Plant factories with artificial lighting enable precise control of environmental factors, while selenium (Se) biofortification and continuous light (CL) exposure can enhance the nutritional and functional properties of microgreens, though their combined effects remain unclear. To elucidate this, Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) microgreens were grown under normal photoperiod (16 h) and CL (24 h), in combination with no or 35 µM sodium selenite supplementation, for 10 days, at identical daily light integrals. In this study, the combination of CL and Se slightly reduced yield but increased starch and soluble amino acid content of microgreen. CL led to a marginal increase in the absolute accumulation of organic Se and enhanced SeCys content, without affecting the overall organic Se conversion efficiency. While Se supplementation significantly enhanced antioxidant capacity in radish microgreens, improving in vitro hypoglycemic, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, these benefits were mostly independent of CL. This study provides a strategy for optimizing Se biofortification in plant factories, laying the theoretical foundation for the production of nutritionally enhanced microgreens with tailored health benefits.
Calanthe spp. belonging to the Orchidaceae family, possess high ornamental and medicinal value. However, their propagation efficiency under natural conditions remains low, and wild populations have been declining due to indiscriminate collection. To address this, we aimed to identify model-predicted culture conditions for in vitro seed germination rates of two Calanthe species. This study aimed to improve in vitro seed germination of Calanthe discolor and Calanthe striata f. sieboldii by evaluating the effects of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 6-benzyladenine (BA), and coconut water (CW), and by comparing response surface methodology (RSM) with machine-learning regression models. Seeds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium containing NAA (0–0.5 mg/L), BA (0–1.0 mg/L), and CW (0–10
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is an important cool-season turfgrass species; however, its poorly understood susceptibility to ice encasement stress limits its widespread use, particularly in northern regions. Therefore, this study aimed to better understand whether common traits related to stress tolerance are impacted by ice encasement and if there is variation in genotypes of PRG for ice encasement tolerance. Carbohydrate dynamics, proline accumulation, and lipid peroxidation were measured. Two relatively tolerant (P2G38 and P2) and two susceptible (P2G9 and P1) genotypes were found after exposure to three durations of ice encasement stress (0, 15, and 20 days) under ice and non-ice conditions in two experimental runs (2023–2024 and 2024–2025) in a controlled environment study in East Lansing, MI, USA, with 4 replicates each. P2G38 and P2 exhibited lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, retained greater carbohydrate reserves, and had higher proline levels after 15 or 20 days of ice encasement stress. These traits were positively associated with recovery rate following stress. Crown showed a greater reduction in proline content and total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) compared to roots. Moreover, plant recovery was higher in plants with higher TNC, water-soluble carbohydrates, storage carbohydrates, proline, and lower MDA levels. Furthermore, variation in carbohydrate reserves, proline, and MDA levels among the tolerant and susceptible genotypes was lower under no-ice conditions than under ice encasement. Therefore, retaining higher levels of carbohydrates and proline, along with lower MDA, is crucial for ice encasement tolerance in PRG. The variation displayed among the genotypes could indicate potential for breeding winterkill-resistant PRG.
Ginseng has a long cultivation period and limited seed production, thereby requiring tissue culture approaches to improve propagation efficiency. Somatic embryo (SE) induction efficiency is dependent on the carbon source concentration in the culture medium and may influence shoot formation and plant growth. In this study, the effects of sucrose concentration during SE induction were evaluated in Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolius by applying 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9
The rapid expansion of vertical farming demands highly space-efficient systems, but microclimatic heterogeneity often limits crop productivity. This study compared the growth, biomass allocation, and morphological responses of apple mint (Mentha suaveolens) cultivated in a conventional horizontal multi-tier growing system (HMGS) and a novel rotating vertical wall-mounted bi-directional growing system (RVWBGS). The RVWBGS accommodates 2.55 times more planting sites while reducing LED usage by 31.1
