Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth
<i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> (Sandkool) is one of the most abundant wild edible inflorescence vegetables in South Africa. The dearth of literature on its edibility, nutrient composition, and conservation has contributed to its underutilisation. This study investigated mineral and proxim...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/1/247 |
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| author | Ayakha Tshayingwe Muhali Olaide Jimoh Avela Sogoni Carolyn Margaret Wilmot Charles Petrus Laubscher |
| author_facet | Ayakha Tshayingwe Muhali Olaide Jimoh Avela Sogoni Carolyn Margaret Wilmot Charles Petrus Laubscher |
| author_sort | Ayakha Tshayingwe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> (Sandkool) is one of the most abundant wild edible inflorescence vegetables in South Africa. The dearth of literature on its edibility, nutrient composition, and conservation has contributed to its underutilisation. This study investigated mineral and proximate content, phytochemical compositions, and growth response of <i>T. divaricata</i> to light intensity and soilless media. Treatments comprised four media (LECA clay, silica sand, peat, and vermiculite) which were subjected to different shade levels (no shade, 20, 40, 60, and 80%) created from a factory-made 20% density net by doubling (40%), tripling (60%), and quadrupling (80%). All treatments were irrigated with a standard nutrient solution. The results showed that the treatments impacted the yield of <i>T. divaricata</i> significantly in terms of biomass and flower buds, especially in plants cultivated in peat under normal greenhouse lighting (no shade). Conversely, plants developed significantly more specific leaf size and total chlorophyll content under shade levels (20, 40, 60, and 80%) in different growth media, even though the values were comparable among treatments. The highest Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Mn levels were consistently recorded in flowers of <i>T. divaricata</i> grown in LECA clay under 80% shade level, while other minerals varied in tested treatments. The peat medium under 20% shade optimised the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content of the flowers, whereas both fat and protein contents were greatly enhanced by peat and vermiculite, respectively, under the 80% shade. Consistently, the lowest phytochemical contents were recorded in LECA clay subjected to 80% shade, whereas the highest polyphenols and DPPH antioxidants were produced by silica sand medium treated with 20% shade. Both TEAC and FRAP antioxidants were improved significantly in LECA clay under no shade and the 60% shade level. However, both 20% and 60% shade levels enhanced the flavonol content significantly. On the basis of these findings, <i>T. divaricata</i> is a promising inflorescent vegetable that may be considered for domestication and further research due to its potential pharmacological and nutraceutical values. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:49:46Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj.art-18f8eb174a0f4e6b82cc80211cd4efda2023-11-30T20:51:58ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-01-0113124710.3390/agronomy13010247Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> KunthAyakha Tshayingwe0Muhali Olaide Jimoh1Avela Sogoni2Carolyn Margaret Wilmot3Charles Petrus Laubscher4Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South AfricaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South AfricaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South AfricaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South AfricaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa<i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> (Sandkool) is one of the most abundant wild edible inflorescence vegetables in South Africa. The dearth of literature on its edibility, nutrient composition, and conservation has contributed to its underutilisation. This study investigated mineral and proximate content, phytochemical compositions, and growth response of <i>T. divaricata</i> to light intensity and soilless media. Treatments comprised four media (LECA clay, silica sand, peat, and vermiculite) which were subjected to different shade levels (no shade, 20, 40, 60, and 80%) created from a factory-made 20% density net by doubling (40%), tripling (60%), and quadrupling (80%). All treatments were irrigated with a standard nutrient solution. The results showed that the treatments impacted the yield of <i>T. divaricata</i> significantly in terms of biomass and flower buds, especially in plants cultivated in peat under normal greenhouse lighting (no shade). Conversely, plants developed significantly more specific leaf size and total chlorophyll content under shade levels (20, 40, 60, and 80%) in different growth media, even though the values were comparable among treatments. The highest Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Mn levels were consistently recorded in flowers of <i>T. divaricata</i> grown in LECA clay under 80% shade level, while other minerals varied in tested treatments. The peat medium under 20% shade optimised the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) content of the flowers, whereas both fat and protein contents were greatly enhanced by peat and vermiculite, respectively, under the 80% shade. Consistently, the lowest phytochemical contents were recorded in LECA clay subjected to 80% shade, whereas the highest polyphenols and DPPH antioxidants were produced by silica sand medium treated with 20% shade. Both TEAC and FRAP antioxidants were improved significantly in LECA clay under no shade and the 60% shade level. However, both 20% and 60% shade levels enhanced the flavonol content significantly. On the basis of these findings, <i>T. divaricata</i> is a promising inflorescent vegetable that may be considered for domestication and further research due to its potential pharmacological and nutraceutical values.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/1/247dune onionedible flowersfunctional foodinflorescent vegetablesnutraceuticalshade levels |
| spellingShingle | Ayakha Tshayingwe Muhali Olaide Jimoh Avela Sogoni Carolyn Margaret Wilmot Charles Petrus Laubscher Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth Agronomy dune onion edible flowers functional food inflorescent vegetables nutraceutical shade levels |
| title | Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth |
| title_full | Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth |
| title_fullStr | Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth |
| title_short | Light Intensity and Growth Media Influence Growth, Nutrition, and Phytochemical Content in <i>Trachyandra divaricata</i> Kunth |
| title_sort | light intensity and growth media influence growth nutrition and phytochemical content in i trachyandra divaricata i kunth |
| topic | dune onion edible flowers functional food inflorescent vegetables nutraceutical shade levels |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/1/247 |
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