Growing Plant in Space
Souvick Banik*, Ameda Swarnalatha* and A B Sharangi**
*Ph.D. Research Scholar, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal
**Professor, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal
Souvick Banik*, Ameda Swarnalatha* and A B Sharangi**
*Ph.D. Research Scholar, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal
**Professor, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal
The ideal plant for cultivation in space would provide as many nutrients from as few inputs as possible. Space presents two major sources of stress for plants: cosmic radiation and microgravity. Radiation affects plant growth negatively and increases the risks of genetic mutations, so protecting plants from radiation should be a priority. While radiation can be contained using lead and/or water shields, this represents an additional mass to place in orbit.
Microgravity, on the other hand, does not impair plant growth significantly, though it might slow it down. However, the plant’s response differs according to the species, as microgravity affects the plant’s genome expression. It has been discovered that, in microgravity, plants will express more stress- related genes, such as heat-shock genes, and increases their production of stress-related proteins. Moreover, seeds have been found to have different concentration of metabolites and delayed germination. Microgravity also affects the plants microenvironment, such as the lack of movement of the atmosphere, creating an unusual atmospheric composition and difficulty in watering (with or without support). There is no air convection in outer space, so if the growing station is not sufficiently ventilated any gas emitted by the plant will remain around its surface. It has been shown that the accumulation of gaseous ethylene around plants’ leaves results in abnormal leaf development. Other gases, like carbon dioxide, present in high concentrations in a spacecraft, can be lethal to some plants. The same problem arises for plant watering, so developing a method that does not drown the roots will be needed.
Understanding how different species react to these space conditions remains complex. Limited space suggests using compact or dwarf plant varieties, but microgravity responses differ widely among species and even among cultivars. While more research is needed, several plants have already been successfully grown in space and can serve as initial models.
The development of a self-sustaining plant chamber covering all the nutritious needs of astronauts could take decades but using small chambers as complementary measures could help the crew with deficiencies in vitamins and nutrients (which are altered in packaged food) and reduce diet fatigue.