The important role of vegetables in nutrition. The importance of potatoes, vegetables and fruits in human nutrition The role of vegetables in nutrition

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN HUMAN NUTRITION

Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, mineral salts, carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetable fats necessary for human life. Each type of fruit and vegetable in a personal plot (garden) has certain biologically active substances: some of them improve the metabolic process, neutralize acids formed during the digestion of meat, dairy and flour foods, normalize blood pressure, others strengthen the walls of blood vessels, giving them elasticity, reduce cholesterol in the blood and fluids in the body. Fruits and vegetables consumed fresh contain the most vitamins.

Carotene is called the growth vitamin. There is a lot of it in carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onion leaves, parsley, in the fruits of sea buckthorn, plums, rose hips. In the human body, carotene is converted into vitamin A. With its deficiency, eye disease develops - night blindness, and the body's protective functions are reduced. A person's daily need for vitamin A is 3-5 mg. To satisfy it, it is enough to eat 65 g of carrots (one root vegetable) or drink half a glass of carrot juice or a tablespoon of sea buckthorn juice.

Vitamins of group B (B1 B2, B6), PP, etc. promote metabolism in the body, slowing down the development of sclerotic phenomena in blood vessels. With a lack of vitamin B1, a disease known as “beriberi” develops, which is characterized by a severe disorder of nervous and cardiac activity. Vitamin B2 is part of a number of enzymes involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. With its deficiency, growth retardation or weight loss, weakness, blurred vision and cataract formation, skin and nervous disorders are observed.
Vitamin PP takes an active part in metabolism. If it is deficient, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system are disrupted. Sources of vitamins B1, B2 and PP are apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, onions, and potatoes.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) protects the human body from scurvy, nervous system disorders and decreased tone. The main sources of this vitamin are rose hips, sea buckthorn,
black currants, strawberries, apples, peppers, kohlrabi, white cabbage (fresh and pickled), horseradish, spinach, lettuce, onion leaves, dill and parsley, potatoes. The daily requirement of vitamin C is 50 mg. This amount is contained in 2-3 red tomatoes, 110 g of fresh white cabbage, 25 g of sweet pepper, 50 g of horseradish, and one rose hip. Vitamin U contained in cabbage juice helps heal stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Some vegetables contain aromatic substances that improve appetite, promote the absorption of food (dill, tarragon, cumin, basil, marjoram, savory, parsley, celery, onion, garlic, etc.), phytoncides that suppress and destroy pathogens (onion, garlic , pepper, radish, horseradish).
Rational human nutrition consists of food of animal and plant origin. The physiological norm for the consumption of fruits, vegetables and potatoes, ensuring the normal development of the human body. The lack of vitamins is especially acute in winter and spring, in the absence of greens and some fresh vegetables and fruits. To prevent vitamin deficiencies during this period, you need to include in your diet fresh apples, onion and greenhouse leaves of parsley, fruit and vegetable juices, salads prepared from fresh and sauerkraut, carrots, radishes, etc.

The importance of vegetables in modern nutrition

The importance of vegetables in nutrition is very high because they are a valuable source of vitamins, carbohydrates, organic acids, mineral salts, various flavoring substances, without which food becomes tasteless and of little use. The main advantage of vegetables is that they can be used to prepare a variety of healthy and tasty dishes, side dishes and snacks that are easily digestible by the human body and, in addition, contribute to better absorption of any other food consumed along with vegetables.

Many vegetables contain significant amounts of easily digestible carbohydrates. The richest in them are carrots, beets, and kohlrabi. Asparagus, Brussels sprouts and Savoy cabbage contain a significant amount of easily digestible proteins, and green peas contain no less than meat. It has been established that kale has a large amount of valuable protein lysine. Lysine is also found in Brussels sprouts, Savoy and cabbage.

Vegetables contain valuable flavoring substances, on which the quality of food largely depends; they promote the secretion of digestive juices, increase appetite and ensure better and more complete absorption. For example, root vegetables and greens of celery, parsley, dill contain aromatic essential oils, and onions, garlic, horseradish and other vegetables contain glucosides - substances with a pungent odor and taste. Some vegetables contain organic acids: malic, citric, tartaric. It has been established that replacing part of the bread and cereals with vegetables increases the digestibility of food proteins by 10-15%.
Vegetables, due to the presence of vitamins, mineral salts, phytoncides and enzymes in them, are valuable therapeutic and dietary food. Food containing many different vitamins is easier and faster absorbed by the body. The absence or insufficient amount of vitamins disrupts proper metabolism and causes serious diseases - scurvy, beriberi and anemia.

