Evaluation of 21 Brassica microgreens growth and nutritional profile grown under different red, blue and green LEDs combination

Abstract

Microgreens are rich functional crops with valuable nutritional elements that have health benefits when used as food supplants. Growth characterization, nutritional composition profile of 21 varieties representing 5 species of the Brassica genus as microgreens were assessed under light-emitting diodes (LEDs) conditions. Microgreens were grown under four different LEDs ratios (%) (R80:B20, R20:B80, R70:G10:B20, and R20:G10:B70). Results indicated that supplemental lighting with green LEDs (R70:G10:B20) enhanced vegetative growth and morphology, while blue LEDs (R20:B80) increased the mineral composition and vitamins content. Interestingly, combining the nutritional content with the growth yield to define the optimal LEDs setup, we found that the best lighting to promote the microgreen growth was supplying the green LEDs combination (R70:G10:B20). Remarkably, under this proper conditions, Kohlrabi purple, Cabbage red, Broccoli, Kale Tucsan, Komatsuna red, Tatsoi, and Cabbage green had the highest growth and nutritional content profile as microgreens which being a health-promoting in a diet support strategy required for the human health under certain isolated of limited food conditions.