1. Microgreens are a new class of edible vegetables harvested at the seedling stage that are more nutrient dense than mature vegetables. They can be grown year-round with minimal space, time and inputs. 2. This study analyzed the mineral composition of 30 varieties of microgreens from the Brassicaceae family. It found that microgreens are rich sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium and other minerals. Broccoli microgreens contained the highest levels of many minerals. 3. Microgreens provide a nutrient-dense food option that can be grown in urban areas with minimal resources. Their short production time makes them suitable for home gardens and commercial production.

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3. College of Horticulture, KOLAR
3
Name of the Student : NAGAMANI G V
ID No. : UHS16PGM843
Degree Programme and Subject : Sr. M.Sc., (Hort.)
Vegetable Science
College : College of Horticulture, Kolar.
2nd SEMINAR
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4. Outline of Seminar
Introduction
Microgreens: What are they?
Nutritional Importance
Microgreens: The Growing Process
Homestead and Commercial utility
Review of Literature
Conclusion
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5. • The spectrum of life in terms of income, life style are
changing rapidly with economic development leading to
major challenge of numerous diseases related to
nutritional deficiencies.
• Non-availability of fresh and pesticide residue free
vegetables for consumption.
• Diet-related diseases -obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, hypertension.
Introduction
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6. Option???????????
MICROGREEN
S
Urban or peri
urban areas.
Short growth cycle
Grown with and
without soil.
external inputs like
fertilizers and
pesticides.
Bio-active
Compounds-
vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants.
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7. Microgreens: What are they?
Microgreens are a new class of edible vegetables which
also includes herbs or other plants, ranging in size from 5 to 10
cm (Xiao et al., 2012).
Central stem
Cotyledon leaf First pair of
true leaves
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8. Sprouts
Microgreens
Babygreens
Different Stages of Plant
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9. HISTORY
• In the 1960s sunflower and radish were frequently
grown in sunny windows as winter “Greens”.
• In the 1980s, chefs started growing “Cresses” and
“Seedlings” for garnishing
• The first documented use of the word
"MICROGREENS" in USA 1998
--Pinto et al., (2015)
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10. Nutritional Importance
 Phytonutrient levels differ according to the growth stages of the
plant and often decrease from the seedling to the fully developed
stage.
-Barillari et al. (2005); Ebert (2014)
 7 days after germination, young lettuce seedlings had the highest
total phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity in
comparison to the older leaves. Oh et al.(2011)
 Microgreens are 4-6 times more nutrient dense than their adult
counterparts. Xiao et al., (2012)
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11. Important Vegetable Crops as Microgreens
Red Amaranth
Red cabbage Pea
Cress
dill
Radish
Broccoli
Beetroot
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Fenugreek
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12. 12
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13. Benefits of growing Microgreens
• Quick to grow
• High yield to space ratio
• Minimal cost, time and effort required
• Perfect solution for urban living
• Simple requirements
• Suitable for all climates
• Indoor edible garden
• Nutrient dense food
• No loss of nutrient value.
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14.  Flat tray with good drainage. (45 x 30 cm)
 Media: Organic potting mix, Cocopeat, Vermiculite (1.5-2 kg)
 Fill the tray with media 4 cm deep and moisture it.
Material and media
Microgreens: The Growing Process
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15. Micro-
greens
Seed (g)/Tray
(45 x 30 cm )
Soaking Time
(h)
Depth of media
Mix (cm)
Temperature
(oC)
Amaranth 2.5 - 2 >22
Purple Basil 2.5 - 1 >24
Beet root 12.5 24 2 16-25
Cress 8 - 1 16-25
Dill 5 - 1 15-23
Kale 5 4-8 2 16-28
Linseed 36 - 2 16-25
Mustard 2.5 8 2 16-25
Pea shoots 100-150 8-12 3 15-25
Radish 5 6-12 3 16-28
Cabbage 5 4-8 2 16-25
Arugula 3 6-8 4 16-25
Some Requirements for Growing Microgreens
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Xiao et al., 2016
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16.  Soaking
 Then broadcast the seeds top of the media
 Covered with paper towel/ Vermiculite/ Cocopeat.
Sowing
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17.  Watering by fine spray.
 High light conditions with low humidity and good air circulation.
 Requires 12 hours of light.
Practices
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18. Nutritional requirement
 No need much fertilizer.
 Diluted 15:15:15 @ 1-2 g/l
 Germination paper dipping into fertilizer if grown without media.
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19.  Appearance of 1st set of true leaves.
 Cutting above from media surface.
