Microscale vegetable production through microgreens: genotype, spectral bandwidth and substrate implications for growth and quality

A varied diet characterized by a balanced intake of various nutrients is important for a healthy diet. In recent decades, microgreens have become popular due to their vivid colors, distinct taste, and unique aroma, but especially due to their high phytochemical content, which promotes them as healthy dietary supplements. They constitute a new type of functional food with high nutritional and economic value that can also improve gastronomic processes. However, pre-harvest factors such as genotype, light intensity and quality, and growing medium can significantly influence the yield and quality of microgreens. The purpose of this review was to analyze in detail the influence of the above factors on microgreen yield and quality attributes. In the first part, we investigated the effect of genetic variability among different species of microgreens. In the second part, attention was paid to two key aspects: light management and selection of growing medium and their mutual interactions.