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

Abstract 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.