 Packing without roots.
Harvesting
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20. Microgreen Troubleshooting
Weak, skinny microgreens
Over crowding
Wrong sowing time
Dead seeds
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21. Microgreens have a short shelf life.
Hence, require better methods of storing and
transporting.
Commercial microgreens are most often stored
in plastic clamshell containers @ 2.5-3.50 C up
to 7 days.
Clamshell container: Good for transportation
of microgreens.
Post Harvest Management
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22. 22
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23. 23
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24. Nutritional value
≥
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25. Case study-1
“Amaranth sprouts and microgreens- a homestead
vegetable production option to enhance food and
nutrition security in the rural urban continuum”
Ebert et al., 2014
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26. Material and methods
Location: AVRDC, Thiwan.
Plant material: VI044470, VI047764, Juan-Chih-Shing, and
Hung-Shing-Tsai
Media: Peat moss and Vermiculite (3:1)
Harvesting: 9 days after sowing.
--Ebert et al., 2014
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27. Cultivar Chlorogenic
acid (µmol)
Neoxanthin
(mg)
Lutein
(mg)
α-carotene
(mg)
β-carotene
(mg)
1. VI044470 0.00b 1.00a 2.66a 0.35a 2.34a
2. VI047764 0.35a 0.75b 1.95b 0.13c 1.87b
3. Juan-Chih-Shing 0.00b 0.62b 1.64b 0.10c 1.37c
4. Hung-Shing-Tsai 0.00b 0.98a 2.66a 0.27b 1.91b
Mean 0.09 0.84 2.18 0.21 1.87
Table 1: Nutritional analysis of different cultivars of amaranths as microgreens (100 g).
Table 2: Nutritional analysis of different cultivars of amaranths as fully grown.
Cultivar Chlorogenic
acid (µmol)
Neoxanthin
(mg)
Lutein
(mg)
α-carotene
(mg)
β-carotene
(mg)
1. VI044470 0.00 0.99ab 2.61a 0.21a 1.16b
2. VI047764 0.00 0.1a 4.14a 0.29a 4.45a
3. Juan-Chih-Shing 0.00 0.72b 2.21a 0.12a 2.21ab
4. Hung-Shing-Tsai 0.00 0.42ab 3.03a 0.22a 2.23ab
Mean 0.00 0.09 3 0.21 2.11
Ebert et al. (2014)
AVRDC, Taiwan 27
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28. 0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
cv. 1 cv. 2 cv. 3 cv. 4
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
General
acceptibility
Appearance Texture Taste
cv. 1 cv. 2 cv. 3 cv. 4 P>0.05
Appearance Texture Taste
General
acceptability
Fig. 1: Organoleptic evaluation of
amaranth microgreens.
P>0.05
Ebert et al. (2014)
AVRDC, Taiwan
a
ab
a
b
a ab
a
b b a
a
a
b b
a
a
a
a
b
b
a
b
a
b
ab
b
a
b
a
a b
b
Fig. 2: Organoleptic evaluation of
mature amaranth greens.
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cv1:VI044470,
cv2:VI047764,
cv3:Juan-Chih-Shing
cv4:Hung-Shing-Tsai

29. • The phytonutrient content showed significant
differences among the varieties within the same
growth stages and also between the growth stages.
Inference
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30. Case study-2
“Comparision between the mineral profile and
nitrate content of microgreens and mature lettuce”.
Pinto et al., 2015
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31. Material and Methods
• Location: Portugal
• Season: Dec-Feb
• Nutrient: 127:41: 29 g/plant (N:P:K)
• Harvesting: 2 weeks after sowing for microgreens and
mature greens at 10 weeks after sowing.
• Nitrate: Ion Chromatography
• Ammonium: Spectrophotometric method
• Nitrogen: Kjeldhal Method.
-- Pinto et al., 2015
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32. Table 5: Estimated daily intake of nutrients resulting from
Microgreens and mature lettuce consumption (22.5 g/person).
Element
(EDI mg/day)
Microgreens
(EDI mg/day)
Matured lettuce
(EDI mg/day)
Ratio of
microgreens
/mature lettuce
Nitrogen 82.10 98.10 0.80
Potassium 82.10 98.10 0.80
Phosphorous 21.70 41.50 0.50
Calcium 34.80 17.20 2.00
Magnesium 6.50 4.50 1.40
Copper 9.6 8.5 1.1
Iron 0.32 0.17 1.90
Manganese 0.28 0.03 9.30
Zinc 0.13 0.08 1.60
Pinto et al. (2015) 32
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33. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
N P K Ca Mg Na
Microgreens mature lattuces
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Fe Mn Zn Cu
Microgreens Mature lattuces
Content
(mg
kg
-1
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Mo Se
Microgreens Mature lattuces
Content
(µg
kg
-1
)
Fig. 3,4,5: Comparison of mineral contents between microgreens and mature greens of lettuce.
