The rationale of the present project lies on the long and consolidate research activities performed by the hosting research group and by the applicant at both respective institutions related to the growing systems called ¿floating systems¿ (FS) for producing leafy vegetables and the subsequent quality at harvest and during postharvest. It has been more than 15 years that these growing systems have been studied at both institutions, tackling different aspects, sometimes complementary and sometimes comparable. Throughout the years staff exchange has occurred including PhD students and the applicant (in 2003) to carry on common research activities in the sector. In 2012 both groups joined in writing a review of common results to be presented at the second Symposium on Horticulture in Europe and then to be published.

Produced by different species can be manipulate by using the floating systems, and both aspects have been studied by both research groups; quality and safety at harvest has been the aim of most of researches conducted as well; lastly, postharvest physiology and technology of leafy fresh-cut vegetables produced in FS has been a main line of investigation of the applicant during the past years. This system is common in Italy to produce baby-leaf vegetables at the commercial level, but is hardly used in Spain.

There are some lines of research that now can be put together to define the standardization of the growing system. The host research group's scientific interest in the activity is related to have a synergistic approach with the applicant because of the long experience in the cultivation system and in the postharvest quality of the raw material for fresh and fresh-cut sector, that is, to consolidate the existing lines of research and end up with a 'twin research system' for Mediterranean areas able to enhance the interchange of future students, staff and knowledge. In addition, the growing system is increasing interest by Northern European stakeholders and commercial companies: the applicant has been called to transfer the systems in two countries in North of Europe. Strengthening the knowledge and the technology transfer capability can give a competitive advantage to the institutions involved. A sustainability analysis will be conducted for economical value and an LCA of the system.

will be related to jointly analyze the obtained results for modeling the system, reaching the scientific achievement of writing common research reviews and publications, including from refining new experiments that will be able to consolidate the previous results. UPCT has all the facilities to host the advanced studies required.

will include the following species: rocket, lamb¿s lettuce, water and garden cress, lettuce, purslane, spinach, bladder campion, dill.

will be: continuous floating systems (FL) and ebb-and-flow system (EF).

will consider: aeration and not aeration in FL; natural aeration in EF.

• yield/m2
• crops/yr
• omega-3
• nitrate and oxalate content

• freshness during shelf-life
• head space composition
• chlorophyll
• carotenoids
• antioxidant power
• AA and DHA
• phenolic compounds
• enzymes activities
• microbial spoilage