Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 2
Written by Lorena-Diana POPA, Marian BURDUCEA, Gheorghe MATEI, Gabriel-Ciprian TELIBAN, Alexandra-Andreea BUBURUZ, Simona-Florina ISTICIOAIA, Alexandra LEONTE, Paula-Lucelia PINTILIE, Denisia-Mihaela IACOBUȚ, Cosmin Alexandru MURARU, Nicolae-Valentin VLĂDUȚ, Vasile STOLERU, Ioana BUȚERCHI
Microgreens are a sustainable and innovative food source, highly valued for their nutritional content, short cultivation time, and potential to address global food security challenges. The experiment was conducted in 2024 in a controlled environment growth chamber using monoecious hemp seeds. It evaluated the effects of three substrates (perlite, peat and vermicompost) and two types of watering (distilled water and water from a recirculating aquaculture system – RAS water) on the biometric traits, yield, and nutritional quality of hemp microgreens. The results showed that the Peat x RAS water variant produced the highest fresh matter yield (12.75 g/100 cm²) and the largest leaf area index (LAI – 332.25 cm²/100 cm²), as well as the highest protein content (23.72%). The Vermicompost x distilled water combination resulted in the highest total fiber content (18.62%), while the Perlite x distilled water variant had the highest content of total soluble solids (7.2°BX). These findings highlight the essential role of substrate and watering in optimizing biometry, yield, and nutritional properties, further establishing hemp microgreens as a sustainable and innovative choice for modern diets.
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