Space Tomato More Drought Tolerant
By Vanessa Richins
It was a part of a science experiment to study plant growth in space.
While they didn’t last long – they died soon after germination - a new tomato showed that it was especially tolerant to drought.
A steady supply of water is important to tomatoes.
Problems like cracking and blossom-end rot can develop when most tomatoes are finally given water after a drought.
The space plants were contained in special chambers designed by BioServe Space Technologies, a non-profit NASA-sponsored research center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The chambers contained a solution of nutrients that would feed the plants as long as there was moisture present.
As MSNBC explains, “While the space experiment was a bust, the transgenic seeds blossomed on Earth, producing plants that could survive severe drought.
“Three weeks without water will kill most tomato plants. The transgencis came back, which is really cool and has huge implications for Earth agriculture,”
Later, the scientist who developed the space tomato (Mariya Khodakovskaya of North Carolina State University) created a tomato that incorporated high levels of lycopene in addition to the drought resistance.
It’s discoveries like these that make me waver a bit about genetics. I still think natural breeding is better for many reasons, but when faced with the realities like drought in the West, it’s hard to pass up a variety like this space tomato. Hopefully they can find heirlooms with a similar drought tolerance.
What do you think about the drought tolerant space tomato?
