On-Demand Watering System for Food Production in

MicrogravityO. Monje

Air Revitalization Lab

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

2019 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting | Nov. 10-13

San Antonio, Texas

Embracin~ the Di~ital Environment

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20190032993 2020-05-19T01:12:23+00:00Z

In space, explorers need in situ food production• Space Farming enables colonization of space

• Sustainable: minimize logistics of resupply

• Supplies: Light, CO2, O2, Nutrients, Water, Seeds, Plant chamber – Soil ?

• Crew Psychological well-being: green Earth

• Food Systems: palatable, nutritious and safe source of fresh food (limited shelf-life <3yr)

LADA

VEGGIE

CO2

H2O

O2

Radiation

Radiativeheat transfer

Buoyancy-driven

Convection – 1 g

CO2H2O

O2

Radiation

Radiativeheat transfer

Buoyancy-driven

Convection – 0 g

The absence of gravity induces physical effects that alter the microenvironment surrounding plants and their organs.

These effects include: increased boundary layers surrounding plant organs and the absence of convective mixing of atmospheric gases. In addition, altered behavior of liquids and gases is responsible for phase separation and for dominance of capillary forces in the absence of gravitational forces (moisture redistribution)

Space-Flight Environment

Monje et al. 2003Jones and Or, 1998

1.Sg f a)

Plant Growth Systems in Space

Zabel et al. Life Sci. Space Res. (2016)

Light300 µmol/m2s

Light1000

Detailed information on the nutrient delivery systems used in flown plant growth chambers.

Oasis 1

Oasis 1 M Oasis 1AM Oasis 1A Vazon Malachi te Biogravistatf

Magnetobiostat Svetoblok Phyton SVEf

SVET-GEMS PGU

PGF

ASC PGBA

ADVASC BPS Lada EMCS

PEU ABRS VEGGIE

Nutrient delivery subsystem

Two compartmem system (water and ion exchange resin)

Fibrous ion exchange medium Cloth ion exchange medium Included root zone aeration system Cloth sack filled with ion exchange resin Ion exchange r-esin, water supply n.a .

Agar based, later also U5ed other media 1.5% agar nutrient medium Polyvinyl formal foam surrounded pertorated tubing

wrapped in a wick within zeolite based substrate enriched with nutrients

Similar to SVET but with additional sensors Passive system capable of containing varied

substrates{ materials Passive system capable of containing varied

substrates{ materials Porous tubes in matrix Agar, soil or growth substrate in gas permeable

polypropylene bags wi th option to connect bags to water supply

Porous tubes in matrix Porous tubes in mat rix Perforated tubing wrapped in a wick withjn a matrix Water reservoir providing water to experiment unique

nutrient delivery equipment Rock wool fed by integrated water line Experiment specific Passive NOS, rooting pillows, manual water and

nutrient supply

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1970

Oasis series I lM I 16M • • 16 I

Vazon Malachite

Biogravistat/Maentobiostat

Svetoblok Pnvton

SVET I

SVETGEMS I I

--·-PGU I

Astroculture I I

PGF I • I

PGBA I - I PGBA

~fs Adv. Astt oculture

I Lada I I I I I I I

1980 1990 200

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-------- L -EMCS I - ~-­PEU

• I ABRS _ t _

~E_§~ E- APH 2010 2020

1 - Veggie Pillows: Passive Watering

In Veggie, Passive Watering is often replaced by Hand Watering

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Evaporation from Wicks/Plants

Passive Water Delivery by Capillary Action

Veggie Pillow Watering: Passive vs ‘Hand’ Watering

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Percent Saturation - Well-Watered Pillows #3,4,5

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OAP

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Percent Saturation - Hand-Watered Pillow #1

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OAP

Parameter Well-Watered Wilted Ratio

Height (cm) 17.3 ± 0.7 16.0 ± 1.4 1.1

Fresh mass (g) 71.0 ± 6.8 33.3 ± 2.9 2.1

Leaf Area (cm2) 1753 ± 269 1122 ± 103 1.6

Leaf Number (#) 35.0 ± 1.6 28.7 ± 1.7 1.2

Root Volume (ml) 12.3 ± 2.2 5.0 ± 0.1 2.5

Dry mass (g) 4.0 ± 0.4 2.4 ± 0.2 1.7

Veggie Pillow Watering: Wilting Affects Plant Growth

2 - APH Science Carrier• Four quadrants – independent moisture control

• Baseline – 4 kg porous substrate / slow release fertilizer

• Pre-planted / Contains water and substrate

Scaling the 0.2 m2 APH system - salad machine producing 13 crops of Outredgeous lettuce per year (365 days/28 day growth cycle) produces 104 lettuce plants (two 50.9 g plants/quadrant).

Production: 5.3 kg of lettuce per year Inputs: ~52 kg of media and 0.6 kg of fertilizer

This system has a productivity ratio of 0.10 kg of edible mass per kg of resupply mass.

APH – Not A Food Production Facility

On-Demand Watering – Gravity Independent

Jones et al., 2012 VDZJ

• On Demand Watering• HYDRUS-1 Model – Wheat crop – 15 cm

root module.

• On-demand watering was equally as effective at controlling volumetric moisture of porous media at 1g or in microgravity

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Water-filled pore space

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0 20 40 60

Time (days)

80 100

Active Watering System for Veggie• KSC KickStart Project 2014 - $5K

• Uses power – 10 W

• Automated operation - Water on-demand, less media

• Additional resources – CR-6 Datalogger , EC-5 sensors, pumps

Assembly of Analog Veggie Pillows

Crops

24 day Chinese cabbage 49 day Chinese cabbage

55 day Zinnias 80 day Zinnias

3 -On Demand Veggie System• Productivity

• 38+/-7.4 g 24 days (227 gFW)• 49+/-9.6 g 35 days (290 gFW)* n=6• 3.42 kg lettuce/32.1 kg resupply• 1.06 kg edible per kg of resupply mass• 10 x APH

• Consistency• 100% germination• Water stress – wilting observed• Power – 10 W

• Crew Time• Water refill every 3 days• Use 10 L bag

Replace Porous Substrate- Sublime Foam- 13 g Not Reusable- Adequate porosity- No dust mitigation

On Demand - Foam System

4 -On Demand Foam System

Parameter 3 Plants 4 Plants

Height (cm) 18.0 ± 3 16.8 ± 0.3

Fresh Mass (g) 48.2 ± 8.5 50.0 ± 4.9

Leaf Area (cm2) 1176.7 ± 300 1169.3 ± 144

Leaf Number (#) 31.3 ± 7.3 31.5 ± 4.1

Productivity Ratio 11.1 15.3

• System• 13 g foam per block• Increased planting density• Increased productivity vs APH

Watering System Comparison

System plants/unit g/Plant g FW/unit g Media/unit

Plant FW

kg/yr

Media

kg/yr

Productivity

Ratio APH

APH 2 50.9 101.8 1000.0 1.3 13.0 0.10 1.0

Veggie 1 33 33 210.0 0.4 2.7 0.16 1.5

On Demand Veggie 1 38 38 210.0 0.6 3.2 0.18 1.8

On Demand Foam 3 3 48 144 13.0 1.9 0.2 11.08 109

On Demand Foam 4 4 50 200 13.0 2.6 0.2 15.38 151

Questions?