Feb 18, 2016

NASA explores growing potatoes in space

NASA is researching the possibilities of growing food crops in controlled environments in space. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have already grown Outredgeous,” a variety of red romaine lettuce, using a plant growth system called Veggie. Potatoes could be the next crop to be grown in space, according to Ray Wheeler, a NASA plant physiologist.

Wheeler was part of the research team that tested and certified Veggie for use in space.

Here’s more from Product Design & Development:

Also, potatoes are tubers, which means they store their edible biomass in underground structures. Wheeler said potatoes could produce twice the amount of food as some seed crops when given equivalent light. After salad crops that are now being studied, they are the next category of minimally processed food crops and could be consumed raw.

Much of what Wheeler did in his potato studies involved growing the plants in shallow, tilted trays using a hydroponic recirculating system.

“”With potatoes, it was a little bit more interesting in the sense that you can’t use systems that require a lot of standing or deep water—potatoes don’t like to be submerged,”” Wheeler said, “”and we kept the nutrient water film very thin.””

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