Conventional, organic, and regenerative organic farming differentially shape nutritional and phytochemical profile in beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and its commercial powder products.

Beetroots are increasingly recognized as a functional food; however, the extent to which different farming practices influence their primary nutrients, including minerals, sugars, and protein, and secondary metabolites, including phenolics, betalains, and nitrates, remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we analyzed fresh beetroot (Beta vulgaris) samples collected from a conventional, organic, and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC™) farm (n = 12 per farming system) in Southwest Oregon, USA, along with beetroot powder from five commercially available brands samples (n = 6 samples per brand). Fresh organic and ROC™ beetroots contained approximately 53% higher levels of non-flavonoid polyphenols compared with conventional beetroots (all, p < 0.01) but did not differ significantly from each other (p = 0.99). Total betalains were approximately 105 and 61% higher in ROC™ and conventional fresh beetroots compared with organic beetroots (all, p ≤ 0.01), respectively, although ROC™ and conventional samples did not differ from each other (p = 0.08). Nitrate concentrations in organic beetroots were approximately 20% higher than ROC™ and 44% higher than conventional beetroots (both, p ≤ 0.03). Mineral concentrations varied across groups without clear directionality; sugars were higher in organic and ROC™ beetroots, whereas protein was lower in ROC™ beetroots (all, p < 0.001). Among commercial beetroot powders, organic powders had the lowest polyphenol concentrations (p < 0.001), sugar concentrations were lowest in the conventional powder (all, p < 0.01), while nitrate, betalain, mineral, and macronutrient concentrations showed no clear trend. These findings suggest that organic and ROC™ production systems in fresh beetroots are associated with higher levels of bioactive phytonutrients, while also highlighting that nutrient composition in commercial powdered beetroot products is influenced by sourcing factors, local agroecological conditions, and post-harvest processing.