Performance of Sweetpotato for Bioregenerative Life Support

Sweetpotato was successfully grown to harvest maturity in a large-scale atmospherically-closed controlled environment chamber. Yield of edible biomass and capacity for contributing to air revitalization and water recovery were documented. Yield was slightly less than that found in smaller-scale studies, but this is not unusual (Wheeler 1999). Continued work is suggested to improve control of storage root initiation, bulking and vine growth

Effect of channel size on sweet potato storage root enlargement in the Tuskegee University hydroponic nutrient film system

The potential of the sweet potato as a food source for future long term manned space missions is being evaluated for NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) program. Sweet potatoes have been successfully grown in a specially designed Tuskegee University nutrient film technique (TU NFT) system. This hydroponic system yielded storage roots as high as 1790 g/plant fresh weight. In order to determine the effect of channel size on the yield of sweet potatoes, the width and depth of the growing channels were varied in two separate experiments. Widths were studied using the rectangular TU NFT channels with widths of 15 cm (6 in), 30 cm (12 in) and 45 cm (18 in). Channel depths of 5 cm (2 in), 10 cm (4 in), and 15 cm (6 in) were studied using a standard NASA fan shaped Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) channel. A comparison of preliminary results indicated that, except for storage root number, the growth and yield of sweet potatoes were not affected by channel width. Storage root yield was affected by channel depth although storage root number and foliage growth were not. Both experiments are being repeated

Effect of biweekly shoot tip harvests on the growth and yield of Georgia Jet sweet potato grown hydroponically

Sweet potato shoot tips have been shown to be a nutritious green vegetable. A study was conducted to determine the effect of biweekly shoot tip harvests on the growth and yield of Georgia Jet sweet potato grown in the greenhouse using the nutrient film technique (NFT). The nutrient solution consisted of a modified half Hoagland solution. Biweekly shoot tip harvests, beginning 42 days after planting, provided substantial amounts of vegetable greens and did not affect the fresh and dry foliage weights or the storage root number and fresh and dry storage root weights at final harvest. The rates of anion and cation uptake were not affected by tip harvests

The Impact of Selected Socioeconomic Factors on Residents’ Perceptions of Benefits of Community Gardens

Participating in community gardens is believed to have several benefits; yet, there has been limited research on socioeconomic factors and their impact on community gardens. Therefore, this study assessed the impact of selected socioeconomic factors on residents’ perceptions of benefits of community gardens. Using a questionnaire, data were obtained from a convenience sample of 217 participants from Macon County, Alabama, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logit analysis. The results showed that a majority (at least 73%) agreed or strongly agreed with statements regarding nutritional benefits, health benefits, and community benefits of community gardens. In addition, several socioeconomic factors; age, education, and annual household income, had statistically significant effects on perceptions of benefits of participating in community gardens. Consequently, it was recommended that policies and programs that encourage participation in community gardens be put in place for residents in the study area, with cooperation among, county officials, University scientists, and community residents. This will lead to benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables, eating fresher foods, and possibly, in the long-term, reducing chronic diseases. Keywords: Community gardens, Socioeconomic factors, Macon County, Rural communitie

Sweetpotato Stem Cuttings Database in Preparation for Flight

Since 1985, Tuskegee University has been engaged in research that addresses NASA's mission to achieve long-duration human space exploration on the moon and Mars. The successful research of Dr. George Washington Carver, the beginning of our long history of working with crops for food and industrial uses, is well known. This history and contemporary technical expertise in food/industrial crops, and our interest in pursuing new, interdisciplinary approaches to education and research led us to submit a proposal to NASA in 1985 to pursue the hydroponic production of sweetpotato for food for astronaut-explorers on future long-term, distant space missions. As a carbohydrate and dual vegetable (edible leaves), the versatile sweetpotato has the potential to be a key crop as a main source of energy and other nutrients such as beta-carotene, calcium and potassium. Sweetpotato is a crop very suited to space, as was documented in a monograph published by our scientists in 1984

Comparison of the Efficiency of Deep Eutectic and Organic Solvents in the Extraction of Phytochemicals from <i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an attractive candidate for sustainable pest management due to its abundance of bioactive compounds with potential pesticidal properties. Solvent choice has a significant impact on the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are gaining popularity in extraction because they are safe and environmentally friendly, making them viable alternatives to organic solvents (OSs). This research first compared the extraction efficiency of OSs in the extraction of phytochemicals from the infloresences of two hemp varieties, Citrus and Cherry Dwarf. Inflorescences were extracted using three OSs, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane. The highest level of cannabidiol (CBD; 0.69%) was extracted from Cherry Dwarf using ethanol, while the level of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol THC (0.19%) was essentially the same in both. Therefore, Cherry Dwarf was selected to compare the extraction efficiency of DESs with OSs. The DESs were choline chloride/ethylene glycol, citric acid/ethylene glycol, menthol/lauric acid, choline chloride/urea, and choline chloride/glycerol. In the targeted analysis, choline chloride/ethylene glycol extracted the highest amount of CBD (0.87%) followed by choline chloride/urea (0.78%). As some DESs outperformed ethanol, the popular solvent for extracting cannabinoids, DESs are viable candidates for replacement of organic solvents

Effects of Root-Zone Volume, Vine Pruning, and Season on Yield, Proximate Composition, and Antioxidant Capacity of Sweetpotato (Ipomea Batatas (Lam.) L. TU-82-155)

Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas (Lam.) L.) has been examined as a target crop for an advanced life-support system (ALS). In an ALS, available area for crop production is limited, so both root-zone volume and above- ground biomass area become important. Additionally, the food-value trade-offs associated with pruning must be determined to allow consideration of sweetpotato as a dual-purpose crop for both root production and as a salad component. This study examined the impact of cultivation practices on the yield and nutritional aspects of this crop. Variations in the fresh weight of storage roots produced correlated with the amount of pruning. In addition, yield was not found to be proportional to available root-zone volume. Edible root biomass was analyzed for proximate composition, and select treatments were analyzed for total vitamin A content. Further investigations examined the impact of training unbranched vines on yield. Results from this study will allow NASA researchers to identify cultivation practices that provide the highest yield and nutritional content of ALS crops per unit growth area. Description:15 page