The optimal photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and seeding density (SD) combinations for microgreens production on vertical farming systems remain unclear for many species. This study aimed to determine the effects of PPFD (50, 100, 150, and 200 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and SD for sunflower (1275, 1700, and 2125 g m⁻²), radish (272, 340, and 408 g m⁻²), and green and red cabbage (126, 180, and 235 g m⁻²) microgreens. PPFD had no effect on the yield of sunflower, radish, or red cabbage, indicating that 50 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ was sufficient to meet plant demands. Green cabbage yield increased ~10% at 150 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Increasing SD enhanced yields, with gains of up to ~22%, 49%, 52%, and 30% for sunflower, radish, green, and red cabbage, respectively (1700, 408, 235, and 180 g m⁻²). PPFD did not affect the nutrient content of sunflower, likely due to its high seed reserves. A higher SD increased anthocyanin in red cabbage but diminished its content in all other species. Our findings highlight that SD is more impactful than PPFD on determining yield, at least under low irradiance, in sunflower, radish, and red cabbage microgreens grown on indoor vertical farming systems.

Hops production largely depends on daylength shortening for proper flowering. Innovative systems like indoor cultivation with LED lighting allow a precise control of photoperiod regardless of season. However, such systems are still under development for most crops and there isn’t a solid framework on which indoor hops cultivation can be referred to. The aim of this study is to provide a descriptive report on how hops plants can develop and flower in an indoor system. A growth chamber was designed to accommodate hops plants, providing lighting and two training methods: parallel and spiral. Within 90 days of vegetative growth the plants had substantially developed and photoperiod was reduced from 16 to 10 h. Flowering began 6 days after photoperiod shortening. Spiral training can provide a more ergonomic usage of vertical space, allowing hops plants to better develop length-wise. Although structural adjustments and further research are still needed, there is potential for hops production in an indoor system using LED lighting.

Microgreens have rapidly become a relevant topic in horticulture, controlled-environment agriculture, food quality and functional nutrition. Because artificial lighting is a central factor in indoor production, this study updated the scientometric panorama of microgreens research up to 2025 and examined, in a 2022–2025 subset, studies that reported plant species, photoperiod, light intensity/PPFD, and spectral quality. Records from Web of Science and Scopus were merged (n = 1391), and after removing 604 duplicate records, the final database comprised 787 unique articles, which were analyzed using scientometric and descriptive statistical procedures. The literature showed accelerated growth after 2015 and a strong increase from 2022 onward, with geographic diversification and the emergence of Brazil and other countries in the international research network. Among the 552 articles published between 2022 and 2025, 107 studies (19.4%) simultaneously reported the four lighting-related descriptors. Brassica, Raphanus and Ocimum were the most frequent genera, and 16 h was the most common photoperiod. The most frequent PPFD interval was 200–299 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹, mainly under white, red, blue and mixed LED spectra in indoor and vertical farming systems. The findings indicate that microgreens research is expanding quickly but also highlight the need for standardized lighting reports and integrated indicators of energy, water, nutrient use, automation and productive feasibility.