Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8892-4261

Advisor

Li, Tongyin

Committee Member

Ayankojo, Ibukun

Committee Member

Bi, Guihong

Committee Member

Bheemanahalli, Raju

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 1 year

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Plant & Soil Sciences (Horticulture)

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

Microgreens and Asian leafy green vegetables are increasingly important specialty crops within controlled and protected culture systems due to short production cycles, high nutrient density, and strong market demand. However, optimal cultural practices for maximizing yield, quality, and nutritional value while maintaining food safety remain poorly defined across species. The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate how key cultural practices, including seed sanitization, seeding density, substrate type, seed priming, and foliar-applied biostimulants, influence germination, growth, yield, and mineral nutrient composition of microgreens and Asian leafy greens grown under protected culture conditions. The first three experiments assessed cultural practices applied to microgreens. The first experiment examined interactions between seeding density and substrate type, showing that optimal density varied widely among species and was strongly influenced by substrate physical properties. Increasing density generally increased total fresh yield per unit area but often reduced individual shoot size, visual quality, and nutrient concentration beyond species-specific thresholds. Substrate type significantly influenced establishment, yield, and mineral accumulation, with peat-based media generally supporting greater biomass, while fiber-based substrates altered nutrient profiles in some species. The second experiment evaluated seed priming methods and found that hydropriming and selected chemical priming treatments improved early growth, uniformity, and mineral composition in some species, though responses were inconsistent and highly species dependent. The third experiment evaluated several physical and chemical seed sanitization methods and demonstrated strong species-specific responses. The final experiment assessed foliar-applied biostimulants in Asian leafy greens grown under high tunnel conditions. While biostimulant application had limited effects on yield and morphology, cultivar differences strongly influenced growth, physiological traits, and mineral nutrient composition. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that cultural practices in microgreen and leafy green production must be optimized on a species- and system-specific basis. Integrating appropriate seed treatments, seeding densities, substrates, and biostimulant strategies can improve yield consistency, nutritional quality, and production efficiency in protected culture systems.

Sponsorship (Optional)

USDA Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project MS-149220

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