Wheat production in the controlled environments of space.

Abstract

Space agricultural research at the Utah State University includes studies of wheat growth in a controlled environment life support system. Wheat was chosen as a candidate for research in bioregenerative systems because it can be processed into a variety of foods, it is an efficient producer, it is a major world food crop, much is known about wheat genetics and breeding, it grows well in continuous light, and converts energy into a high grain yield. Studies examine quantum yield and short-term photosynthesis, growth rates, yield and harvest index, plant density and light intensity, carbon dioxide concentrations, and breeding wheat for space agriculture.