Changes in Amaranth Microgreen Growth in Response to Differing Light Conditions

Abstract

Microgreens are small, fast-growing greens that are gaining popularity for their high levels of flavor and nutritional content. Climate change has pushed food production indoors. With the implementation of controlled environment agriculture, determining the proper daily light integral (DLI), photoperiod, and environmental conditions is imperative for energy efficiency and sustainable production. We tested for changes in Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus ‘Copperhead’) microgreen height, leaf surface area, and biomass in response to differing amounts of light. We aimed to test two replicates of eight light conditions with differing DLI, photoperiods, and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). After germination, we took weekly pictures to determine leaf surface area and height. We then took measurements of these pictures using ImageJ. After three weeks of growth, we harvested the plants. After we finished, we analyzed the data for a correlation between DLI and plant size.