The leafy greens have generated significant worldwide interest due to their nutritional quality. Cress is among the leafy greens that are known for their nutrient-dense, phytonutrient content. Upland cress (Barbarea verna) is among the Cress varieties with tender greens known for their vibrant flavor and impressive nutritional profile. It possesses high metabolic activity, which enables it to synthesize a rich variety of phytonutrients. Magnesium, as a macronutrient, is known for influencing the biosynthesis of plant metabolites, including the glucosinolates biosynthesis pathway. The high accumulation of glucosinolate in upland cress could not only increase its nutritional quality but also market demand. The study assessed by supplementing magnesium fertilization rate on upland cress grown under a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system to identify the magnesium concentration that led to maximum accumulation of glucosinolate and biomass in upland cress. The split plot design was used, where four treatments of magnesium fertilization rates (100 mg/l, 150 mg/l, 200 mg/l, and 250 mg/l) were used. All treatments were under a controlled environment, ensuring nutrient application, temperature, light, pH, and electrical conductivity are in a good range required for Upland cress. After two weeks of germination, the Upland cress reached its maturity stage, and samples for leaf biomass were collected, and High-performance liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed for glucosinolate analysis. Preliminary findings showed that the magnesium fertilization rate of 150 mg/l and 200 mg/l stimulated high accumulation of leaf biomass and glucosinolate in upland cress, and the research is still ongoing. Keywords: Upland cress, Magnesium fertilization, leaf biomass, nutritional quality, Hydroponics.
