Global research trends on microgreens: A bibliometric analysis and experimental validation using rice washing water
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/hjtas.v4i1.2026.3927Keywords:
cultivation solution, consumption trends, functional food, microgreens, technique analyzeAbstract
Background: Limited access to land resources for cultivating nutritious vegetables in urban environments has driven the need for low-cost household-scale food production systems, with microgreen cultivation, referring to young seedlings harvested at the cotyledon stage, recognized as a rich source of micronutrients. A bibliometric mapping of the global microgreen literature revealed that research has predominantly concentrated on light-emitting diode (LED) cultivation, phytochemical and nutritional enhancement, and food safety, whereas the optimization of cultivation inputs based on household organic by-products, particularly kitchen waste such as rice washing water, remains an underexplored research area. Methods: Scopus-indexed articles were mapped using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer to identify publication trends, country productivity, and keyword co-occurrence. A controlled experiment compared plain water (A1) and rice washing water (A2) irrigation on plant height and fresh weight of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) microgreens at 7 and 14 days after sowing (DAS), grown in cotton medium with three replications per treatment, analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Findings: The United States, India, and Italy led global output, with Italy showing the strongest collaboration network; Indonesia ranked tenth with comparatively low citation impact. No keyword themes related to rice washing water or household organic waste emerged in any visualization. Experimentally, rice washing water significantly increased plant height at 7 DAS (p = 0.021) but not at 14 DAS (p = 0.594), while plain water produced significantly higher fresh weight at both 7 DAS (p = 0.038) and 14 DAS (p = 0.017). Conclusion: Rice washing water stimulates early shoot elongation but does not enhance biomass accumulation under nutrient-free medium conditions, indicating its effectiveness depends on developmental stage and substrate characteristics. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study is among the first to combine bibliometric evidence with experimental validation of rice washing water as a zero-waste, household-scale nutrient input for microgreen production.
References
Aini, N., Puspaningrum, Y., Khiftiyah, A. M., & Chusnah, M. (2023). Pengaruh air cucian beras terhadap pertumbuhan. Agrosaintifika: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Pertanian, 5(2), 2021–2024. https://doi.org/10.32764/agrosaintifika.v5i2.3664
Anhar, T., Respatie, D. W., & Purwantoro, A. (2022). Kajian pertumbuhan dan hasil lima aksesi kacang hijau (Vigna radiata L.): Study on growth and yield of five mung bean accessions. Vegetalika, 11(4), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.22146/veg.74390
Annisa, I. M. (2025). Transformasi agrokompleks menuju ekonomi sirkular: Peluang dan tantangan implementasi di Indonesia. Journal of Agro Complex Development Society, 40–46. https://doi.org/10.62012/agrocomplex.v2i1.16
Bakirov, K., Kenzhebai, A., Tussupov, J., Shayea, I., Shoman, A., & Yedilkhan, D. (2025). Integrating AI-based monitoring system for microgreen growth in vertical farming. IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Information Systems and Technologies (SIST). 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/SIST61657.2025.11139159
Barańska, D., Panek, J., Różalska, S., Turnau, K., & Frąc, M. (2025). Microgreens as the future of urban horticulture and superfoods, supported by post-harvest innovations for shelf-life increase: A review. Scientia Horticulturae, 350, 114303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114303
Cunha-Chiamolera, T. P. L., Chileh-Chelh, T., Urrestarazu, M., & Guil-Guerrero, J. L. (2026). Light intensity drives species-specific growth and phytochemical accumulation in microgreens. Horticulturae, 12(2), 200. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020200
Cunha, A. M. Q., Macedo, V. H. M., de Oliveira, J. K. S., Melo, D. D. M., Domingues, F. N., Cândido, E. P., Faturi, C., & do Rêgo, A. C. (2022). Nitrogen fertilisation as a strategy for intensifying production and improving the quality of Massai grass grown in a humid tropical climate. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 45(14), 2213–2227. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2022.2046078
Fadhilah, I., Razali, R., Berliana, Y., & Kurniawan, D. (2024). Pengaruh umur panen terhadap mutu hasil tanaman kailan (Brassica oleracea). Agrobun: Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian, 1(1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.36490/agrobun.v1i1.1213
Gogoi, B., Dutta, S., Saikia, T., Saikia, R., Borthakur, S., & Neog, M. (2025). Microgreens for nutritional resilience: A comprehensive review. International Journal of Research in Agronomy, 8(7), 923–927. https://doi.org/10.33545/2618060x.2025.v8.i7l.3305
Gunjal, M., Singh, J., Kaur, S., Nanda, V., Ullah, R., Iqbal, Z., Erċışlı, S., & Rasane, P. (2024). Assessment of bioactive compounds, antioxidant properties and morphological parameters in selected microgreens cultivated in soilless media. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 23605. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-73973-w
Gupta, A., Sharma, T., Singh, S. P., Bhardwaj, A., Srivastava, D., & Kumar, R. (2023). Prospects of microgreens as budding living functional food: Breeding and biofortification through OMICS and other approaches for nutritional security. Frontiers in Genetics, 14, 1053810. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1053810
