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Effect of Pre-Harvest Intermittent UV-B Exposure on Growth and Secondary Metabolites in Achyranthes japonica Nakai Microgreens in a Vertical Farm
Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) is a medicinal plant known to be beneficial for the joints. Since it takes at least two years from sowing to harvesting in
Ye Lin Kim, Moon-Sun Yeom, Han-Sol Sim, Ga Oun Lee, In-Je Kang, Gyu-Sik Yang, Jae Gil Yun, Ki-Ho Son
Horticulturae · 2024 · https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10101040
Abstract
Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) is a medicinal plant known to be beneficial for the joints. Since it takes at least two years from sowing to harvesting in an open field, new AJN cultivation strategies are needed to shorten the production period and improve quality. In this study, high-quality AJN is produced as microgreens in a vertical farm using a commercial ginseng soil mix (Myeongpum-Insamsangto, Shinsung Mineral Co., Ltd., Goesan, Republic of Korea) and controlled environmental conditions. The cultivation conditions included a temperature of 23 ± 2 °C, relative humidity of 50 ± 10%, and a photosynthetic photon flux density of 170 ± 15 µmol·m−2·s−1. Pre-harvest intermittent UV-B exposure, with an intensity of 1.0 ± 0.3 W/m−2, was applied for one day before harvest to evaluate its effects, using controlled environmental conditions in the vertical farm. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation increases secondary metabolite levels in plants; however, the effect of UV-B on 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), an indicator of AJN, is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether UV-B treatment of AJN microgreens affected growth and secondary metabolites. The treatment group was set to 12 h of continuous UV-B treatment during the day, two 6 h UV-B treatments, and four 3 h UV-B treatments to confirm the effectiveness of regular and intermittent treatment and recovery. Short-term UV-B treatment before harvesting increased phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, and 20E levels without affecting AJN biomass. The intermittent 6 h UV-B irradiation with a 6 h recovery time stimulated 20E content by approximately 1.4 times compared to the control. These study findings indicate that short-term UV-B treatment before harvesting, an appropriate recovery time, and intermittent UV-B exposure are more effective at increasing 20E content than continuous treatment. This approach provides a promising strategy for improving the nutritional and health benefits of AJN microgreens in vertical farming systems.
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How to credit this work
Ye Lin Kim; Moon-Sun Yeom; Han-Sol Sim; Ga Oun Lee; In-Je Kang; Gyu-Sik Yang; Jae Gil Yun; Ki-Ho Son (2024). Effect of Pre-Harvest Intermittent UV-B Exposure on Growth and Secondary Metabolites in Achyranthes japonica Nakai Microgreens in a Vertical Farm. Horticulturae. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10101040 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Hosted by EVEC Athens (microgreens.org.gr). No changes were made to this article. Provided as-is, without warranties. EVEC Athens is not affiliated with, and this copy is not endorsed by, the authors or the publisher.
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