Bennett JH, Brown CS, Yorio NC, Obenland DM, Heyenga AG, Lewis NG.
Plant Physiol. 1993 May; 102: 137.
USDA/ARS, Logan, UT 84322.
Carbon assimilation, allocation, and growth of Super Dwarf wheat plants were studied in NASA's Plant Growth Facility-2 (PGF-2), a prototype of future microenvironmental research chambers designed to be carried aboard the Space Shuttle. Power availability for the modular system is limited, restricting light available for photosynthesis. Earlier research indicated that starch deposition was inhibited in photosynthesizing plants grown in space. High CO2 concentrations can increase the amount of starch in leaves. Therefore, effects of CO2 levels often found in spacecraft air (5000-10000 ppm) on wheat plants grown under low light in the PGF-2 chambers were investigated. Seedlings at low light intensities (producing one-tenth of the light-saturated photosynthesis rate) had 2- to 4-fold more starch at 1 month of age than plants grown in ambient air. Biomass production was a logarithmic function of the CO2 exposure concentration. At 9 days of age, plant dry weights were equivalent to the original seed dry weights. Seedheads developed after 6 weeks in the chambers, but grain-filling was minimal under the conditions of the study.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Biomass
- Carbon Dioxide
- Light
- Photosynthesis
- Plant Leaves
- Seeds
- Spacecraft
- Starch
- Triticum
- NASA Center KSC
- NASA Discipline Number 40-50
- NASA Discipline Plant Biology
- NASA Program Space Biology
- Non-NASA Center
Other ID:
UI: 102212616
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