ARI REVIEW FOR 2016-2017

Appraisal of landraces, underutilised crops and wild edible plants as microgreens Interest in fresh, functional foods is on the rise, compelled by the growing interest of consumers for diets that support health and longevity. Microgreens garner immense potential for adapting leafy vegetable production to a micro-scale and for improving nutritional value in human diet. Major factors impacting the physiology and crop quality of microgreens include species selection, fertilisation, biofortification, lighting and growth stage at harvest; moreover, postharvest handling and applications, such as temperature, atmospheric composition, lighting and packaging technology influence shelf-life and microbial safety. Effective non-chemical treatments for seed surface sterilisation and antimicrobial action, pre-sowing treatments to standardise and shorten the production cycle and crop-specific information on the interaction of sowing rate with yield and quality warrant further work. Indigenous landraces, underutilised crops and wild edible plants constitute a vast repository for selection of genetic material for microgreens. Modular fertilisation may fortify microgreens’ bioactive content and augment their sensorial attributes. Pre- and postharvest select-waveband, intensity and photoperiod combinations can elicit compound-specific improvements in functional quality and in shelf-life. Effective sanitisers and drying methods non-abusive on quality and shelf-life for commercialisation of ready-to-eat packaged microgreens are needed. Genotypic variability in postharvest chilling sensitivity and the interactions of temperature, light conditions and packaging gas permeability need be further examined to establish environments suppressive on respiration but preventive of off-odour development. ( Kyriacou, M.C., A. Kyratzis, G. Soteriou ) Evaluation of an ex situ collection of local pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) accessions as per their qualitative and technological traits, their antioxidant value and storage performance An ex situ collection of local pomegranate accessions collected over a wide range of localities on the island was established at the Zygi Experimental Station in 2010 for purposes of characterisation. Most accessions reached productive age in 2013. Initial evaluation aimed at grouping the clonal material with respect to earliness, mostly on the basis of sugar/acid ratio, fruit weight, skin and juice colour. Sequential sampling was performed between August and November. Preliminary results indicated wide variation in harvest maturity among accessions, spanning the period from end August to early November. Promising, very early and very late clones have been identified. Comprehensive evaluation of the accessions for physicochemical quality attributes is performed, 31 Vegetable Crops