A lot of vitamins A and C are found in freshly picked parsley, sweet peppers and kale. Potatoes, green peas, asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and lettuce contain a lot of B vitamins. This group includes: thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, nicotinic, pantothenic and folic acids, which stimulate protein metabolism and promote blood formation in the human body. There is a lot of folic acid in parsley, celery, and lettuce.

It should be noted that the greatest effect of each vitamin is observed when the body has all the necessary vitamins in sufficient quantities. The lack of one vitamin interferes with the beneficial effects of the others. This must be kept in mind when preparing dishes and preparing food rations.

Vegetables are important for human health and as a source of mineral salts. Vegetables contain valuable mineral salts that regulate metabolism and maintain acid-base balance in the body. An excess of alkaline salts of calcium, potassium, sodium helps to better absorb protein foods, and most importantly, prevents the development of acidosis and protects the human body from premature aging.

Vegetables are the main supplier of calcium to the human body, which is especially rich in lettuce, cabbage, kohlrabi, spinach and celery. Phosphorus, which is found in asparagus, parsley, and Brussels sprouts, plays an important role in metabolism. A component of blood hemoglobin is iron. Significant amounts of iron are found in spinach, head lettuce, endive and radish. Our body also needs potassium. There is a lot of it in parsley, collard greens, celery, and lettuce.

Vegetables are also a source of microelements (cobalt, copper, manganese), which play an important role in the processes of growth and development of the body. It has been established that cobalt lowers blood pressure, affects the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin, and also promotes the synthesis of vitamin B12. Beets and carrots contain 10 times more cobalt than meat or milk. Copper is involved in metabolism, tissue respiration and hematopoiesis. It is found in parsley, cabbage and salads.

Manganese takes an active part in metabolism and protects the liver from obesity. It is found in lettuce and legumes.

Vegetables contribute to the normal functioning of the digestive system, and the fiber in vegetables ensures movement (peristalsis) of the gastrointestinal system. Recently, medicine has found that fiber accelerates the removal of cholesterol from the body, thereby protecting a person from one of the most serious diseases - atherosclerosis.

In addition, fiber and pectin substances reduce the activity of putrefactive microorganisms in the intestines and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, which has a beneficial effect on overall human health.

The work of Professor B.P. Tokin has established that garlic, onions, horseradish, parsley, celery and many other vegetables have phytoncides - special volatile substances that destroy harmful microbes and thus protect our body from various diseases.

Many vegetables are used to decorate food, as they contain coloring substances such as anthocyanin, carotene, chlorophyll, which give side dishes a different color.

Products decorated with colored side dishes and young, fresh herbs stimulate the appetite, attract attention to the upcoming meal and significantly increase food absorption.

Considering the importance of vegetables in human nutrition, they should be consumed daily in raw, boiled, fried and stewed form. It is recommended to consume more raw vegetables, as they completely retain their healing and beneficial substances. Fragrant herbs, like spices (salt, pepper), should always be on the table during food consumption.

Vegetables occupy one of the leading places in the diet, and catering establishments are obliged to offer consumers the largest possible selection of excellent, tasty dishes and side dishes made from vegetables. Individual types of vegetables vary greatly in their merits. For example,potatorich in starch,White cabbage- vitamin C,carrot- provitamin A (carotene),beet- sugar. There is very little fat in vegetables, only from 0.1 to 0.5%. Among the mineral substances, we note the potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium and sodium contained in vegetables.

Garlic and onionThey have a predominantly taste value and are very widely used in cooking. These vegetables, as well as horseradish and some others, are rich in phytoncides - special bactericidal substances that destroy pathogenic microbes. Therefore, it is necessary to use not a monotonous, but a varied assortment of vegetables for preparing vegetable dishes and side dishes.

The cook must take care to preserve as much as possible the nutrients and vitamins found in vegetables. Vitamins are best preserved in fresh, raw vegetables immediately after they are harvested. Therefore, all kinds of salads made from raw vegetables are very useful: cabbage, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, green onions. The successes of the canning industry not only make it possible to sharply reduce seasonal fluctuations in the consumption of vegetables, but also make it possible to supply public catering establishments with the selected, highest quality vegetables at any time of the year, and these vegetables are preserved in such a way that they almost completely retain all their nutrients and taste. .

The cook should know that vitamin C is destroyed by prolonged heat treatment of vegetables, contact with atmospheric oxygen, and improper storage. When vegetable soups, cabbage soup, and borscht are cooked in meat, fish or mushroom broths, the vegetables are placed in ready-made boiling broths, and vegetables that cook faster are added only when vegetables that require longer heat treatment are almost ready.

