Overall nutritional completeness (ONC): A new integrative measure of nutritional and agricultural performance quality of garden crops |
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| Authors: | Ingolf U. Grün Marilyn S. Prehm Michel Beck John S. Caldwell Thomas J. Kalb II |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Human Nutrition and Foods , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, VA, 24061–0430 Phone: (703) 231–5840;2. Department of Agronomy , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;3. Department of Soil Science , North Carolina State University , Raleigh, NC, 27606;4. Department of Horticulture , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, VA, 24061–0327;5. Department of Horticulture, Extension County Office , University of Wisconsin , P.O. Box 1229, Kenoska, WI, 53141–1229 |
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| Abstract: | In spite of increased efforts to integrate nutrition and agriculture there are relatively few methods developed to effectively do so in the design and analysis of agricultural interventions. In order to develop and test a method to link agricultural production and nutritional benefits, fall gardens were planted by researchers and low‐income households in five locations in the New River Valley, Virginia. Edible portion yield per square meter was calculated as a basic nutrition/agricultural yield measure. In order to use a more discriminating measure, crop nutrient yield equivalents (CNYE) for limiting nutrients (vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium) were calculated. The CNYE indicates the number of days that 100% of the USRDA would be supplied. Summing the CNYE scores across nutrients provided a ranking of the overall nutritional completeness (ONC) of the crops. The ONC ranking thus supplies a measure of yield and nutritional efficiency that can be adapted for different nutrition requirements and gardening conditions. |
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| Keywords: | Integrative measure nutritional quality agricultural performance garden crops |
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