A researcher in the UPV/EHU''s department of Plant Biology and Ecology has confirmed that it is possible to improve the nutraceutical quality of the lettuce by modifying its growing conditions but not at the expense of productivity. The FisioClimaCO2 research group, to which the researcher Usue Pérez-López belongs, has applied various stress conditions to the plants and has verified the changes that take place in their composition as a result.
The study sought to "conduct research to see whether a change in the growing conditions could increase nutraceutical quality in two lettuce cultivars differentiated by their pigmentation (green and red lettuces)," explained Dr Usue Pérez-López. "The change in the growing conditions consisted of subjecting the plants to short-duration stresses, since the most important thing is not to lose productivity."