Phytochemical Composition and Quality Attributes of Pear Cultivars Grown Under Organic and Conventional Orchard Management: A Three-Year Study

Organic fruit production is associated with a specific form of farm management: no artificial pesticides or mineral fertilizers are allowed. Only natural methods of fertilization and plant protection, including preventive practices, are used. The Organic Production Regulation describes all organic farming practices. Fruits from organic production are often perceived by consumers as safe and potentially beneficial to health. Pears contain many bioactive compounds from the polyphenol and carotenoid groups. In the present study, three pear cultivars, namely ‘Alexander Lucas’, ‘Conference’, and ‘Xenia’, grown under organic and conventional systems, were examined during the 2019–2020 cultivation season. The contents of polyphenols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and vitamin C in pear fruits were measured using total and HPLC methods. Compared with conventional pears, organic pears were characterized by significantly higher vitamin C (8.99 mg/100 g fresh weight), total polyphenol (108.20 mg/100 g F.W.), total flavonoid (63.92 mg/100 g F.W.), total carotenoid (14.58 mg/100 g F.W.), and total chlorophyll (4.29 mg/100 g F.W.) contents. Among the three examined cultivars, ‘Xenia’ exhibited the highest concentrations of several analysed phytochemicals. The growing season significantly affected the phytochemical composition and quality attributes of pear fruits.