Preliminary evaluation on getting sprouts in sorrel on different substrates

In recent years, there is an increasing trend worldwide in consuming microplants (microgreens / sprouts). Due to their benefits for human health, less growing requirements, high nutritional composition and their versatility in various cuisines, microplants become of great interest. Therefore, there is a need in finding sustainable possibilities for obtaining such sources, rich in health-promoting compounds. Thereby, the objective of this paper is to present the results of an experimental design that involves the obtaining of Rumex acetosa L. (sorrel) sprouts (microplants) on different cultivation substrates. The biological material consisted of seeds of sorrel, and six different substrates varying the ratio between perlite, banana peel and agar. The experiments were performed in a non-aseptic system. After 14 days, the seed germination capacity and the number of leaves were recorded. Also, several physicochemical and biochemical analyses performed for the resulting sprouts (microplants), such as micro and macronutrients content, assimilatory pigments and dry matter (DM). The most promising cultivation substrates for sorrel sprouts (microplants) are perlite and the mixtures of perlite and agar. In terms of sprouts quality, both variant 2 (perlite 75% with agar 25%) and variant 4 (perlite 25% with agar 75%) of cultivation were highlighted.