Experimental Studies of Plant Culture in View of Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) : 3rd Report, Influence of Decompression, CO₂ and Auxin

Abstract

Controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) is a unique tool for researches such as test beds for the global change problem and the large-scale life support system in outer space. Growing rates of kidney bean and structure of the tissue were investigated by the plant culture system in which the pressure of the atmosphere and the concentration of CO₂ could be adjusted. The growing rate of the leaf was made to increase by the decompression. The effect, however, was decreased by the increase in CO₂ concentration. the growing rate of the stalk was made to decrease by the decompression. The adaptive remodeling of the tissue arising from the decompression was observed through microscopy. Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) had the physiological activation that loosens the cell wall even in the decompression. But the synergistic effect of the decompression and the physiological activation of the auxin was small.