Growth and Carotenoid Contents of Intercropped Vegetables in Building-Integrated Urban Agriculture

Abstract

Sustainable food security due to climate and social change is more important than ever. This study was conducted to increase plant growth and bioactive contents using intercropping technology in urban agriculture. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) were intercropped in different ratios in outdoor rooftop, and lettuce (Lactuca savita L.) was grown with chicory (Cichorium intybus. L.) in the indoor LED plant growth chambers. Carotenoids in plant foods were analyzed using an ultraperformance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Chlorophyll contents were determined by the soil analysis development chlorophyll meter. Tomatoes planted with sunflowers (3 : 1) had a significantly larger stem diameter ( p < 0.05 ), a large number of leaves ( p < 0.05 ), and significantly higher lycopene at d88 ( p < 0.05 ), d102 ( p < 0.001 ), and d115 ( p < 0.01 ), and β-carotene contents at d102 ( p < 0.05 ) as compared to those of monocultured tomatoes. Lettuce planted in a ratio of 1 : 3 with lettuce and chicory had significantly higher contents of chlorophyll ( p < 0.05 ), β-carotene ( p < 0.05 ), and lutein ( p < 0.01 ), than lettuce planted alone. On the other hand, intercropping of chicory and lettuce did not have a beneficial effect on the growth and carotenoid content of chicory. The current study indicates that plant growth and carotenoid content can be substantially modified by cocultivation, and the effects may vary depending on the type of plant and the crop ratio.

Effects of the Mixed Seeding Rate of Milkvetch on Fertilizer Substrate, Growth, and Carotenoid Levels of Baby Leaf Vegetables in Vertical Indoor Farming

“…The main carotenoid found in baby leaf vegetables is lutein; however, zeaxanthin, b-cryptoxanthin, and b-carotene have also been reported (Bermejo and Munne-Bosch 2023). According to previous research, baby leaf vegetables were harvested 27 d after sowing, when their bioactive compound values are optimized (Ju et al 2021). To obtain representative samples of each leaf vegetable, 100 g of each treatment was randomly collected in three replicates.…”

“…The plant samples were washed with deionized water, dewatered, transported to the laboratory, and minced immediately. Carotenoids were extracted and quantified following the method of Ju et al (2021), with some modifications.…”

Home Meal Replacement Fortified with Eggshell Powder and Vitamin D Prevents Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Study

“…Extraction of carotenoids from serum and study diets was performed using the slightly modified Folch method [ 26 ] and tetrahyrofuran as described previously [ 27 ] with minor modification, respectively, and the analysis of carotenoids was conducted using a UPLC system (ACQUITY UPLC I-Class, Waters Co., Milford, MA, USA) equipped with a BEH C18 column (1.7 μm, 2.1 × 50 mm, Waters Co., Milford, MA, USA), C18 guard column, binary pump delivery system, autosampler, and photodiode array detector. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile/methanol (70:30, v / v ) for solvent A, and water for solvent B.…”