Romaine' exhibited the lowest yield of 10,180 kg ha-1. 'White Russian' kale had the highest yield (20,388 kg ha-1), followed by 'Red Russian' kale (18,380 kg ha-1). The minimum yielding cultivar among kale was 'Lacinto' with a yield of 10,066 kg ha-1. In mustard greens, yields of 'Green Wave', 'Southern Giant Curled', 'Tendergreen', and 'Giant Red' were 21,734, 18,509, 31,067 and 28,823 kg ha-1, respectively. In collards, 'Champion' provided the highest yield with 20,254 kg ha-1 followed by 'Morris Heading' with 18,502 kg ha-1. The 'Rainbow Chard' yield was 19,519 kg ha-1 and the 'Golden Chard' was 16,492 kg ha-1. In amaranths, 'Love Lies Bleeding' performed better than the 'Hopi Red Dye' with yield of 11,545 kg ha-1.

As the world's population continues to increase, other methods of production are being sought after that can help conserve water and save land especially in urban communities. Vertical gardening is a technique by which plants can be grown in a vertical structure without soil, to obtain a maximum possible yield within a particular space indoors or outdoors. Organic vertical gardening is carried out without the application of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers, following the standards and approved inputs of the National Organic Program (NOP). Currently, there is a conflict on the relationship between organic vertical gardens and organic farming practices between urban growers due to the cultivation of plants without soil in the latter. Little to know studies have been done on organic vertical farms as of date. Several cultivars of lettuce, chard, kale, mustard-green, basil and coriander grown in the verti-grow system and were harvested successfully. Automated system called 'Drip Organics' provided organic nutrients to the plants. Perlite and coco fiber media was used in the stacked pots. Although modern organic farming would remain a widely food production method as evidenced by its global acceptance and steady growth, organic vertical farming has a potential to provide food security, year-round produce and ease transportation of food within urban and semi urban areas. This article discussed cultivar trials in organic vertical system on the certified organic farm of the Tennessee State University, Nashville.

There is little published information on sensory attributes and quality indices of organically grown sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas L.) even though there is a growing demand for this product. A study was conducted to identify the best cultivars based on sensory characteristics and organoleptic acceptability of sweetpotato grown under an organic management production system. Baked samples of 14 sweetpotato cultivars were evaluated by taste panelists on a 4-point hedonic scale for color, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. The cvs. All Purple (purple fleshed), Carolina Ruby (orange fleshed), and Ginseng (orange fleshed) had the highest taste, texture, and aroma scores; the white fleshed cv. Japanese Purple was least accepted overall. The most preferred sweetpotato cultivar was associated with the descriptors pasty, umami (monosodium glutamate like), sodium, and adhesive. The purple flesh color was well liked by all panelists and rated as the top color of all cultivars. Panelist preference was to...

The objective of the present study is to investigate nutritional and antioxidant activity of four types of organic tomato cultivars. The differences in tomato quality are also tested between groups with or without treatment using an organic biostimulator, Stimplex. Total phenolic compounds (TPC), lycopene,β-carotene, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and color parameters were investigated in the current study. The results showed that there was no significant difference in TPC among cultivars regardless of Stimplex treatment. Higher lycopene andβ-carotene were obtained in Stimplex treated tomatoes. Lycopene andβ-carotene contents were significantly different among cultivars (P<0.05). DPPH scavenging activity in controlled group was significantly higher than that in the Stimplex treated tomatoes (P<0.05). No significant difference in reducing power was detected among cultivars treatment groups. The study showed that the darker the tomato color, the higher the lycopene andβ-carotene contents and the stronger the reducing power.

Weeds are a challenge, particularly in organic agriculture, due to restrictions on the application of synthetic herbicides and chemicals. A preliminary cultivar evaluation trial of organic sweetpotato was conducted in 2015 at Tennessee State University certified organic farm. Three mulches: wheat straw, pine needle, and black plastic mulch, along with a control (no mulch), were evaluated for their weed management abilities in a sweetpotato field. Four cultivars of sweetpotato were planted in 0.91 m wide mulch beds with 0.3 m row spacing anddrip irrigated with four replications. Data was collected during the growing season on the dry weight of weeds that emerged in a quadrat and yield components at harvest. Results of two-way ANOVA revealed that mulch treatments affected the weed biomass, weed density, and cull yields. Though the use of mulches had no significant effect on other yield components of sweetpotato in this study, it was beneficial for weed management.

YIELD RESPONSE OF FOUR BEEFSTEAK TOMATO CULTIVARS IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Interest in organic sweetpotato production in the United States has been growing as consumers and producers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their food is cultivated. Thus, there is a growing need for information on sweetpotato production and variety selection under an organic management production system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various mulches on yields—total and marketable—of fourteen sweetpotato varieties grown under organic management. Three types of mulch, wheat straw, pine needle, and black plastic, and a control (no mulch) were evaluated during the 2016 growing season. The wheat straw mulch yielded significantly higher yields than the black plastic and pine needle mulch treatments, though it was not significantly different from the control. The total and marketable yields of sweetpotato roots also varied significantly among the varieties, ranging from 39,719 kg·ha−1 for Beauregard to 4925 kg·ha−1 for O’Henry. There was a significant interaction between variety and mulch treatment on total but not marketable yield. More research is needed to ascertain the stability of the effects of varieties, mulch treatment, and their interactions on total and marketable yields and to elucidate other treatments and varieties with better potential to improve sweetpotato yields in organically managed production systems.