Impact of an Agriphotovoltaic System on Metabolites and the Sensorial Quality of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and Its High-Temperature-Extracted Juice

Abstract

To date, the impacts of agriphotovoltaic (APV) condition on the production yield of crop have been studied; however, the effect of APV production on the sensorial quality and consumer acceptability of the produce remains unexplored. Therefore, to address this knowledge gap, we cultivated “Winter Storm” cabbage under solar panels (20.16 kW) and in open field in 2020. The weight and diameter reduction rate of fresh cabbage grown under APV condition compared to open-field conditions were 9.7% and 1.2%, respectively. The levels of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products were not significantly different in the fresh cabbage between the two conditions. The amount of volatile organic compounds, which may affect the perception of smell, were significantly higher in the cabbage juice prepared from the ones grown in open-field conditions than in the juice prepared from cabbages grown under APV conditions (n = 3, p < 0.01). However, untrained subjects could not distinguish the difference in the quality of the 2 sets of cabbage juices in the triangle test (n = 70, p = 0.724). Regardless of the distinguishing features of color, aroma, and taste, the subjects did not have any preference between the two different cabbage juices.