Plant responses to hypergravity: a comprehensive review

Hosamani, Ravikumar; Swamy, Basavalingayya K; Dsouza, Ajwal; Sathasivam, Malarvizhi

doi:10.1007/s00425-022-04051-6

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…The higher growth rates observed under the hypergravity condition open up new interesting scenarios for maximising cultivation e ciency for future terrestrial and in space applications. This novel result underlines the need for future investigation concerning plant resilience and peculiar reactions to the hypergravity environment (Hosamani et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Wolffia globosa, a novel crop species for protein production in space agriculture

Romano,

Loon,

Vincent-Bonnieu

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Space agriculture, pivotal for sustainable extraterrestrial missions, requires plants that can adapt to altered gravitational conditions. This study delves into the adaptive responses to altered gravity of Wolffia globosa, an aquatic plant known for its rapid growth and high nutritional value. The research aimed to analyse the effect of simulated microgravity and hypergravity on relative growth rate (RGR), morphological characteristics, protein content, and the correlation between plant size and growth rate of Wolffia globosa. The study highlighted the responses of the species to altered gravity, uncovering inherent variability among seven different clones of Wolffia globosa. Results show a base variability among clones in terms of RGR, size and protein content. Furthermore, some clones are affected by simulated microgravity, showing a decrease in RGR. Differently, under hypergravity, clones showed RGR higher than in 1 g control, therefore revealing a novel plant response to hypergravity. Morphological adaptations to gravity alterations were also evident. Among the studied clones, significant morphological changes were observed, further underlining the peculiar adaptation to the hypergravity environment. Differently, under simulated microgravity, morphology was generally stable across clones, indicating resilience to real microgravity. A key finding of the study was the significant negative correlation between RGR and the physical dimensions of the plants: the fastest growth was associated with the smallest dimensions of the plants. This correlation might have practical implications in selecting clones for space cultivation, that leads to compact yet highly productive clones. The analysis of the protein content of all the clones revealed mostly no significant changes under hypergravity. Otherwise, a general decrease in protein content was observed under simulated microgravity. Overall, the study confirms the suitability of Wolffia globosa for space agriculture and provides new insights into the perspective of using Wolffia globosa as an alternative crop species for protein production for manned Space missions. Furthermore, it underscores the need for focusing on the clones and the selection of the Wolffia globosa plants that are best adapted to the environmental conditions of space; therefore, selecting those with the best combination of biomass production (by means of growth rate, size), and protein content.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Wolffia globosa, a novel crop species for protein production in space agriculture

Romano,

Loon,

Vincent-Bonnieu

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Hypergravity, characterized by gravitational forces greater than Earth’s standard 1 g, is a significant factor in space exploration, affecting humans, and plant life 20 , 21 . Hypergravity is most prominent during the manuvers of take-off and landing phases of spacecraft.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hypergravity is most prominent during the manuvers of take-off and landing phases of spacecraft. These brief yet intense episodes of increased gravitational force can influence various aspects of plant biology and growth 21 . Understanding how plants respond to hypergravity is essential for optimizing their cultivation in space environments and for Earth’s agriculture 22 , 23 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of altered gravity on growth and morphology in Wolffia globosa implications for bioregenerative life support systems and space-based agriculture

Romano,

van Loon,

Izzo

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Understanding the response of plants to varied gravitational conditions is vital for developing effective food production in space bioregenerative life support systems. This study examines the impact of altered gravity conditions on the growth and morphological responses of Wolffia globosa (commonly known as “water lentils” or “duckweed”), assessing its potential as a space crop. Although an experiment testing the effect of simulated microgravity on Wolffia globosa has been previously conducted, for the first time, we investigated the effect of multiple gravity levels on the growth and morphological traits of Wolffia globosa plants. The plant responses to simulated microgravity, simulated partial gravity (Moon), and hypergravity environments were evaluated using random positioning machines and the large-diameter centrifuge. As hypothesized, we observed a slight reaction to different gravitational levels in the growth and morphological traits of Wolffia globosa. The relative growth rates (RGR) of plants subjected to simulated microgravity and partial gravity were reduced when compared to those in other gravity levels. The morphological analysis revealed differences in plant dimensions and frond length-to-width ratios under diverse gravity conditions. Our findings showed that Wolffia globosa is responsive to gravitational changes, with its growth and morphological adaptations being slightly influenced by varying gravitational environments. As for other crop species, growth was reduced by the microgravity conditions; however, RGR remained substantial at 0.33 a day. In conclusion, this study underscores the potential of Wolffia globosa as a space crop and its adaptability to diverse gravitational conditions, contributing to the development of sustainable food production and bioregenerative life support systems for future space exploration missions.

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“…These facilities offer higher replicate numbers and serve as robust testbeds for experiments involving different gravity levels [18,19]. Additionally, studying plants under hypergravity conditions provides helpful insights into their resilience and response to extreme environments [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered Gravity Effects on Growth and Morphology of Wolffia globosa: Implications for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems and Space-based Agriculture

Romano,

Loon,

Izzo

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the response of plants to varied gravitational conditions is vital for developing effective food production in space bioregenerative life support systems. This study examines the impact of altered gravity conditions on the growth and morphological responses of Wolffia globosa, assessing its potential as a space crop. Although an experiment testing the effect of simulated microgravity on Wolffia globosa has been previously conducted, for the first time, we investigated the effect of multiple gravity levels on the growth and morphological traits of Wolffia globosa plants. The plant responses to simulated microgravity, simulated partial gravity (Moon), and hypergravity environments were evaluated using random positioning machines and the large-diameter centrifuge. As hypothesised, a slight reaction to different gravitational levels was observed in the growth and morphological traits of Wolffia globosa. The relative growth rates (RGR) of plants subjected to simulated microgravity and partial gravity were reduced when compared to those in other gravity levels. The morphological analysis revealed differences in plant dimensions and frond length-to-width ratios under diverse gravity conditions. Our findings showed that Wolffia globosa is responsive to gravitational changes, its growth and morphological adaptations being slightly influenced by varying gravitational environments. As for other crop species, growth was reduced by the microgravity conditions; however, RGR remained substantial at 33%/day. In conclusion, this study underscores the potential of Wolffia globosa as a space crop and its adaptability to diverse gravitational conditions, contributing to the development of sustainable food production and bioregenerative life support systems for future space exploration missions.

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Plant responses to hypergravity: a comprehensive review

Cited by 9 publications

References 96 publications

Wolffia globosa, a novel crop species for protein production in space agriculture

Wolffia globosa, a novel crop species for protein production in space agriculture

Effects of altered gravity on growth and morphology in Wolffia globosa implications for bioregenerative life support systems and space-based agriculture

Altered Gravity Effects on Growth and Morphology of Wolffia globosa: Implications for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems and Space-based Agriculture

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