Handiyanto, S., Hastuti, U. S., & Prabaningtyas, S. (2013). Pengaruh medium air cucian beras terhadap kecepatan pertumbuhan miselium biakan murni jamur tiram putih. Proceeding Biology Education Centre, 10(2). https://jurnal.uns.ac.id/prosbi/article/view/6602
Indriyanti, I. Y. (2026). Green economy-based sustainable agricultural development strategy in Indonesia: A systematic literature review approach. Jurnal Litbang Provinsi Jawa Tengah, 23(2), 175–190. https://doi.org/10.36762/jurnaljateng.v23i2.1443
Lone, J. K., Pandey, R., & Gayacharan, C. (2024). Microgreens on the rise: Expanding our horizons from farm to fork. Heliyon, 10(4), e25870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25870
Mir, S. A., Shah, M. A., & Mir, M. M. (2017). Microgreens: Production, shelf life, and bioactive components. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(12), 2730–2736. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2016.1144557
Musliadi, Hasanah, Y., & Hanafiah, D. (2025). Morfologi dan produktivitas kacang hijau (Vigna radiata L.) pada cekaman kekeringan dengan aplikasi silika: Morphological characteristics and yield of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) under drought stress with silica application. Agrium, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.30596/agrium.v28i1.21775
Nabayi, A., Sung, C. T. B., Zuan, A. T. K., & Paing, T. N. (2021). Fermentation of washed rice water increases beneficial plant bacterial population and nutrient concentrations. Sustainability, 13(23), 13437. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313437
Nabayi, A., Teh, C. B. S., Tan, N. P., & Zuan, A. T. K. (2021). Wastewater from washed rice water as plant nutrient source: Current understanding and knowledge gaps. Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.29.3.11
Othman, A. J., Eliseeva, L. G., & Simina, D. V. (2021). Microgreens: A newly emerging product, aspects, prospects, and disadvantages. In Proceeding of VSUET (pp. 102–107). https://doi.org/10.20914/2310-1202-2021-1-102-107
Paglialunga, G., Nakhel, C. E., Proietti, S., Moscatello, S., Battistelli, A., Formisano, L., Ciriello, M., Bianco, M. D., Pascale, S. D., & Rouphael, Y. (2023). Substrate and fertigation management modulate microgreens production, quality and resource efficiency. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1222914
Partap, M., Sharma, D., HN, D., Thakur, M., Verma, V., Ujala, & Bhargava, B. (2023). Microgreen: A tiny plant with superfood potential. Journal of Functional Foods, 107, 105697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2023.105697
Poudel, P., Dueñas, A., & Gioia, F. D. (2023). Organic waste compost and spent mushroom compost as potential growing media components for the sustainable production of microgreens. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1229157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1229157
Priti, Sangwan, S., Kukreja, B., Mishra, G. P., Dikshit, H. K., Singh, A., Aski, M., Kumar, A., Taak, Y., Stobdan, T., Das, S., Kumar, R. R., Yadava, D. K., Praveen, S., Kumar, S., & Nair, R. M. (2022). Yield optimization, microbial load analysis, and sensory evaluation of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.), lentil (Lens culinaris subsp. culinaris), and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) microgreens grown under greenhouse conditions. PLOS ONE, 17(5), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268085
Puente, L., Char, C., Patel, D., Thilakarathna, M. S., & Roopesh, M. S. (2024). Research trends and development patterns in microgreens publications: A bibliometric study from 2004 to 2023. Sustainability, 16(15), 6645. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156645
Rasmi, P. K., Dalbhagat, C. G., Venugopal, A. P., Mishra, S., Gowda, N. A. N., & Vivek, K. (2025). A comprehensive review of herb microgreens as emerging functional foods: Insights into their nutritional potential and health benefits. Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 56(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826068.2025.2511840
Rawat, D., Sood, Y., Devi, J., & Lal, M. (2025). Microgreens: Cultivation, nutrition, journey to space and market trends. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 37(10), 22–32. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJPSS/2025/v37i105758
Saputra, A. T., Rahayu, T., & Widiastuti, L. (2023). Respon pertumbuhan dan produksi dua varietas tanaman kacang panjang (Vigna sinensis) dengan aplikasi fermentasi air bekas cucian beras. Jurnal Pertanian Agronomika, 21(1), 25–30.
Simatupang, U. C. J., Samosir, O. M., & Alfizar, R. (2024). Analisa AB-Mix dan air cucian beras pada pertumbuhan tanaman selada (Lactuca sativa L.) dengan wick system hidroponik. OrchidAgro, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.35138/orchidagro.v4i2.785
Sumit, A., Smita, N., Priti, & Kartik, P. (2025). Microgreens and their role in sustainable urban food systems. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17691528
Wełna, M., Szymczycha-Madeja, A., & Pohl, P. (2023). Rice water—More a source of nutrition elements or toxic arsenic? Multi-element analysis of home-made (natural) rice water and commercialized rice-based products using (HG)-ICP OES. Processes, 11(9), 2674. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092674
Yaqin, M. H., Farikhah, F., & Firmani, U. (2024). Analisis pemanfaatan air cucian beras sebagai pengkaya probiotik komersil pada media kultur untuk peningkatan pertumbuhan populasi Daphnia magna. Jurnal Perikanan Pantura (JPP), 7(1), 450. https://doi.org/10.30587/jpp.v7i1.7476
Ziliwu, F. M. C. (2025). Pengaruh air cucian beras terhadap pertumbuhan tanaman kangkung (Ipomoea reptans). Penarik: Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian dan Perikanan, 2(2), 189–194. https://doi.org/10.70134/penarik.v2i2.650
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nor Isnaeni Dwi Arista, Dumaris Priskila Purba
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
