Effect of different growth media on some agromorphological features of (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata subvar. rubra) microgreens

Microgreens are innovative products in the vegetable sector. Despite their short growth cycle, commercial production of microgreens requires special attention and the choice of growing medium represents one of the most critical aspects of the production process. The growth medium constitutes one of the main costs of production and plays an important role in determining the yield and quality of microgreens, as well as the environmental sustainability of the production process. The growth medium used must have a microporous structure, provide sufficient water retention capacity and adequate aeration, and be microbiologically safe. The production conditions in the research using a microgreens growing cabinet (confetti cabinet) used controlled conditions. Accordingly, the confetti cabinet was set to 16/8 light/dark photoperiod with constant temperature 22±2°C, constant humidity 70% and maximum 400 ppm CO2 fixed values. The microgreen species used in the research was red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata subvar. Rubra) from the Brassicaceae family. The growth medium materials used for the germination of seeds were white germination sponge (WGS), black germination sponge (BGS), cellulose fabric (CF). Microgreens grown in the microgreen cabinet were harvested 9 days after seed sowing. Some agromorphological values were examined in the study. In terms of number of plants per cm2, values were CF 7.60; WGS 7.43 and BGS 6.23. When the trunk length was examined, values were CF 5.77 cm; WGS 5.27 cm and BGS 3.13 cm. When the dry weight was examined, values were CF 2.31 g, WGS 1.42 g and BGS 0.99 g. When the fresh weight was examined, values were measured as CF 28.16 g; WGS 17.54 g and BGS 7.65 g. Although there was no significant difference between them according to p<0.05, cellulose fabric can be recommended for use in the Confetti Cabin for microgreen cultivation in terms of the examined criteria. It is important to pay attention to potential sources of microbial pollution in microgreen cultivation. In addition to the use of clean seeds in production using cellulose fabric, it is thought that the growth media should not be a potential source of microbial contamination for microgreens.