The container in which vegetables are cooked must be tightly closed with a lid during the entire cooking time - this makes it difficult for the vegetables to come into contact with atmospheric oxygen. Vegetables should not be cooked long before serving, since when a prepared vegetable dish is stored for a long time, even over low heat or when it is heated, the vitamins are destroyed.

Vegetables are extremely important in human nutrition. They are a source of carbohydrates, proteins, organic acids, vitamins, mineral salts, enzymes, and other very important nutrients; they also contain fiber, starch, pectin, and hemicellulose.

Many vegetables, such as cabbage, tomatoes, peppers and others, contain about 3-5% sugar, some varieties of onions - up to 15%. Sugar determines the taste of many vegetables. It is important when sauerkraut and processing tomatoes.

Vitamins, which are almost completely absent in other foods, are of particular value to the human body. Let us briefly look at the characteristics of the most important vitamins contained in vegetables.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) ensures normal metabolism and oxidative processes in the body. With its deficiency, the nervous system relaxes, the functioning of blood vessels deteriorates, fatigue, drowsiness or, conversely, insomnia appear, and performance decreases. Vitamin C promotes the removal of harmful (toxic) substances from the body and recovery from many diseases. With a lack of vitamin C, the healing of wounds and bone damage is delayed. The daily requirement for vitamin C for an adult is 70-120 mg.

It has been found that vitamin C in many vegetables coexists well with vitamin P (permeability vitamin), which increases the strength of the smallest blood vessels. When combined, the effectiveness of both vitamins in the body increases. The most vitamin P is found in carrots. The daily human need for vitamin P is 50 mg.

Carotene (provitamin A). With a lack of vitamin A in food, growth is impaired, the body's resistance to many infectious diseases, in particular influenza, is reduced, and the protective properties of the skin are weakened. Carotene has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the lacrimal, sebaceous and sweat glands, and increases the body's resistance to diseases of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and intestines. In adults, with a lack of carotene, night blindness occurs, in which a person cannot distinguish objects at dusk.

The daily requirement for vitamin A is 1.5 g. This vitamin is formed from provitamin A. 1 kg of carrot roots contains from 15.5 to 62.7 mg of carotene. There is especially a lot of vitamin A in parsley leaves, dill, and coriander.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is very important in regulating the body’s vital functions. With a lack of this vitamin, mental and physical fatigue occurs and appetite is lost. Long-term deficiency of vitamin B1 in the body leads to low temperature, headache, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, and pain in the extremities. The daily requirement for this vitamin is 2-4 mg.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Its significance for the body is diverse. It has a great influence on carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, and on visual acuity. Vitamin B2 activates the functioning of the liver and stomach, and regulates blood circulation. The daily requirement of vitamin B2 is 2.5-3.5 mg.

Vitamin B6 (folic acid) promotes the formation of red blood cells (erythrocytes). It is especially necessary for people suffering from anemia. The daily requirement for this vitamin is 2.4 mg. Its highest content is in the leaves of parsley, sorrel, fresh salmon, spinach, and green peas, carrots, cauliflower, and tomatoes.

Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) has a positive effect on liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, peptic ulcers of the stomach, pancreas and duodenum, and healing wounds. The daily requirement for vitamin PP is 15-20 mg.

Vitamin K. Its role for humans is very important. It is involved in the formation of prothrombin. Reducing it in the body impairs blood clotting. Vitamin K is used as a wound healing and hemostatic agent. The highest content of this vitamin was found in spinach - 0.27--0.55 mg, in various types of cabbage - 0.2--0.4 mg per 100 g. It is also found in other vegetables.

Vitamin E. With a lack of this vitamin, neuromuscular disorder in newborns is observed. Consuming the required amount of vitamin E prevents aging and improves performance. Its highest content is in peas - 4.5 mg, cabbage - 1-2.5, green onions - 2.4, carrots - 1.2 mg per 100 g, etc.

Fresh, unprocessed vegetables contain enzymes necessary to improve metabolism, which determine the nature and speed of chemical reactions in the body (for example, horseradish).

The highest content of the peroxidase enzyme was found in celery, horseradish, and radish.

Some vegetables are rich in phytoncides - volatile substances that have a specific odor that can suppress the development of microbes and bacteria harmful to humans. Garlic, onions, horseradish, radishes, etc. contain especially a lot of these substances. These plants are best consumed fresh.

