Abstract
A nutrient delivery system developed for plant growth in space provides a unique system for maintaining a constant, slightly-negative water tension for plant research. The system involves the use of multiple porous stainless steel tubes positioned 4 cm apart in shallow trays (44 cm long, 32 cm wide and 8 cm deep), and then covered with a 4 cm layer of fine medium. Nutrient solution is recirculated through the porous tubes under -5 cm (water head) of negative pressure maintained with a siphoning procedure. Potatoes grown with negative pressures were compared to growth in similarly constructed trays that were maintained on a slant and solution added to the upper end of the trays and drained from the lower end. The same nutrient solution was recirculated through the trays of each treatment and maintained at a pH of 5.6. A microcultured plantlet of Norland cv. was transplanted into each tray. The negative pressure produced plants with less total plant dry weight, leaf area, branches, and stolons but increased biomass partitioning into tubers. The data suggest that this small constant negative water pressure regulates assimilate partitioning to encourage production of tubers.
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