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Given the important medicinal and nutritional value of wild edible greens, the last few years there is an increasing interest for their domestication and commercial exploitation. However, information concerning their adaptation to environmental conditions and their response to modern agricultural systems are scarce. In the present study, the effect of nutrient solution pH (4.0, 5.5 and 7.0) on the growth, chemical composition and inorganic nutrition of Taraxacum officinale and Reichardia picroides plants grown indoors in a floating hydroponic system was evaluated. Both species performed better at pH 5.5 and were slightly affected by pH 7.0, whereas pH 4.0 was not prohibitive for growth for both species, although R. picroides was less tolerant than T. officinale at low pH. Moreover, pH 4.0 did not severely affect nutrients uptake and transport within the plant tissues, suggesting that R. picroides susceptibility to low pH should not be attributed to nutrients imbalance. Nevertheless, low pH positively enhanced the content in total soluble solids, total phenolics, chlorophylls (a, b and total) and carotenoids, and decreased nitrates in both species. In conclusion, the studied species could be successfully grown in soilless systems with nutrient solutions of varied pH. Moreover, low pH levels (pH = 4.0) seemed to be beneficial to nutritional and dietary value in both species highlighting the potential of commercial cultivation under adverse conditions, especially in sustainable farming systems.

Salinity stress is severely affecting modern horticulture and puts food security under threat for current and future generations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of saline conditions (three salinity levels: 2.0, 5.0 and 10.0 dS m−1) on the growth, physiological processes and quality of two wild edible species (Urospermum picroides and Reichardia picroides) grown under three different cropping systems (pots indoors (GP) and outdoors (FP); and floating hydroponics (FH)). Our results indicate that high salinity affected growth parameters in all the studied cropping systems in the case of U. picroides, whereas R. picroides was not affected only when grown in pots outdoors. Moreover, total soluble solids content and titratable acidity in both species were not affected by high salinity for any of the cropping systems, except for in the case of FP system. Similarly, carotenoids content decreased under high salinity when both species were grown in the FP system. A varied effect was recorded for total phenolic compounds content in response to salinity levels, although the FP system resulted in considerably higher phenolics accumulation in both species, while proline content increased when plants were subjected to high salinity, regardless of the cropping system. The antioxidant activity also varied among the studied treatments for both assays (TEAC and FRAP), although cultivation outdoors in pots resulted in considerably higher values compared to the other systems. Finally, nitrate content showed decreasing trends with increasing salinity in plants grown in the GP (both species) and FP system (only U. picroides), whereas no significant differences in physiological parameters in comparison to the control treatment were recorded, except for the stomatal conductance (FP and GP system) and transpiration rate (FP) of R. picroides plants. In conclusion, it seems that the tested plant species responded differently to the salinity treatments but they both displayed a lack of severe stress even at high salinity.

Soil salinization is one of the major environmental factors responsible for limited crop production throughout the world. Therefore, there is urgent need to find tolerant/resistant species to exploit in commercial cultivation systems. In this context, the valorization of wild edible greens for human consumption and/or medicinal purposes is gaining more and more interest. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of salinity, e.g., electrical conductivity: 2 mS cm−1 (nutrient solution EC), 6 mS cm−1 and 10 mS cm−1 on plant growth and chemical composition of Reichardia picroides and Taraxacum officinale plants grown in a floating hydroponic system. The results showed that R. picroides is a moderately salt-tolerant species, as the majority of plant growth parameters determined were not negatively affected under the treatment of 6 mS cm−1. On the other hand, the growth parameters of T. officinale plants were severely affected under the same conditions. Moreover, high salinity levels (EC at 10 mS cm−1) impaired the growth of both species. The content of leaves in chlorophylls (a, b and total), carotenoids+xanthophylls and total soluble solids was not significantly affected by the tested EC levels in both species, whereas the titratable acidity increased under the treatment of 10 mS cm−1. Moreover, R. picroides exhibited a more effective adaptation mechanism against saline conditions than T. officinale, as evidenced by the higher accumulation of osmolytes such as proline and the higher shoot K content, probably through a more efficient K/Na selectivity. In conclusion, both species were severely affected by high salinity; however, R. picroides showed promising results regarding its commercial cultivation under moderate salinity levels, especially in regions where resources of high-quality irrigation water are limited.