Abstract
Microgreens are emerging specialty crops becoming increasingly popular for their rich nutrient profile and variety of colors, flavors, and textures. The growing medium is a significant key factor in microgreen yield, quality, and sustainability. The widespread use of peat-based media raises questions regarding the environmental sustainability of microgreens production, and new substrates that are more sustainable are required. To this purpose, a study was designed with the objective of comparing eight alternative growing media evaluating their physicochemical properties and effect on yield, mineral profile, and nutritional quality of peas and radish microgreens. Tested substrates included a standard peat and perlite mixture (PP), coconut coir (CC), spent mushroom compost (SMC), organic waste compost (CMP), and 50:50 (v:v) mixes of PP and SMC, PP and CMP, CC and SMC, and CC and CMP. The physicochemical properties widely differed among the alternative substrates tested. SMC had high electrical conductivity and salt concentration, which resulted in poor seed germination. Growing media tested significantly influenced the production and nutritional quality of both microgreen species and variations were modulated by the species. With a 39.8% fresh yield increase or a small yield decrease (-14.9%) in radish and peas, respectively, PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mix provided microgreens of similar or higher nutritional quality than PP, suggesting the potential of substituting at least in part peat with CMP. Using locally available CMP in mix with PP could reduce the microgreens industry reliance on peat while reducing costs and improving the sustainability of the production of microgreens. Further research is needed to evaluate also the potential economic and environmental benefits of using locally available organic materials like CMP as alternative growing media and peat-substitute to produce microgreens.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Spent mushroom compost produced poor seed germination.
- Taxon
- peas
Lathyrus oleraceuse1 - Treatment
- SMCe0
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Direction
- poore0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“SMC had high electrical conductivity and salt concentration, which resulted in poor seed germination”
e1“peas and radish microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Media significantly influenced microgreen production and nutritional quality with species-dependent variation.
- Taxon
- peasLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- Growing mediae0
- Outcome
- production and nutritional qualitye0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Growing media tested significantly influenced the production and nutritional quality of both microgreen species and variations were modulated by the species”
e1“peas and radish microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
PP+CMP increased radish fresh yield by 39.8%.
- Taxon
- radish
Raphanus sativuse1 - Treatment
- PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mixe1
- Outcome
- fresh yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 39.8%e0
- Comparator
- PPe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“39.8% fresh yield increase”
e1“in radish and peas, respectively, PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mix”
e2“than PP”
Claim · model-written summary
PP+CMP decreased pea fresh yield by 14.9%.
- Taxon
- peasLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mixe1
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- -14.9%e0
- Comparator
- PPe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“small yield decrease (-14.9%)”
e1“in radish and peas, respectively, PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mix”
e2“than PP”
Claim · model-written summary
PP+CMP provided similar or higher microgreen nutritional quality than PP.
- Taxon
- peasLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mixe0
- Outcome
- nutritional qualitye0
- Direction
- similar or highere0
- Comparator
- PPe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PP+CMP (50:50, v/v) mix provided microgreens of similar or higher nutritional quality than PP”
e1“peas and radish microgreens”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.