Abstract
Demand for Asian vegetables is rising rapidly due to changing demographics and increasing consumer awareness of their health benefits. However, growers are not familiar with growing these “foreign” crops due to insufficient technical information regarding suitable cultivars for different regions, production schedules, disease and pest susceptibility, and postharvest management. The objective of this study was to conduct trials in different production systems and climate regions to demonstrate the potential of growing Asian vegetables in Texas. We conducted preliminary trials of nine leafy greens in the open field, high tunnel, and greenhouse (container and hydroponic production) to explore the suitability and potential for year-round production. We also conducted field trials for warm season crops in the open field in different climate zones. Results indicated that for cool season leafy greens, open field production has a limited growing season, high tunnel has the potential to extend the growing season, while greenhouse may provide year-round production using soilless substrate container culture or hydroponic system. For warm season crops, early planting is recommended for high yield. Additional research is warranted in different regions to test more species and cultivars and optimize the production system of high-performing cultivars to maximize production and profitability.
Highlights
Asian vegetables are defined as vegetables that are prominent in Asian cuisine but are relatively less well-known in the Western diet
Disease pressure was non-existent for cool-season Asian vegetables as no pesticides were applied in both locations
While data were not presented, eggplant grown in the greenhouse did have aphids but differed on varieties based on visual observation
Summary
Asian vegetables are defined as vegetables that are prominent in Asian cuisine but are relatively less well-known in the Western diet. These crops have been domesticated and cultivated for millennia, their introduction into the Western cuisine has been slow [1,2]. In a report by the Australian Rural Industrial Research and Development Corporation [4], more than 80 Asian vegetable types are produced in Australia. Most in-demand types of Asian vegetables are limited in number and only about 16% of their produce is exported. In Europe, the volume of fresh Asian vegetable consumption is slowly increasing, the outlook is positive due to increasing demand for diverse, healthy, and exotic vegetables. There have been very few studies conducted on Asian vegetables in Europe [5]
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