Abstract
Microgreens are gaining prominence for their high nutritional value, rapid growth cycle, and suitability for controlled-environment agriculture (CEA). Among key agronomic factors, seed density critically influences both yield and microbial safety, and it also impacts production cost. This study evaluated: (1) the effects of various seed densities on the yield and microbial load of cress (Lepidium sativum L.), rocket (Eruca sativa), and pea (Pisum sativum L.); and (2) the influence of supplemental UV-A radiation on the biomass, microbial load, and phytochemical profile of pea microgreens. The study found that fresh biomass increased with increasing seed density across all species up to a threshold, achieving maximum yields at 12 seeds/cm2 for cress and rocket and 2 seeds/cm2 for pea. However, higher seed densities were also associated with increased levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungi, which could pose an increased risk of microbial hazards concerning food safety, e.g., TAB in cress increasing from 7.04 ± 0.09 to 7.94 ± 0.17 log10CFU/g as seed density increases from 6 to 14 seeds/cm2. Initially white light supplemented with UV-A recorded a lower yield (11 g) compared to white light (13 g), but the final biomass was comparable under both lights, with microbial load remaining stable at ~3.8–4.2 log10 CFU/g. A temporary increase in carotenoids exhibited significantly higher levels (2.00± 0.29 µg/mg DW) under white light supplemented with UV-A radiation compared to white light alone (1.48 ± 0.23 µg/mg DW). However, these increases were not maintained throughout the growing period. These results indicate that optimising seed density in these species is vital for balancing productivity and food safety, and continuous UV-A exposure did not lead to sustained higher phytochemical levels or reduced microbial load compared with white light alone.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
cress biomass rose with density to a maximum at 12 seeds/cm2.
Verbatim
e0“fresh biomass increased with increasing seed density across all species up to a threshold, achieving maximum yields at 12 seeds/cm2 for cress and rocket and 2 seeds/cm2 for pea.”
Claim · model-written summary
rocket biomass rose with density to a maximum at 12 seeds/cm2.
Verbatim
e0“fresh biomass increased with increasing seed density across all species up to a threshold, achieving maximum yields at 12 seeds/cm2 for cress and rocket and 2 seeds/cm2 for pea.”
Claim · model-written summary
pea biomass rose with density to a maximum at 2 seeds/cm2.
- Taxon
- pea
Lathyrus oleraceuse0 - Treatment
- seed densitye0
- Outcome
- fresh biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 2 seeds/cm2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fresh biomass increased with increasing seed density across all species up to a threshold, achieving maximum yields at 12 seeds/cm2 for cress and rocket and 2 seeds/cm2 for pea.”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher seed density was associated with more microbial contamination in cress.
Verbatim
e0“higher seed densities were also associated with increased levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungi”
t0“cress (Lepidium sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher seed density was associated with more microbial contamination in rocket.
Verbatim
e0“higher seed densities were also associated with increased levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungi”
t0“rocket (Eruca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher seed density was associated with more microbial contamination in pea.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- higher seed densitiese0
- Outcome
- increased levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungie0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher seed densities were also associated with increased levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungi”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cress TAB increased to 7.94 ± 0.17 log10CFU/g as density rose to 14 seeds/cm2.
Verbatim
e0“TAB in cress increasing from 7.04 ± 0.09 to 7.94 ± 0.17 log10CFU/g as seed density increases from 6 to 14 seeds/cm2”
Claim · model-written summary
Supplemental UV-A initially reduced pea yield to 11 g versus 13 g under white light.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- white light supplemented with UV-Ae0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 11 ge0
- Qualifier
- 13 ge0
- Comparator
- white lighte0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Initially white light supplemented with UV-A recorded a lower yield (11 g) compared to white light (13 g)”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Final pea biomass was comparable under both light regimes.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- both lightse0
- Outcome
- final biomasse0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Comparator
- both lightse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the final biomass was comparable under both lights, with microbial load remaining stable at ~3.8–4.2 log10 CFU/g.”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Pea microbial load remained stable under both light regimes at about 3.8–4.2 log10 CFU/g.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- both lightse0
- Outcome
- microbial loade0
- Direction
- stablee0
- Value
- ~3.8–4.2 log10 CFU/ge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the final biomass was comparable under both lights, with microbial load remaining stable at ~3.8–4.2 log10 CFU/g.”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Supplemental UV-A temporarily raised pea carotenoids to 2.00± 0.29 µg/mg DW relative to white light alone.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- white light supplemented with UV-A radiatione0
- Outcome
- carotenoidse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 2.00± 0.29 µg/mg DWe0
- Qualifier
- 1.48 ± 0.23 µg/mg DWe0
- Comparator
- white light alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A temporary increase in carotenoids exhibited significantly higher levels (2.00± 0.29 µg/mg DW) under white light supplemented with UV-A radiation compared to white light alone (1.48 ± 0.23 µg/mg DW).”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The carotenoid increase was not maintained through the growing period.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Outcome
- these increasese0
- Direction
- not maintainede0
- Qualifier
- throughout the growing periode0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these increases were not maintained throughout the growing period.”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Continuous UV-A did not sustain higher pea phytochemical levels.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- continuous UV-A exposuree0
- Outcome
- phytochemical levelse0
- Direction
- did not lead to sustained highere0
- Comparator
- white light alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“continuous UV-A exposure did not lead to sustained higher phytochemical levels or reduced microbial load compared with white light alone.”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Continuous UV-A did not reduce pea microbial load.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- continuous UV-A exposuree0
- Outcome
- microbial loade0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- white light alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“continuous UV-A exposure did not lead to sustained higher phytochemical levels or reduced microbial load compared with white light alone.”
t0“pea (Pisum sativum L.)”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.