Microgreens - An Alternative of Horticultural Production and Market

Abstract

Microgreens are considered a new specialty product in the culinary arts. This horticultural product is composed by the stem and fully developed cotyledons, and sometimes, with the first two true leaves in their first stage of development. Microgreens can be grown with seeds of different species and varieties of vegetables, aromatic herbs and wild herbs, giving to the gastronomic industry new ingredients with flavor, color and texture. The objectives developed in this investigation were divided in two sections. First, the objective focused on determining the productive viability of four different species of microgreens under controlled environment, namely mustard (Brassica juncea var. Red Giant), amaranth (Aaranthus tricolor var. Garnet Red), radish (Raphanus sativus var. Hong Vit) and arugula (Eruca sativa var. Rocket)]. Second, the paper aimed at assessing the current, potential demand and market segments of microgreens in the restaurant industry of the capital of Sonora, Mexico.

Keywords

• microgreens
• demand
• cotyledon
• market
• segment
• yield
• restaurant