Many vegetable plants contain aromatic substances that improve appetite and promote better absorption of animal products. Such plants include parsley, celery, parsnips, various types of onions, basil, coriander, mint, cucumber grass, as well as well-known cucumbers, radishes, etc. Eating a wide variety of vegetables significantly improves nutrition and makes it more complete. According to scientific data, for normal life and good performance, the average person needs 126 kg of vegetables, 110 kg of potatoes, 31 kg of melons per year. Since fresh vegetables are not grown all year round, it is also necessary to consume canned ones. In terms of the content of vitamins and other nutrients, canned vegetables are not inferior to vegetables stored during the autumn-winter period.

Spicy vegetables. Spicy vegetables are a necessary part of most dishes used in everyday nutrition. Unlike herbs (spices), they have pronounced biological activity and contain vitamins C, B6, carotene, and folacin. This complex of vitamins exhibits a biological effect even with a relatively small amount of spicy vegetables in the diet.

Dill. The specific aroma of dill is determined by the presence of essential oil containing aromatic substances such as phelandrene, terminene, limonene, carvone and aniol. The essential oil content in dill reaches 2.5%. Young plants (up to 10 cm in height) are used as a seasoning for food. Older plants with coarsened stems are used as an aromatic spice when pickling cucumbers and preparing marinades. 100 g of dill contains 100 mg of ascorbic acid. Chewing dill seeds after a heavy fatty meal improves digestion and relieves the feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Parsley. The leaves and roots of parsley contain essential oil, which gives it its characteristic smell. There are root and leaf parsley: the first uses roots and leaves for food, the second uses only leaves. 100 g of parsley contains 1.7 mg of B-carotene and 150 mg of ascorbic acid. Parsley is characterized by a high iron content (1.9 mg).

Onion. There are several types of onions used in food. The most famous are onions, leeks and spring onions. The pungent odor of onions depends on the content of essential onion oil, which contains sulfides. The amount of essential oil in onions is 0.037-0.055%. Onions contain a variety of minerals and vitamins. Green onions (feathers) are of greatest vitamin value. 100 g of green onions contain 10 mg of ascorbic acid, 100 g of leeks - 35 mg, onions - 10 mg. Green onions are characterized by a high content of B-carotene (2.0 mg per 100 g).

Garlic. Garlic is a spicy vegetable with a strong taste and aromatic properties. It contains essential oil (0.005-0.009 g per 100 g). Garlic is of no value as a source of ascorbic acid, but it has bactericidal properties due to the phytoncides it contains. Garlic is also important as a medicinal plant. It is used in the treatment of vascular and many other diseases.

Horseradish. The pungent taste of horseradish depends on the presence of allyl mustard oil; the amount of essential oil in horseradish is 0.05 g per 100 g. Horseradish has a high content of ascorbic acid (55 g per 100 g) and is a source of phytoncides.

Many herbs and roots are used as herbs in different countries and regions. The need for spicy vegetables is about 2% of the total vegetable consumption.

Rhubarb. From the leaves and petioles of rhubarb, cut before the plant blooms, you can prepare salads, jelly, compote, and pie filling. It is important that rhubarb preparations do not disrupt the digestive processes, do not affect the secretion of the gastrointestinal tract, but enhance peristalsis only at the level of the large intestine.

Borage is an ancient medicinal plant. Its leaves with the smell of fresh cucumber are added to vinaigrettes, okroshka, and cold borscht. Borage has a beneficial effect on metabolism.

It’s not for nothing that young lettuce leaves are called the breakfast of kings. Indeed, no other plant has such a delicate and refined taste. Its healing properties have been known for a long time. The substance contained in the salad, lactucin, calms the nervous system, improves sleep, and reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis. Organic acids prevent salt deposition. Pectins stimulate the intestinal tract. Lettuce leaves contain almost all known vitamins. The leaves are eaten fresh, separately or together with radishes and cucumbers; You can make sandwiches out of them.

Spinach contains proteins, sugar, ascorbic acid, B vitamins, vitamins P, K, E, D, minerals: magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, iodine. All this makes spinach one of the most valuable dietary products. It contains secretin, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and pancreas. Spinach is especially useful for anemia.

Sorrel, which is used before flowering, improves digestion and reduces putrefactive fermentation in the intestines. Traditional medicine recommends sorrel juice as a choleretic agent. It is also a rich source of vitamin B. Sorrel leaves can be dried without losing their nutritional properties.

Useful properties of vegetables.

