Circulating , Aeration and Nutrient Delivery System (CANDS)

The purpose of the Phase II SBIR is to develop, build and test methods and procedures to control water, oxygen, and temperature in the root zone of a particulate based microgravity nutrient delivery system using nubs, tubes or plates. Phase I demonstrated new concepts for nutrient flow and control interval to each root module. Phase II will fully characterize a root module system capable of controlling oxygen and CO2 concentrations, and temperature of the root zone. Particulate based nutrient delivery systems have been commonly used in current space based plant growth systems and have been demonstrated to maintain healthy plants in microgravity, but have not controlled oxygen. The primary effort of this proposed project will be oriented toward building a system that can effectively control water and oxygen distribution in a root zone through manipulation of liquid source, flow, and aeration. This system will focus on aeration maintenance with and without root mass, measure and compare the impact of different water delivery sources and flows protocols, combined with various mechanisms of aeration, on the root zone environment. This research will allow the development of a root zone nutrient delivery system that will support plants in microgravity, without limiting oxygen.