Influence of different soilless growing media on growth, yield and quality of green leafy mustard Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.

Abstract

Maintaining agricultural productivity under conventional systems has become increasingly challenging. To address these issues, hydroponics, soilless agriculture has gained attention due to its efficient space and water use, and its potential to overcome sustainability constraints in food production. Our findings reveal that crop productivity under hydroponic systems was 1.5-2.0 times higher than under soil conditions, while also delivering superior quality produce. Leafy mustard grown hydroponically recorded the highest levels of ascorbic acid (71.12 mg/100 g) and total chlorophyll (3.88 mg/g FW). Moreover, the hydroponically grown crop developed a profuse root system with an average length of 24.40cm approximately 42% greater than under soil conditions. This study compares the performance of leafy mustard across different growing systems.