Beetroot Like many other vegetables, beets improve metabolism and the digestion process. Its juice stimulates the activity of the liver, promotes the formation and purification of blood. This vegetable crop is remarkable in that it contains predominantly a lot of alkaline mineral salts, which helps maintain an alkaline blood reaction. Beetroot is widely used in vegetable diet therapy. It has a beneficial effect on the body in diseases such as gastrointestinal, anemia, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney stones. Carrots Vitamin A, a rich source of which carrots are, improves metabolism in the human body, promotes the growth and development of the skin, ensures the normal functioning of the glands (sebaceous, sweat, lacrimal), and increases the body's resistance to infections. Carrot vegetable juice helps with hypo- and avitaminosis and improves vision. Carrot seeds are the raw material for the production of the drug daucarin. This is an extract that dilates coronary vessels. A simple carrot turned out to be such a wonderful vegetable. White cabbage White cabbage retains its nutritional value and taste well during winter storage and pickling. Like other vegetable plants, it is widely used by doctors to treat various diseases. For spring vitamin deficiency, fresh sauerkraut or the juice of this vegetable (a glass on an empty stomach) is recommended. The high vitamin C content in this vegetable helps remove cholesterol from the body. Minerals, especially potassium salts, which this vegetable plant is rich in, improve heart function and remove excess fluid from the body. Cabbage improves intestinal motor function, preventing the development of atherosclerosis. Dry cabbage juice is industrially produced to treat stomach ulcers. The importance of this vegetable is so great in our lives that it is used not only in dietary nutrition, but also in the medical industry. Kohlrabi This wonderful vegetable from the cabbage family is not very common. Although this vegetable crop is tastier, juicier and healthier than white cabbage. The high content of calcium and phosphorus, as well as other minerals, allows us to consider this vegetable plant as the most valuable dietary product in the diet of children and pregnant women.

K category: Miscellaneous

The importance of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition

Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, mineral salts, carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetable fats necessary for human life. Each type of fruit and vegetable has certain biologically active substances: some of them improve the metabolic process, neutralize acids formed during the digestion of meat, dairy and flour foods, normalize blood pressure, others strengthen the walls of blood vessels, give them elasticity, and reduce cholesterol in the blood and fluids in the body.

Fruits and vegetables consumed fresh contain the most vitamins.

Provitamin A (carotene) is a growth vitamin. There is a lot of it in carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onion leaves, parsley, in the fruits of sea buckthorn, plums, and rose hips. In the human body, carotene is converted into vitamin A. With its deficiency, eye disease (night blindness) develops and the body's resistance to other diseases decreases.

B vitamins (Bi, Br, Bb, PP, etc.) promote metabolism in the body, slowing down the development of sclerotic phenomena in blood vessels. With a lack of vitamin Bi, a disease known as “beriberi” develops, which is characterized by a severe disorder of nervous and cardiac activity. Vitamin Br is part of a number of enzymes involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. With its deficiency, growth retardation or weight loss, weakness, blurred vision and cataract formation, skin and nervous disorders are observed. Vitamin PP takes an active part in metabolism. With its deficiency, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system are disrupted. Sources of vitamins Bi, Br and PP are apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, onions, and potatoes.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) protects against scurvy, nervous system disorders and general loss of strength. The main sources of this vitamin are rose hips, sea buckthorn, black currants, strawberries, apples, peppers, kohlrabi, white cabbage (fresh and pickled), horseradish, spinach, lettuce, onion leaves, dill and parsley, potatoes. Vitamin U contained in cabbage juice has been discovered. It helps treat stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Some vegetables contain aromatic substances that increase appetite and promote the absorption of food (dill, tarragon, cumin, basil, marjoram, savory, parsley, celery, onion, garlic, etc.); phytoncides that have a detrimental effect on pathogens (onions, garlic, peppers, radishes, horseradish).

Rational human nutrition consists of food of animal and plant origin. The physiological norm of consumption is a favorable temperature for the growth, development and fruiting of heat-loving vegetable crops of 20-30 ° C.

Less demanding of heat are cabbage of all types, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, radishes, parsley, celery, onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, dill, peas, and beans. Their seeds germinate at temperatures below 10 °C. These crops grow well, develop and form a productive part at 17-20 °C.

Winter-hardy vegetable plants include sorrel, rhubarb, horseradish, and perennial onions. In plants of this group, growth begins at 1-2 °C. Vegetating plants can tolerate frosts down to -10 °C. Being at rest, they overwinter painlessly in the open ground.

During the period of growth and development, the requirements for temperature conditions in vegetable plants change. During swelling and germination of seeds, a higher temperature is required, and when seedlings emerge, a lower temperature is required. Therefore, in protected soil at elevated temperatures and lack of light, stretching of plants is often observed. During the flowering and fruiting period, the temperature should be elevated.

