• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.194-200
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• 2017

This study aimed to determine the suitable of harvest time on the growth and quality of baby leafy vegetables (Agastsche rugosa O. Kuntze and Lepidium sativum L.) grown on rice seedling tray in a six-layered bench system at 30cm intervals in order to exploit the space during rice growing off-season. Seedlings were grown on the rice seedling tray for 10 days after sowing with coir substrate supplied with nutrient solution at EC $1.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ every 2 days prior to placing the tray on the bench, which were at $1^{st}$ (Low) layer above 20cm and $6^{th}$ (High) layer above 170cm apart from the ground. Growth and phytochemical contents were measured at 7-day and 14-day harvest time. During the culture periods, daily average of integrated solar radiation and temperature were $9.3{\sim}9.6MJ{\cdot}m^{-2}$, $27.5^{\circ}C$ in the High layer and $5.1{\sim}6.2MJ{\cdot}m^{-2}$ in average, and $26.5{\sim}26.6^{\circ}C$ in the Low layer, respectively. For A. rugosa, the highest growth was observed in the Low layer bench at a 14-day harvest time, while their plant height in the High layer was shorter and the leaf number was lower. For L. sativum, the plant height, leaf length and width, leaf number and fresh weight were higher in the Low layer. For A. rugosa, a high yield was observed with the increase in integrated temperature and integrated solar radiation, while a higher yield of L. sativum was found with the increase in integrated temperature, but not with integrated solar radiation. For A. rugosa, both polyphenol and anthocyanin contents were higher in the High layer at a 14-day harvest time. For L. sativum, polyphenol contents were higher in the High layer, whereas no significant difference in anthocyanin and flavonoid contents was observed depending on the layer and harvest time. The highest chlorophyll content showed in Low layer at a 7-day harvest time in both A. rugose and L. sativum. All of the results suggest that in terms of growth and quality, it may be better growing in the high layer for 14 days after seedling in A. rugosa, and low layer for 7 days in L. sativum.