Production opportunities of rocket and purslane in growing media and determi̇nati̇on of postharvest li̇fe

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of production period, growing medium and nutrient concentration on plant growth, yield and quality of rocket and purslane culture. In addition, to determine the quality changes that occurred at post harvest period, changes in product during storage were investigated. In the research, rocket (cv. Bengi) and purslane (cv. Tunç) were grown at spring or summer periods in peat, perlite or peat: perlite (1:1 v/v) as the growing medium and macro-element concentrations of the nutrient solution prepared was applied as complete full dose or half dose of the macro elements. After harvest, the plants were stored in cold storage conditions (0-2°C, 85-90% RH) after packaging with modified atmosphere packing bags. Yield, morphological (plant height, stem height, stem diameter, leaf thickness, dry weights of shoot and roots) and physiological (chlorophyll index) paramaters; quality changes during storage period (weight loss, color, vitamin C, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity) were determined on the 0th,4th and 8th days in purslane and additionally on the 12th and 16th days in rocket. Purslane had the highest yield values in spring period and the highest yield value was obtained from full dose x peat application in both periods. The period x dose x medium interaction was significant in rocket and the highest yield value was obtained from spring x full dose x peat application. It was determined that 4 days the quality characteristics started to deteriorate. Keywords: Peat, perlite, nutrient solution, storage, quality