Applicability of brussels sprouts leaves for human nutrition

Abstract

Brussels sprouts are an important vegetable crop. The sprouts (axillary buds), with a diameter of 1-5 cm and close spacing along the stem, are used for food. At harvesting, the sprouts contribute 25% of the total plant mass, while the leaves and stems contribute 50 and 25%, respectively. Because of their high nutritional value, the leaves can also be used for human nutrition and the stems for the feeding of animals. Chemical analyses, conducted at the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad during 1998 and 1999 on the variety Lunet, which had been grown at a stand density of 35,700 plants/ha and yielded 12.1 t/ha of sprouts and 22.5 t/ha of leaves, showed that for most of the parameters measured the quality of leaves was better than that of sprouts. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that the leaves of Brussels sprouts could be recommended for human nutrition as a substitute for kale.