When storing vegetables and fruits, a low temperature is required - about 0 ° C to slow down the processes of respiration and breakdown of nutrients.
Light. Under natural conditions, sunlight is the only source of energy that powers the process of photosynthesis. In the light, the leaves of vegetative plants synthesize organic substances from carbon dioxide in the air, water and minerals coming from the soil. The need for lighting is determined by the species and varietal characteristics of plants, the growing season, as well as the regime of other meteorological, soil and agrotechnical factors.

Garden plants react differently to light: some need intense lighting and, with a lack of light, grow poorly and sharply reduce yield (cherry), others are shade-tolerant (actinidia). Reproductive organs (inflorescences, flowers, fruits) require the highest light intensity. In the absence of light they do not develop. Deviation from the optimum illumination leads to leaf shredding. With insufficient lighting, many physiological processes are disrupted (accumulation and metabolism, differentiation of tissues and cells, pollination and fertilization, formation of fruits and seeds, etc.). For normal growth and high productivity of plants, it is necessary that all vegetative and reproductive organs that make up the crown are provided with an optimal amount of light. Poor lighting inside the crown reduces the longevity of the fruiting organs, their productivity, and the quality of the fruit. Assimilation, that is, the absorption by the plant of substances entering it from the external environment, is directly dependent on the intensity of lighting. As the latter improves, it increases. In gardening practice, pruning is used to lighten the crowns of trees and shrubs; if the planting is too dense, the plants are thinned out.

Vegetable crops are divided into short-day plants (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, beans, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, cucumber varieties intended for cultivation in open ground) and long-day plants (root vegetables, cabbage, onions, garlic, green crops, some greenhouse varieties cucumbers). For faster growth and development, the former require a daylength of less than 12 hours, but in good light; the latter require more than 12 hours, and they tolerate partial shading.

By artificially shortening or lengthening daylight hours, you can get higher yields of some vegetable crops and better quality products. For example, by creating a short daylight hours for radishes, lettuce, dill and spinach, you can delay their development, that is, the transition to bolting and flowering, and get a higher yield of the productive part (root crops, leaves), and of increased quality. Under natural conditions, this is achieved by early spring and late autumn sowing dates, when daylight hours are shorter. In the winter months, with short daylight hours and low illumination in greenhouses, from the moment the seedlings emerge until the seedlings are planted in a permanent place, artificial supplementary lighting with electric lamps is used.

Excessive thickening of crops and plantings should not be allowed, both in protected and open ground, since in this case the plants shade each other, stretch out, weaken and subsequently reduce productivity. It is necessary to maintain the optimal density of sowing and planting, thin out the plantings if they are thickened, and destroy weeds.

Water makes up 75-85% of the wet weight of plants. A huge amount of water is spent on the formation of roots, shoots, leaves, fruits and other plant organs. So, to create 1 kg of dry matter, plants consume 300-800 kg of water. Most of it is spent on transpiration, which promotes the movement of water through the vessels of the stem from the roots to the leaves.

The main source of water for the plant is soil moisture. Garden, vegetable and ornamental plants grow and produce best when soil moisture is 65-80% of full moisture capacity. With higher humidity, the oxygen necessary for the normal functioning of roots is displaced from the soil; with lower humidity, the plants lack moisture and their growth is inhibited.

In the Non-Chernozem Zone, with an annual precipitation of 550-700 mm, natural moisture is considered sufficient. However, every year certain months, and sometimes the entire growing season, are dry, as a result of which the normal growth and productivity of fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants is impossible without artificial irrigation. This is especially true for moisture-loving plants grown on light sandy and sandy loam soils, where constant watering is required.

If there is a lack of water for irrigation during the dry period, it is recommended to loosen the soil more often between the rows. Loosening prevents the formation of a soil crust, destroys the capillaries through which water flows from the lower layers of the soil to the upper ones, which significantly reduces its evaporation from the soil.

It is not recommended to water plants during the daytime in sunny weather, as most of the poured water will quickly evaporate. Watering is best done in the evening - 2-3 hours before sunset or early in the morning. In cloudy weather, watering during the daytime is also acceptable.

Fruit and berry plants require more water during the period of intensive growth of roots and shoots and during the formation of fruits (May - July), less - during the period of attenuation of growth and ripening of fruits (August - September). In dry weather, in the first period it is necessary to carry out abundant watering, in the future it can be limited, since a decrease in humidity at this time contributes to the ripening of shoots, preparing them for winter, ripening of fruits, improving their taste and color. Excessive amounts of moisture in the soil are also harmful: root growth is inhibited, shoot growth is delayed, fruits and berries crack. Trees and shrubs grow best when the groundwater level is at least 1-1.5 m from the soil surface. According to the degree of resistance to excess water in the root layer of the soil, fruit and berry plants are arranged in the following descending order: currants, gooseberries, apple trees, pears, plums, cherries, raspberries, strawberries.