Pinto et al. (2015)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Content
(g
kg
-1
)
a
a
a
a
b
b
b
b
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
b
b
b
a
b
b
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34. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Microgreens Mature lattuces
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
Microgreens Mature lattuces
NO3
- NH4
+
Content
(mg
kg
-1
)
Content
(µg
kg
-1
)
Fig. 6, 7 : Comparison of nitrate content between microgreens and mature greens of
lettuce.
Pinto et al. (2015)
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
a
a
b
b
Fig. 6 Fig. 7
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35. • Microgreens of lettuce have higher content of
essential minerals compared to mature green lettuce.
• Microgreens contain very lesser amount of nitrate
content so it can be safely used in the human diet.
Inference
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36. Case study-3
“Microgreens of Brassicaceae: Mineral composition
and content of 30 varieties”
--Xiao et al., 2016
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37. Material and methods
• Location: Agricultural Research Centre, Beltsville, USA
• Season: March-May 2014
• Substrate used: peat moss
• Sample digestion: Muffle furnace at 480 0C
• Micronutrients: Atomic absorption spectroscopy
--Xiao et al., 2016
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38. Microgreen
(mg/100 g FW)
Ca Mg P K Na Cd
Arugula 67±2 41±1 63±1 343±13 35±1 ND
Broccoli 88±2 51±1 90±6 326±9 52±2 ND
Brussels sprouts 81±4 49±1 57±0 293±5 54±3 ND
Chinese Cabbage 68±1 31±0 69±1 240±35 25±1 ND
Red Cabbage 75±1 39±0 65±0 240±2 32±1 ND
Cauliflower 94±2 66±1 62±0 224±13 61±1 ND
Red Kale 59±3 36±1 60±1 332±18 43±3 ND
Kohlrabi purple 92±5 52±2 77±3 342±7 50±3 ND
Mustard red 47±4 28±1 52±2 289±5 27±1 ND
Pak Choy 58±2 31±2 59±4 284±12 42±5 ND
Radish 66±2 60±3 86±4 176±10 57±4 ND
Rutabaga 59±2 44±1 64±1 270±14 39±4 ND
Table 6 : Mineral profiling of commercially grown microgreens in Brassicaceae
family.
Xiao et al. (2016)
ARS, USA 38
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39. Microgreen
(mg/100 g FW)
Fe Zn Cu Mn Pb
Arugula 0.71±0.01 0.35±0.01 0.07±0.00 0.29±0.01 ND
Broccoli 0.67±0.01 0.37±00 0.09±0.00 0.37±0.00 ND
Brussels sprouts 0.57±0.01 0.29±0.01 0.08±0.00 0.37±0.01 ND
Chinese Cabbage 0.66±0.01 0.36±0.01 0.04±0.00 0.30±0.01 ND
Red Cabbage 0.62±0.01 0.36±0.01 0.08±0.00 0.31±0.00 ND
Cauliflower 0.62±0.01 0.29±0.01 0.06±0.00 0.31±0.00 ND
Red Kale 0.47±0.01 0.29±0.01 0.06±0.00 0.32±0.01 ND
Kohlrabi purple 0.75±0.03 0.75±0.03 0.11±0.01 0.39±0.01 ND
Mustard red 0.62±0.07 0.22±0.01 0.06±0.00 0.24±0.00 ND
Pak Choy 0.49±0.02 0.30±0.01 0.05±0.01 0.29±0.02 ND
Radish 0.57±0.02 0.28±0.01 0.05±0.00 0.19±0.00 ND
Rutabaga 0.52±0.02 0.26±0.01 0.07±0.00 0.39±0.00 ND
Table 7 : Mineral profiling of commercially grown microgreens in Brassicaceae
family.
Xiao et al. (2016)
ARS, USA 39
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ND-not detected

40. • Mineral content in the microgreens varies with the
crop to crop.
• Accumulation of toxic substance will increases with
increase in the duration of crop.
Inference
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41. Case study-4
“Seed treatments to advance greenhouse
establishment of beet and chard microgreens”
--Lee et al., 2004
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42. Material and Methods
• Location: University of Delawre, New York
• Cultivar used: Early wonder tall top (beet) and Ruby Red
(Chard).
