The press service of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute announced the successful completion of the first experiment on growing watermelons at the Antarctic station Vostok. It was also attended by specialists from the Agrophysical Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
For 103 days, scientists managed to grow eight ripe and sweet fruits using the soilless technology "panoponics". Favorable conditions for plants were created with the help of a phytotechnical complex specially developed by the Agrophysical Institute for Vostok station. The size of the fruit is up to 13 cm in diameter, and the whole is up to 1 kg.
"When growing plants, we used a thin-layer soil substitute, nutrient solutions and specially selected lighting, the spectrum of which is close to sunlight. The planting of two varieties of early ripening watermelons, selected for their high taste and ability to adapt to low atmospheric pressure and oxygen deficiency, was carried out in early April. Manual Pollination was carried out at the end of May, and already in July, the polar explorers were able to taste the first fruits.
Scientists note that the greenhouse at the station has a positive effect on the emotional state of polar explorers, who spend many months in an isolated team, in conditions of polar night, low temperatures and limited living space.
In the future, scientists intend to grow wild berries in the coldest point on the planet: blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.
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