Direct seeding compromised the vitamin C content of baby vegetables and the glucosinolate content of mature vegetables in Asian leafy brassicas

[Display omitted] •Direct seeding compromised the vitamin C and K contents of baby vegetables.•Its effect on the vitamin C and K contents of mature vegetables was crop dependent.•Directly seeded mature crops were generally lower in total glucosinolates.•This decrease in glucosinolates was not statistically significant in baby vegetables.•The effect of direct seeding on carotenoids was crop and growth stage dependent. This study hypothesised that direct seeding may compromise the nutritional quality of crops, as they may not release the nutrients that are triggered by the stress of transplantation. To that end, the effect of direct seeding on the nutrient content of bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis), choy sum (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis var. parachinensis) and mao bai (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) was investigated at the baby- and commercially-mature stages. Direct seeding had distinct effects on each stage. Directly seeded baby vegetables had 39 to 51 % less ascorbic acid and 21 to 30 % less vitamin K than transplanted baby vegetables (p