THOSE taking a trip to space need no
longer subsist on a staple diet of frozen
food straight out of tins. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
in the us announced recently that a new
strain of wheat has been developed that
can be grown on international space
stations and may be even on the moon
or Mars.
Apogee, as the new wheat strain is
known, is the result of more than a
decade of research by scientists belonging to the Utah State University.
Conditions in space are reportedly ideal
for growing this particular variety, with
high carbon dioxide levels, plenty of
artificial sunshine and vast tracts of
open space. The space-age strain is also
more effective than its earthly cousins in
that its yields are triple that of the typical
wheat crop. Further, the new wheat
strain which grows to a shorter height
also germinates faster.
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