Abstract
This paper deals with vegetable cultivation that could be faced in a space mission. This paper focusses on optimization, light, temperature and the harvesting process, while other factors concerning cultivation in space missions, i.e. gravity, radiation, were not addressed. It describes the work done in preparation of the deployment of a mobile test facility for vegetable production of fresh food at the Neumayer III Antarctic research station. A selection of vegetable crops was grown under varying light and temperature conditions to quantify crop yield response to climate factors that determine resource requirement of the production system. Crops were grown at 21 °C or 25 °C under light treatments varying from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1 and simulated the dusk and dawn light spectrum. Fresh food biomass was harvested as spread harvesting (lettuce), before and after regrowth (herbs) and at the end of cultivation. Lettuce and red mustard responded well to increasing light intensities, by 35–90% with increasing light from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1, while the other crops responded more variably. However, the quality of the leafy greens often deteriorated at higher light intensities. The fruit biomass of both determinate tomato and cucumber increased by 8–15% from 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1. With the increase in biomass, the number of tomato fruits also increased, while the number of cucumber fruits decreased, resulting in heavier individual fruits. Increasing the temperature had varied effects on production. While in some cases the production increased, regrowth of herbs often lagged behind in the 25 °C treatment. In terms of fresh food production, the most can be expected from lettuce, cucumber, radish, then tomato, although the 2 fruit vegetables require a considerable amount of crop management. Spread harvesting had a large influence on the amount of harvested biomass per unit area. In particular, yield of the 3 lettuce cultivars and spinach was ca. 400% than single harvesting. Increasing plant density and applying spread harvesting increased fresh food production. This information will be the basis for determining crop growth recipes and management to maximize the amount of fresh food available, in view of the constraints of space and energy requirement of such a production system.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Lettuce biomass rose 35–90% as light increased from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1.
- Taxon
- Lettuce
Lactuca sativae0 - Treatment
- increasing light from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1e0
- Outcome
- responded welle0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 35–90%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lettuce and red mustard responded well to increasing light intensities, by 35–90% with increasing light from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1”
Claim · model-written summary
Red mustard responded well to increased light, with a 35–90% range reported jointly with lettuce.
- Taxon
- red mustarde0
- Treatment
- increasing light from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1e0
- Outcome
- responded welle0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 35–90%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Lettuce and red mustard responded well to increasing light intensities, by 35–90% with increasing light from 200 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1”
Claim · model-written summary
Other crops responded variably to increasing light.
Verbatim
e0“the other crops responded more variably.”
Claim · model-written summary
Leafy-green quality often deteriorated at higher light intensities.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the quality of the leafy greens often deteriorated at higher light intensities.”
Claim · model-written summary
Determinate tomato fruit biomass increased 8–15% from 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1 light.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1e0
- Outcome
- fruit biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 8–15%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fruit biomass of both determinate tomato and cucumber increased by 8–15% from 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1.”
Claim · model-written summary
Cucumber fruit biomass increased 8–15% from 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1 light.
- Taxon
- cucumber
Cucumis sativuse0 - Treatment
- 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1e0
- Outcome
- fruit biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 8–15%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fruit biomass of both determinate tomato and cucumber increased by 8–15% from 300 to 600 μmol m−2 s−1.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato fruit number increased with biomass.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- number of tomato fruitse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- biomasse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With the increase in biomass, the number of tomato fruits also increased”
Claim · model-written summary
Cucumber fruit number decreased while individual fruits became heavier.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Outcome
- number of cucumber fruitse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the number of cucumber fruits decreased, resulting in heavier individual fruits.”
Claim · model-written summary
Individual cucumber fruits became heavier.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Outcome
- individual fruitse0
- Direction
- heaviere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the number of cucumber fruits decreased, resulting in heavier individual fruits.”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing temperature had variable effects on production.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Increasing the temperature had varied effects on production.”
e1“A selection of vegetable crops was grown”
Claim · model-written summary
Herb regrowth often lagged at 25 °C.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“regrowth of herbs often lagged behind in the 25 °C treatment.”
Claim · model-written summary
The expected fresh food production ranking was lettuce, cucumber, radish, then tomato.
Verbatim
e0“the most can be expected from lettuce, cucumber, radish, then tomato”
e1“A selection of vegetable crops was grown”
Claim · model-written summary
Spread harvesting raised yield of three lettuce cultivars to about 400% of single harvesting.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Treatment
- Spread harvestinge1
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Value
- ca. 400%e0
- Comparator
- single harvestinge0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yield of the 3 lettuce cultivars and spinach was ca. 400% than single harvesting.”
e1“Spread harvesting had a large influence on the amount of harvested biomass per unit area.”
Claim · model-written summary
Spread harvesting raised spinach yield to about 400% of single harvesting.
- Taxon
- spinach
Spinacia oleraceae0 - Treatment
- Spread harvestinge1
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Value
- ca. 400%e0
- Comparator
- single harvestinge0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yield of the 3 lettuce cultivars and spinach was ca. 400% than single harvesting.”
e1“Spread harvesting had a large influence on the amount of harvested biomass per unit area.”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing plant density increased fresh food production.
- Taxon
- vegetable cropse1
- Treatment
- Increasing plant densitye0
- Outcome
- fresh food productione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Increasing plant density and applying spread harvesting increased fresh food production.”
e1“A selection of vegetable crops was grown”
Claim · model-written summary
Applying spread harvesting increased fresh food production.
- Taxon
- vegetable cropse1
- Treatment
- applying spread harvestinge0
- Outcome
- fresh food productione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Increasing plant density and applying spread harvesting increased fresh food production.”
e1“A selection of vegetable crops was grown”