Microgreens: Production Potential and Health Benefits

The rise of malnutrition at the global level has increased the demand for food having high nutritional value. In the recent past, there is a great upsurge in the production and productivity of food grains as well as horticultural produce which is sufficient to feed our burgeoning population. But now the major challenge before us is to ensure nutritional security through conventional or molecular breeding, but it demands a long time. However, this can be achieved in a much shorter period through microgreens. Nowadays, the non-availability of fresh and pesticide residue-free vegetables for consumption is increasingly becoming a major concern for the vegetarian population of our country. Hence, Microgreens: are a new class of edible vegetables with lots of potential in terms of nutritional ability to cure various deficiencies. As these can be easily grown in urban or peri-urban areas, where land is often a limiting factor, either by specialized vegetable farmers or the consumers themselves. Simultaneously, they also offer opportunities for the rural population of our country and emerging alternatives to genetically modified and fortified foods, providing a sufficient amount of nutrition.