Articles
ADVANCED GREENHOUSE MODULES AND RESEARCH FOR USE WITHIN PLANETARY HABITAT
Article number
1004_4
Pages
53 – 62
Language
English
Abstract
This paper provides an overview about the new research initiative at the DLR Institute of Space Systems, Bremen and the University of Applied Science Dresden (Germany). The research group investigates different solutions for adapting Controlled Environmental Agriculture technologies towards a space-borne greenhouse system design.
A greenhouse module (as a subsystem of the habitats life support system) not only produces higher plants for a continuous food supply for the crew, but can also fulfil other functions such as grey water purification, oxygen production, various waste management tasks and even provides beneficial psychological health effects for the crew.
In this case failure is no option.
Detection of stressful situations of plants presents a seductive possibility to discover harmful circumstances before a permanent damage or losses of plants appears.
The quantification of ethylene (C2H4) as a stress hormone involves a number of advantages but also requires a new method of measurement and sensor technology.
The presented method bases on the automated extraction and electro-catalytic analysis of sample air out of the root zone.
It is an integrative procedure of ethylene measurement demonstrates the ethylene emission of the plant depending on single stress situations.
The experimental setup is divided into the a) root zone and the b) upper part.
To avoid influences by external ethylene, the upper part chamber constantly is flushed by ethylene-free air, which is made by total-oxidation.
To reduce influences by soil organisms the use of sand as substrate and sterilised nutrient solution was used.
Investigations with different plant stress were carried out.
A greenhouse module (as a subsystem of the habitats life support system) not only produces higher plants for a continuous food supply for the crew, but can also fulfil other functions such as grey water purification, oxygen production, various waste management tasks and even provides beneficial psychological health effects for the crew.
In this case failure is no option.
Detection of stressful situations of plants presents a seductive possibility to discover harmful circumstances before a permanent damage or losses of plants appears.
The quantification of ethylene (C2H4) as a stress hormone involves a number of advantages but also requires a new method of measurement and sensor technology.
The presented method bases on the automated extraction and electro-catalytic analysis of sample air out of the root zone.
It is an integrative procedure of ethylene measurement demonstrates the ethylene emission of the plant depending on single stress situations.
The experimental setup is divided into the a) root zone and the b) upper part.
To avoid influences by external ethylene, the upper part chamber constantly is flushed by ethylene-free air, which is made by total-oxidation.
To reduce influences by soil organisms the use of sand as substrate and sterilised nutrient solution was used.
Investigations with different plant stress were carried out.
Publication
Authors
F.-G. Schroeder, N. Domurath, D. Brohm , D. Schubert
Keywords
closed greenhouse module, plant stress, ethylene monitoring, root zone
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