Vegetable plants are demanding of moisture. In different periods of growth and development, this exactingness is not the same. Cabbage, cucumbers, turnips, radishes, radishes, lettuce, and spinach are especially moisture-loving. A lot of moisture is required for seed germination (from 50 to 150% of their mass). Plants also need a lot of moisture at seedling age. Plants in adulthood and especially during the formation of productive organs need less frequent, but more abundant watering, capable of moistening the soil to the entire depth of the bulk of the roots (up to 20-30 cm). Plants must be watered regularly so that the moisture content of the root layer of soil is 70-80% of the total moisture capacity. A sharp transition from an arid state to excessive soil moisture leads to cracking of fruits, heads of cabbage and root crops, causing their consumer qualities to sharply decrease.

All heat-loving vegetable crops (especially cucumbers and tomatoes) should be watered with warm water (20-25°C). Watering with cold water (6-10°C) leads to plant disease.

In greenhouses and greenhouses, water for irrigation is heated artificially. In open ground conditions, water is heated in the sun, for which it is poured in advance into barrels, bathtubs, tanks, and into small pools specially built on the plots.

Maintaining a certain air humidity is also important for vegetable plants. For example, the relative air humidity when growing cucumbers should be at least 85-90%, for tomatoes no more than 60-65%. Such a sharp difference in air humidity requirements does not allow growing cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse or greenhouse.

Atmospheric air consists mainly of oxygen (21%), carbon dioxide (0.03%) and nitrogen (78%). Air is the main source of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis occurring in plants, as well as oxygen necessary for their respiration (especially for the root system). Thus, adult plants per 1 hectare daily absorb more than 500 kg of carbon dioxide, which, if its content in 1 m3 of air is 0.03%, corresponds to more than 1 million m3. To ensure the normal functioning of plants, it is necessary to constantly replenish the air in the area where they are located with carbon dioxide. An artificial increase in the carbon dioxide content in the air to 0.3-0.6% (10-20 times more than natural) helps to increase plant productivity. The introduction of manure and other organic fertilizers into the soil helps enrich the ground layer of air with carbon dioxide. In greenhouses, this is achieved by fermenting cow or bird droppings in barrels, using liquefied gas cylinders, special burners, and “dry ice” (solid carbon dioxide).

The oxygen content in the soil air is somewhat less, and the carbon dioxide content is many times higher than in the atmosphere. Soil aeration has a great influence on the supply of oxygen to plant roots. To improve it, you need to frequently loosen the soil and keep it free of weeds.
Nutrition. To build their organs and produce crops, plants use minerals from the air (carbon dioxide) and soil (macro- and microelements dissolved in water). Different nutrients play different roles in plant life. Thus, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and magnesium are used to build organs and tissues. Iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt are part of biocatalysts that promote the absorption of minerals by plants. Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur are required by the plant in large quantities and are called macroelements, other elements are needed in small quantities and are called microelements. Of the macroelements, plants use nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium the most. Each of these elements is part of organic substances and plays a specific role in physiological processes.

Nitrogen is part of proteins and other organic substances. The largest amount of it goes to the formation of leaves, shoots, vegetative and flower buds, flowers, fruits and seeds. The nitrogen content in these organs changes noticeably during the growing season. So, in the spring (during the initial period of growth) it is increased in the leaves and shoots. The source of nitrogen during this period is the reserves deposited in the plant in the fall. Then the amount of nitrogen decreases significantly. By autumn, the nitrogen content increases again and it flows into wintering organs.

A long-term lack of nitrogen leads to starvation of plants, which is reflected in the suspension of the growth of shoots and roots, the formation of smaller and paler leaves, and the shedding of fruits and berries. A sufficient amount of nitrogen ensures active growth of shoots, the formation of large dark green leaves, earlier entry of plants into fruiting, intensive flowering and increased fruit set.

Excess nitrogen with a lack of phosphorus and potassium in the soil can negatively affect the development of young plants. In this case, there is a delay in the growth of annual shoots and a later onset of a period of relative dormancy. In fruit-bearing trees, excess nitrogen causes insufficient ripening of fruits, their pale color, a decrease in sugar content and keeping quality, and a decrease in winter hardiness and frost resistance of fruit trees.

