Plant manipulation to produce honey with elevated levels of tannin derived phenolic compounds

摘要

Disclosed is a method of selecting and breeding plants to tailor and/or maximise the amount of tannin derived phenolic compounds in honey derived from plant nectar by analysing plant nectar phenolic content and selecting and breeding cultivars of the plant that produce the highest amount of tannin derived phenolic compounds in the nectar and then via bees, producing honey from the selected plant or plants. The plant or plants may also be selected based on the extent to which they produce elevated levels of phenolic compounds in the plant nectar when stressed, wherein the stress may be induced by artificially subjecting the plant or plants to conditions selected from the group consisting of: drought, pests, selective watering, pruning, lack of nutrient(s), UV exposure, heat, externally derived abscisic acid, externally derived salicylic acid, exposure to fungal material and combinations thereof.