• Substrate: Vermiculite
• Treatments: 6
• Replications: 4 (Each replication contain 50 seed balls)
--Lee et al., 2004
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43. Seed treatment
‘Early Wonder Tall
Top’ beet
‘Ruby Red’
chard
FGP
(% )
G50
(days)
FGP
(% )
G50
(days)
Control 93b 4.8a 75b 6.0b
Primed
(12 °C, 6 d, 1 seed : 5 vermiculite)
99a 1.8d 91a 2.8de
Water soak
(20 °C, 48 h)
95b 2.2d 61cd 3.6d
Hydrogen peroxide soak
(0.3%, 20 °C, 48 h)
95b 1.2e 84ab 2.6e
Hydrogen chloride soak
(0.3%, 20 °C, 2 h)
94b 3.1c 85ab 4.9c
Sodium hypochlorite soak
(4%, 20 °C, 3 h)
92b 3.9b 56d 6.9a
LSD0.05 6 0.4 8 0.8
Table 8 : Effect of different seed treatments on seed germination of beet and
chard.
NHRI, Korea Lee et al. (2004) 44
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44. Seed treatment Vermiculite
orientation
Location
within
vermiculite
Radicle length
(mm)
Shoot fresh
weight
(gm–2)
‘Early Wonder Tall Top’ beet
Control - - - 871c
Germinated Horizontal Top 4.8 ab 1191a
Bottom 6.3a 1128ab
Germinated Vertical Top 3.3b 1250a
Bottom 2.9b 1098b
LSD0.05 2.0 148
‘Ruby Red’ chard
Control - - 310d
Horizontal Top 3.2a 909a
Bottom 3.4a 822ab
Germinated Vertical Top 1.9b 704c
Bottom 2.2b 604bc
LSD0.05 0.9 188
NHRI, Korea Lee et al. (2004)
Table 9: Influence of vermiculite orientation and location within the medium on various
parameters of microgreens.
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45. • Seed priming with vermiculite increases the
germination percentage.
• Sowing of germinated seeds gives higher fresh
weight of microgreens compared to control.
Inference
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46. Light
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47. Case study-5
“Light - emitting Diodes (LEDs) for higher
nutritional quality of brassicaceae microgreens”.
--Victorija and Akvile 2015
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48. Material and Methods
• Location: Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanin.
• Three light treatment: Control, LED150, LED250
• Mineral elements: Microwave digestion method.
• Mustard ‘Red Lion’
--Victorija and Akvile, 2015
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49. Light
treatment
hypocotyllength (cm) Plant height(cm) Leaf area (cm2)
Mustard ‘Red Lion’
(Control) 3.39±0.22 4.71±0.24 0.91±0.10
LED150 2.56±0.11b 3.84±0.15b 0.86±0.07
LED250 2.05±0.06b 3.47±0.10b 0.85±0.13
LSD05 0.22 0.24 0.27
Table 10 : Effect of different light treatments on growth parameters
of mustard microgreens.
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Viktorija and Akvile (2015)
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50. Light treatment
µmol m-2s-1
Ascorbic acid
(mg g-1)
Total phenols
(mg g-1)
Total
Anthocyanins
(mg g-1)
Mustard ‘Red Lion’
Control 1.47±0.02 1.41±0.06 0.38±0.02
LED150 1.58±0.03a 1.65±0.02a 0.44±0.03a
LED250 2.26±0.06a 2.10±0.05a 0.43±0.02
LSD05 0.10 0.12 0.05
Table 11: Antioxidant properties of mustard microgreens cultivated under
different light treatments.
LSD05 - Fisher’s protected least significant difference (P≤0.05)
a value is significantly(P≤0.05) higher than control(HPS)
Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Viktorija and Akvile (2015)
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51. • LED light prevented from undesirable microgreens
elongation, led to increased contents of
phytochemicals (phenols, total anthocyanin and
ascorbic acid).
Inference
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52. Conclusion
 Microgreens possessed higher amount of bio-active
compounds and minerals in contrast to full greens.
 Matric priming could be important for better germination
in Beta vulgaris.
 Similarly, cultivation of mustard microgreens under
LED250 increased ascorbic acid and phenol content,
whereas total anthocyanin content is found to be higher
under LED150.
 Compared to mature greens microgreens found to be
have negligible quantity of toxic substance so it can
safely used in the Human diet.
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53. Future line of work
• Study on effect different seed rate and fertilzer input
on yield and quality.
• Need to be study the nutrient content in the different
time interval of harvesting.
• Identification of suitability of different vegetable
varieties for production of microgreens.
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