Nitrogen enters plants mainly through the roots from the soil, where it accumulates as a result of the application of organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as due to the activity of bacteria that fix it from the air.

Phosphorus compounds provide intermediate reactions associated with photosynthesis and plant respiration. Phosphorus is part of complex proteins. Its deficiency weakens the growth of shoots, branching of roots, and the formation of flower buds. Phosphorus in soil can be in the form of organic and mineral compounds. During the decomposition of organic compounds, it is mineralized and becomes available to plant roots. Most of the mineral phosphorus compounds are sparingly soluble and inaccessible to plants. Different fruit species have different assimilation capacity of roots. The roots of an apple tree, for example, absorb phosphorus from sparingly soluble compounds better than the roots of strawberries, currants, and gooseberries.

Potassium promotes the assimilation of carbon dioxide, the absorption of water by the plant, and metabolism. It ensures normal division of cells and tissues, growth of shoots and roots, formation of leaves and fruits, and increases the frost resistance of plants. Its deficiency leads to a change in the color of the leaves - their edges first turn yellow and then become covered with brown spots. In soil, potassium is found in organic and mineral compounds. Sandy soils are poor in potassium. Its main source is organic forms after their mineralization.

As for other macroelements, they are found in garden soils in quantities sufficient for plants.

Iron plays an important role in the formation of chlorophyll. If there is a deficiency of it, plants develop chlorosis (light yellow and even white leaves are formed).

Magnesium is part of chlorophyll. Its deficiency causes stunting of shoot growth, chlorosis or brown spotting, premature death and falling of leaves.

Zinc is an integral part of a number of vital enzymes; it influences the formation of growth substances (auxins) and plays an important role in redox processes in plants. If it is deficient, apple trees develop rosettes (instead of normal side shoots, they form rosettes with small deformed leaves).

Since these and other elements are needed by plants in small quantities, their needs are almost always met by the reserves that are available in the soil. An acute lack of microelements can be eliminated by adding them directly to the soil or spraying plants (foliar feeding).

Vegetables play an extremely important role in human nutrition. The nutritional value of vegetable crops is determined by their high content of carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamins, active elements, aromatic and mineral substances in a form accessible for absorption by the body. The variety and different combination of all the listed components in the composition of vegetable plants determines their taste, color, smell and nutritional value. The main indicator of the quality of vegetables is their biochemical composition. Vegetable plants contain up to 97% moisture in their composition, but even that small amount of dry matter found in vegetables contains many biologically important compounds that are vital for the normal functioning of the human body. The main part of the dry matter in vegetables is carbohydrates, the most important of which are starch and sugar.

The starch content in legumes is especially high, potatoes, root vegetables, carrots, peas, onions are rich in sugars. Sugars are present in vegetables in various forms; Thus, table beets contain predominantly sucrose, while glucose predominates in cabbage, cucumbers and pumpkin crops.

The dry matter of vegetables also includes fiber, which has a positive effect on the body’s restoration of strength, and pectin substances, mainly proteins and glucose. Of particular value are natural organic acids contained in different quantities in vegetable plants: citric, malic, tartaric, oxalic and some others. It is organic acids that have a beneficial effect on the taste of vegetables and contribute to their better absorption by the human body. Many vegetable plants, such as onions, garlic, and aromatic crops, contain essential oils that have phytoncidal properties. Since ancient times, the phytoncidal effect of onions and garlic has been used in folk medicine for the purpose of prevention and treatment
inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Vegetables are also an important source of mineral elements involved in the most important metabolic processes in the human body. Parsley leaves, green peas, onions, cabbage, and parsnips are exceptionally rich in phosphorus; leafy vegetables and root vegetables - potassium; lettuce, spinach, beets, cucumbers and tomatoes - iron; cauliflower, types of salads, spinach, greens - calcium.

The most valuable components of vegetables are the various vitamins they contain in large quantities, which are vital for human life. A lack of any of the vitamins in the human body can lead to serious disorders of various systems and cause serious illnesses. Vitamins are organic compounds necessary to maintain normal metabolism. They cannot be synthesized by the human body in the required quantities and must be supplied with food.

Vegetables are one of the main sources of replenishing vitamins in the body.

A person’s daily requirement for vitamins must be met to maintain their optimal balanced level in the body and the functioning of all systems. For example, the daily dose that satisfies the body's needs for vitamin C is contained in 300 g of ripe tomatoes, 250-300 g of fresh radishes, 250 g of fresh white cabbage, 80 g of dill, 70 g of parsley, 50 g sweet pepper.