Abstract
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) obtained from both outdoor cultivation and hydroponic culture in a glasshouse was analyzed using four varieties, Okame, TG-1, S-20 and Lead. The plants grown outdoors had a higher vitamin C content than those grown hydroponically, whereas the latter had a higher moisture content. Furthermore, TG-1 and S-20 had lower dietary fiber and oxalic acid contents when grown hydroponically than when grown outdoors. However, Okame and Lead showed no significant difference in the content of these components. A preference test in the eating of raw vegetable using Okame and TG-1 showed that Okame obtained from hydroponic culture was preferable to that from outdoor cultivation, whereas TG-1 grown outdoors was preferable to that grown hydroponically. Soil culture in a glasshouse was then carried out using Okame and TG-1 to compare the results with outdoor cultivation, and the findings suggested that indoor soil cultivation produced a more palatable raw vegetable.
