Morphological and physicochemical characterisation of mizuna microgreens grown on cellulose-based substrates

Abstract

Peat is one of the most commonly used substrates for microgreens production, but new trends are leading to its replacement with more sustainable substrates or mixtures in various proportions. This study aimed to investigate the replacement of peat substrate with a new cellulose-based substrate, named ARBOCEL^®, in mizuna microgreens production, as well as different formulations of peat and ARBOCEL^® substrates. For growing mizuna microgreens, the following substrate formulations were used: 100% peat substrate (P); substrate containing 50% ARBOCEL^® and 50% peat (50A:50P); substrate containing 70% ARBOCEL^® and 30% peat (70A:30P); 100% ARBOCEL^® (A). The results showed that microgreens grown on ARBOCEL^® (A) had slightly different morphological properties compared to those grown on peat or on the mixture of ARBOCEL^® and peat. Moreover, microgreens grown on substrates containing different proportions of peat and ARBOCEL^® (50A:50P and 70A:30P) exhibited improved morphological characteristics compared with those grown exclusively on ARBOCEL^® (A), including greater weight of microgreens, leaf length and width, and root height. Microgreens grown exclusively on ARBOCEL^® and those grown on ARBOCEL^®–peat mixture substrates showed lower moisture content than those grown entirely on peat, which is understandable due to the physicochemical properties of cellulose. Visual ratings were also higher in these samples than those grown entirely on ARBOCEL^®. In conclusion, the use of ARBOCEL^®, either alone or combined with peat, is a viable option for sustainable microgreen production and contributes to addressing ecological concerns. However, future studies are necessary to evaluate the phytochemical profile of mizuna microgreens grown on ARBOCEL^®.