Search Results (3)

To support the growing global population, sustainable farming methods like vertical farming must complement traditional agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of various nitrogen fertilizer application rates (N_low (1055.3 ppm), N_rec (1640.9 ppm), N_high (2811.3 ppm), and N_0 (469.9 ppm)) on organic kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala ‘Lacinato’) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris ‘Ruby/Rhubarb Red’), grown in a vertical growing system installed in a high tunnel during the spring and fall season of 2023 at the organic farm of Tennessee State University. Growth parameters studied included fresh weight, Brix, chlorophyll, plant height, and leaf count. Most parameters did not exhibit statistically significant differences (alpha = 0.05). However, consistent numerical trends and deviations were observed. Although not statistically significant, kale achieved the highest mean fresh weight in N_rec (688.08 g), and Swiss chard in N_high by spring (649.62 g). Among the few parameters, significant differences were observed for Swiss chard plant height (48.07 cm) and leaf count (47.25), with N_high during fall. Findings suggest that while definitive conclusions were limited, recommended nitrogen rates (N_rec) may enhance crop performance and contribute sustainable yields in resource constrained vertical farming systems. Further controlled studies are warranted to validate trends and refine nutrient strategies in vertical growing system. Full article

Among the Brassica oleracea L. crops, kale has gained increased global recognition in recent years as a healthy food item due to its high nutritional value and versatility. Additionally, the diversity of different kale varieties has started to be explored across large latitudes from the Mediterranean to north temperate climates. Specifically, glucosinolates are the predominant phytochemicals found in kale leaves, contributing to the specific taste of this vegetable, and they are affected by environmental factors such as temperature. To date, no study has investigated the effect of chilling on glucosinolate diversity and, thus, the taste in genetically different kale cultivars at the same time. Given the variability of glucosinolates observed among cultivars, we evaluated the impact of acclimation to cold temperatures on glucosinolate levels in curly kale, Lacinato kale, and a feral type using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS). We targeted the short-term impact (after 12 h) on glucosinolates as well as the longer-term effect (after seven days) of cold acclimation. Our results revealed different molecular patterns regarding the change in glucosinolates in the feral type compared to curly kale and Lacinato-type kale. In the latter ones, primary aliphatic glucosinolates were induced (the glucoraphanin in Lacinato kale increased by more than 200%). The indole glucobrassicin was not significantly affected. Conversely, in the feral type the indole glucobrassicin was reduced by 35% after cold acclimation, whereas aliphatic glucosinolates were hardly affected. The results indicate that both genetic and environmental factors are important for the composition of glucosinolate patterns in kale. In conclusion, to obtain plants with an improved nutritional value, considering both temperature and the choice of cultivar is crucial during kale cultivation. Future breeding attempts of kale should also emphasize the cultivar-dependent cold acclimation patterns reported here. Full article

In the present study, we investigated the content and profile of polyphenols (PPH), ascorbic acid (AA), the Folin–Ciocalteu index (FCI), and antioxidant activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and peroxyl radical (ROO)) variation during three different plant growth stages (sprouts, microgreens and baby leaves) of two broccoli types, the traditional Sicilian sprouting broccoli landrace (‘Broccolo Nero’) and the broccoli standard (‘Cavolo broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’), and the standard commercial cultivar of kale (‘Cavolo Lacinato Nero di Toscana’). All biomasses collected were freeze-dried for PPH, AA, FCI, DPPH and ROO analysis. The highest polyphenol content was observed for ‘Broccolo Nero’ (BN) and ‘Cavolo Broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’ (CR), and generally sprouts showed significantly higher values compared to the microgreens and the baby leaves. The AA, FCI, DDPH and ROO significantly vary with regards to the cultivar and the plant growth stage, showing interaction between the two experimental factors analyzed. The interaction detected showed higher values for the antioxidant traits of the proposed novel food, especially for the two broccoli cultivars in the sprout growth stage in comparison to the microgreens and baby leaves. Our results suggest that the antioxidant activity is partially dependent on kaempferol and apigenin. The PPH compounds showed the highest values of kaempferol and apigenin for ‘Broccolo nero’, whereas for the other two cultivars studied, only kaempferol was the main compound represented. The data acquired are of interest for increasing the healthy traits of the novel food proposed showing the contribution offered by the neglected LRs until now underutilized and at risk of extinction. The germplasm conserved in several world genebanks could support and diversify the organic vegetable items, providing us with added-value products for organic food supply chains. Full article