The US grows vegetables on a submarine

A US Navy lab is studying how to grow green vegetables on a submarine for the crew's three-month trips. The new project was led by technician Don Holman, who has 30 years of experience in naval operations. Mr Holman is considering whether the hydroponic method (growing vegetables in nutrient solution) is suitable for the environment on submarines.

Green vegetables will grow within the first 7 to 10 days of the voyage, after which seafarers will harvest them and store them gradually.

Holman is testing this vegetable growing model in a light-sealed LED container, at the Natick Rifle Research and Development Center, in the suburbs of Boston, USA. Container is connected to a central computer, which allows researchers to control temperature, humidity and CO ₂ emissions within.

Kale sprouts grow under LED lights inside the container. Photo: AP.

Another advantage of the hydroponic method is that the grower can easily control the amount of nutrients as well as the pH of the water.

Holman tested 83 vegetables in the first batch of experiments, and 53 of them were able to grow in closed environments, such as lettuce, kale, and some roots. The rest is like tomatoes and cucumbers are not appropriate.

The $ 100,000 project was launched after a development meeting at the Water Warfare Center. Here, the sailors expressed their desire to eat salad on the submarine, instead of only the canned food available. Holman, meanwhile, said the supply of green vegetables to submarines could increase the morale of naval soldiers, enabling them to stick to the hard work.

The biggest challenge that Holman needs to address is the way to put vegetable gardens in submarines where space is very limited. In addition, the provision of enough fresh vegetables for the crew of about 170 people during a three-month mission on the sea would be easy.

This is not the first time that scientists have tried to grow vegetables under harsh environmental conditions. Last year, NASA astronauts successfully planted lettuce on the International Space Station (ISS) with clay, fertilizer and water tanks.