Germination Characteristics of Eight Species for Production of Medicinal Crops in Vertical Farms

This study confirmed the effects of seed shape, temperature, and light treatment on the germination of eight species of medicinal crops to produce high-value crops in vertical farms. Eight species of medicinal seeds were selected, and the seed shape, seed length, seed width, seed length/width ratio, and one hundred seed weight were measured. The seed moisture content was confirmed. Eight species of medicinal seeds were sown, and the germination rate, germination energy, mean daily germination, and mean germination time were investigated according to temperature (15, 20, 25, 25/15°C) and light treatment. Each of the eight medicinal seeds showed different seed shapes. The moisture content of the seeds showed a moisture content rate of over 20% in the five medicinal seeds. Medicinal seeds that showed a germination rate of over 50% were Angelica gigas Nakai, Codonopsis lanceolata (Siebold & Zucc.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Trautv., and Achyranthes bidentata Blume var. japonica Miq. seeds. A. gigas seed showed a germination rate of 67.34 ± 4.38% under 25/15°C light conditions, and C. lanceolata seed showed a germination rate of over 50% under both temperature and light treatment conditions, especially the highest germination rate of 82.67 ± 1.46% under 15°C dark conditions. Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. seed showed a germination rate of 52.34 ± 1.77% under dark conditions at 20°C, and the highest germination rate was 51.67 ± 3.79% under dark conditions at 15°C. The maximum germination energy was 74.00 ± 4.94% in C. lanceolata seed. The maximum mean daily germination was 14.94 ± 0.15 days in P. japonicum seed. Astragalus penduliflorus Lam. var. dahuricus (DC.) X.Y.Zhu seed showed the highest mean germination time of 34.19 ± 4.71. Through this study, it was determined that A. gigas, C. lanceolata, and A. penduliflours seeds would be suitable for production in vertical farms based on the characteristics of each medicinal seed through analysis of seed germination characteristics.