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Lessons and Recommendations from over a Decade of Microgravity Plant Growth Experience.  G.E. Bingham¹, S. B. Jones¹, B. Bugbee¹, M.A. Levinskih², I.G. Podolski² and V.S. Sychev²

¹Space Dynamics Laboratory and Utah State University, Logan, UT, and ²Institute of Biomedical Problems, Moscow, RU.

   The past decade has seen the culture of plants in microgravity (µg) evolve from a chancy, low probability exercise to a rather routine experience.  This paper will review the key landmarks along this road and discuss lessons learned in the process.  It will also discuss options that face engineers and scientists as exploration turns beyond LEO. The discussion will include development requirements for plants, equipment and procedures.  We claim that the most important area required for good plant growth is the management of water and oxygen in the root zone.  We discuss the history and development of the science in this area and describe an upcoming experiment to expand our knowledge. We have verified the fears of a great Russian scientist that cabin air contamination will limit viability, and we review the impact of ethylene on plants and discuss the choices that face future explorers.  We will also discuss the true value of plants as partners with our explorers and share initial work being done to assure food safety.  Finally, we will describe the difference between plants as partners in exploration and plants as research subjects.