Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “dwarf plum”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

6 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Space Pomology: Dwarf Plums for Fresh Food Production

Recently, USDA ARS researchers genetically modified plums for rapid breeding work and noticed the plants could flower and develop fruit rapidly on relatively small plants. We have tested several of these genetically modified (GM) plums in plant chambers to assess their potential as a space crop. We have been able to clone these genetic lines using cuttings that are rooted using growth regulating compounds. Results showed that the GM plums indeed flower and fruit on small plants in controlled environments similar to what might be used in space, but they require cross-pollination with pollen from a standard plum. Analysis of stomatal conductance and leaf transpiration showed that water use went up in the light period, as expected, and but that GM types typically showed higher conductance than a standard plum. Analysis of tissue showed that fruit could be a good source of potassium and phenolic compounds, which could be beneficial as a bone loss countermeasure (Smith et al., 2014). These findings are all promising for using dwarf GM plums as a supplemental food for space, but further horticultural testing is needed before they are ready.

Life Support↗
NASA NTRS2017

Biological/Horticultural Internship Final Report

A study was conducted to determine water use requirements of genetically modified (GMO) dwarf plum. GMO plum and unmodified standard plum plants were grown in a controlled environment chamber under varying CO2 concentrations (400 ppm, 1500 ppm, and 5000 ppm). Pepper plants were also grown in the chamber for additional comparison. Leaf stomatal conductance, biomass accumulation, soil moisture and pot weights were measured; Stomatal conductance of GMO plum and pepper plants decreased at sustained elevated CO2 concentrations. The stomatal conductance rates of the standard plums, however, increased at sustained elevated CO2 concentrations. Further data analysis (statistical analysis, biomass, soil moisture and pot weight measurements) is ongoing and required to gain better understanding of the data. An additional proof-of-concept study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of grafting unmodified standard plum scions onto genetically modified rootstocks as a propagation method. Bud grafts were performed on three GMO plum rootstocks: NASA-5, NASA-10, and NASA-11. All of the standard plum buds grafted onto NASA-5 and NASA-10 rootstocks began growing, indicating that this grafting method is highly successful for the formation of a graft union and initial bud growth. However, bud growth during stem elongation was curtailed on several grafts due to a combination of nutritional deficiency and physical damage/obstruction of the grafted tissues. Bud growth on the NASA-5 rootstock occurred sooner than in grafts on the NASA-10 rootstock, while only one bud graft has shown growth on the NASA-11 rootstock thus far. These marked differences in the onset of bud growth suggest genotypic differences between the rootstocks may affect bud graft vigor. Mature standard plum scions grown on the NASA-5 rootstock appeared to retain most or all of the physical characteristics of the standard plum donor plant.

GMO↗
NASA NTRS2017

Microbiological Horticultural Internship Final Abstract

GMO dwarf plum (Prunus domestica) is being evaluated as a candidate food crop for long duration space flight missions. A project was undertaken to develop a protocol for transferring selected genetic lines of GMO plum (previously maintained in pots and propagated by cuttings at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida) into in vitro tissue culture. In vitro culture may reduce the space, materials, and labor required to maintain the current lines of GMO plum and better preserve them for future study. Fresh plant material from three selected GMO plum lines (NASA-5, NASA-10, and NASA-11) and a non-modified control line (Control-5) were processed aseptically into in vitro culture on four separate occasions. The impact of multiple treatments on the successful growth of GMO plum tissue in vitro were tested: Parent explant tissue type (leaf petioles, stem nodes containing buds and internodes without buds), tissue sterilization method [soaking in 10 bleach only (5 min for petioles or 10 min for nodesinternodes), or soaking in 70 EtOH (30 sec) followed by 10 bleach (5 min for petioles and 10 min for nodesinternodes)], and media type [three Murashige and Skoog-based medias (SGM, SRM, and SRM+2,4-D) and one recipe containing woody plant media (WPM)]. 22.2 of the plates containing tissue sterilized with bleach alone developed microbial contamination after two weeks, while only 11.8 of plates containing tissue sterilized sequentially with EtOH and bleach developed contamination. Node bud tissue from all four genetic lines of plum produced leafy plantlets on SGM and SRM media after 4-6 weeks. The most numerous and well-developed plantlets were present on SGM. Upon reaching suitable size, plantlets were transferred to larger media containers for further growth. Some node bud growth occurred on SRM+2,4-D and WPM 2.5 weeks after plating, however as of yet no pieces on SRM+2,4-D have adequate development for transferring. Tissue pieces from NASA-5 plated on WPM are developing leaves and will be ready for transferring soon. Petioles and internode tissue lacking bud meristem failed to produce any plantlets on any plates, however petioles developed large masses of undifferentiated callus tissue on SRM+2,4-D media. These callused pieces were then transferred to SRM+TDZ media, which resulted in even larger callus growth but no differentiation. All four selected plum lines were successfully transitioned into in vitro culture. Nodes from NASA-5 and NASA-10 lines produced the most numerous and well-developed leafy plantlets in vitro, while those from NASA-11 and Control-5 were generally smaller, slower growing and less numerous. The best method overall was to use young stem node tissue with buds, surface sterilize the pieces sequentially with 70 EtOH and 10 bleach, and then plate them onto SGM media. Future areas of study will include introducing additional genetic lines of GMO plum into in vitro culture, attempting to induce shoot growth in petiole callus tissue, testing methods (such as cold storage) that extend the time interval between transferring explants into new media, and testing viability of plantlets transferred from in vitro culture back to traditional pot culture.

bioregenerative life support↗
NASA NTRS2017

Water Use and Requirements of PtFT1 Plums for Long Duration Space Missions

Early applications of bioregenerative life support technologies for space exploration will likely start with supplemental food production for the crew. This could include fresh, perishable foods that cannot be stored for long and but have a high impact on the diet acceptability bioavailable nutrients. Because of the limited working volume in spacecraft, these plants must be small in size. A combination of CIF (Center Innovation Fund) and NASA Post Doctoral funding was used in FY15 to develop horticultural approaches for propagation, production and fruiting of several dwarf plum lines and evaluate their suitability as candidates for long duration space missions. Collaborators at the USDA Agricultural Research Service transformed Prunus domestica with the FT1 (Flowering Locus T1) flowering gene from Populus trichocarpa (PtFTl), which resulted in early flowering, driving the plant out of its juvenile growth phase and into reproductive development years earlier than would normally occur. The result is a plum line that has potential as a component of food production system on long-duration space missions since it completes complete generation (seed-to-seed) within less than a year and maintains a dwarf-bush or vine-like growth habit. Further, there appears to be no obligatory requirement for a dormancy period, resulting in continuous fruit production on a given plant. This potential is described in Graham et al (2015, in press).

plant growt↗
NASA NTRS2014

Reconsidering Tree Fruit as Candidate Crops Through the Use of Rapid Cycle Crop Breeding Technologies

Tree fruit, although desirable from a crew nutrition and menu diversity perspective, have long been dismissed as candidate crops based on their long juvenile phase, large architecture, low short-term harvest index, and dormancy requirements. Recent developments in Rapid Cycle Crop Breeding (RCCB) have overcome these historical limitations, opening the door to a new era in candidate crop research. Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed FT-construct (Flowering Locus T) dwarf plum lines that have a very short juvenile phase, vine-like architecture, and no obligate dormancy period. In a collaborative research effort, NASA and the USDA are evaluating the performance of these FT-lines under controlled environment conditions relevant to spaceflight.

PtFT1↗