Technical Paper
Development of Plant Growth Guide and Light Distribution System
2003-07-07
2003-01-2458
Food Production systems to be used in space exploration must be very efficient in mass, weight and energy. We normally accept natural plant growth habits and design a growing system to accommodate their growth. Selection of dwarf varieties and faster growing varieties may contribute to increased efficiency but dwarf plants are not usually very productive. If the plant growth habit was altered in such a manner so that the growing density increases without sacrificing productivity, greater efficiency can be achieved. Our Automatic Growing and Harvest System (AGHS) has the capability of self-propagating, auto-growing and auto-harvesting. Presently, new modifications are being made to double the growing density by dividing the existing growth chamber to two separate chambers so that two plants can be grown. A Dual Pinch Roller Driver mechanism has to be built as a part of the modification.