Microgreens are valued for their freshness and refined taste, and by adherents of a healthy diet – for their saturation with vitamins, trace elements, antioxidants, enzymes and valuable protein. The product enjoys steadily growing demand not only in the production segment (restaurants, cafes, supermarkets), but also in home cultivation – «vegetable garden on the window». Among vegetable crops, vegetable pea micro-greens are very popular, especially varieties with a mustachioed leaf type. It is this product that helps culinary masters to give products bright visual and taste accents. Few people know that among legumes, in addition to vegetable peas, there is an excellent alternative with no less nutritional value. This is a micro-green of vegetable beans. Bean shoots are more fleshy and juicy, crispy, sweet with a nutty taste, and most importantly, absolutely everyone can grow them. Obtaining microgreens from vegetable bean culture is a promising direction, since its nutritional value and biochemical composition are comparable to the microgreens of vegetable peas. The content of the main nutrients on average for the studied varieties of breeding of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC) is: protein – 20-35% (dry weight), ascorbic acid – 0,51 mg/g, carotenoids – 0,48 mg/g, monosaccharide – 1,15%, dry matter – 10,62%. However, vegetable beans have an undeniable advantage in cultivation – it is the possibility of using up to two or three cuts from one crop, due to the ability to form additional shoots when using the method of cutting under the «root». The yield from the container when sowing 100 seeds obtained in two cuts ranged from 320 g to 400 g, depending on the variety and method of cutting. The highest yield was obtained from the cv. Velena, which forms about 200 g of fresh shoots both in the first and second cut. According to the results of our research, it is recommended to use two cuts for the cv. Belorusskie and cv. Russkie chernye, while the cv. Velena is able to give a full-fledged microgreen even with the third cut.

Vegetable peas are by far the most widely used among the main vegetable legumes. Due to its high nutritional value, it has an important food value and is cultivated almost everywhere. High nutritional qualities of vegetable peas are determined by the content of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, as well as macro– and microelements. Pea protein is popular due to its affordable price compared to animal protein. The value of pea protein is determined by its amino acid composition and its high balance, especially valuable amino acids that are not synthesized in animals and humans.The article discusses the nutritional value of vegetable peas (green beans; fresh, frozen and canned vegetable peas; dry seeds); the content of water-soluble protein, amino acid composition, the content of macro- and microelements in the seeds of vegetable peas of FSBSI FSVC selection varieties; the quality of green peas as raw materials for canning, depending on the type of seeds and the structure of starch grains; requirements for the quality of raw vegetable peas for canning; seedlings and microgreens as useful and nutritious products for fresh consumption; medicinal properties of vegetable peas; varieties of vegetable peas for various uses.

Relevance. Vegetables are increasingly recognized as being in demand for food security. Vegetable production reduces poverty and unemployment and is a key component of farm diversification strategies. Vegetables are the most affordable source of vitamins and minerals necessary for good public health. Now is the time to give priority to investments in the production of vegetables, providing enhanced economic opportunities to small farmers and providing healthy nutrition. The purpose of the research is to analyze traditional and new technologies for the production of salad crops (bunch greens, microgreens, baby leaf), to determine the structure of production costs.Materials and methods. The methods used in economic science were used. The information base of the study was reference materials from specialized publications on the subject under study; materials coming from open and greenhouse vegetable market participants, own research; Internet data (industry portals, sites of manufacturers of open and protected ground products, articles and reviews).Results. The assortment of lettuce crops, technological parameters for the production of bunch greens, microgreens and seedlings (baby leaf) are presented. It is shown that with proper planning and organization of labor, the production of bunch greenery, microgreen and baby leaf can provide a stable income. The combination of traditional and new technologies for growing green vegetables in open and protected ground conditions can provide the market with high-quality products. Continuous improvement of new technologies, reducing the cost of consumables, economical use of energy, water and increasing labor productivity contribute to lower costs and product prices.

Relevance. Growing plants in artificial conditions (closed agroecosystems) requires precise regulation of plant growth factors, starting from the first stages of ontogenesis. One of the parameters is the presence or absence of light in the period of seed germination. For most types of cabbage the standard method is germination in the dark, but for freshly harvested seeds (at rest) light exposure is necessary. According to the literature, the mechanisms of the effect of light on seed germination are complex and ambiguous, so the issue needs detailed research.Methods. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to study the germination of seeds of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), taking into account the light factor and the simultaneous analysis of antioxidant activity as a marker of changes in metabolic processes.Results. The experiment has revealed a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of the microgreens during germination in the dark compared to germination in the light (in broccoli by 5.5 times, in Chinese cabbage by 4.8 times). Later on, after the seedlings are moved to the light, the differences between the light and dark versions practically disappear. After germination in the light, the antioxidant activity of microgreens in comparison with the original (dry seeds) decreased by 3-3.5 times, while in the dark – on the contrary, increased by 1.5-1.6 times. The final results of germination (germination energy and seed germination) practically do not differ in the versions. In the case of dark germination, the height of microgreens is greater (due to etiolation and stretching in the absence of light), however, later on, the differences in the versions are smoothed out. The biomass of microgreens in the version of light germination on the 4th day after sowing seeds in broccoli is by 9.1% higher, in Chinese cabbage – by 10.5%. In case of Chinese cabbage, differences remained until the end of the experiment (on the 18th day from sowing seeds), in case of broccoli they were smoothed out. Comparison of two kinds of cabbage has showen that broccoli in the closed system of the synergotron forms a much higher aboveground biomass than Chinese cabbage (on the 4th day after sowing – by 37%, on the 18th day – by 75.4% in the dark version).