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- Author or Editor: Joel O. Wilkinson x
The effects of using mixed cropping strategies for reducing overall mass and increasing system efficiency was examined as part of NASA's mission to study minimally-processed or “salad” crops as dietary supplements on long-duration space missions. To test interspecific compatibility, radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Cherry Bomb II), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Flandria), and bunching onion (Allium fistulosum L. cv. Kinka) were grown hydroponically as either monoculture (control) or mixed-crop within a walk-in growth chamber maintained at 25 °C, 50% relative humidity, 300 μmol·m-2·s-1 PPF, and a 16-h light/8-h dark photoperiod under cool-white fluorescent lamps. Weekly time-course harvests were taken over 28 days of growth. Results showed that none of the species showed any negative growth effects when grown together under mixed-crop compared to monoculture growth conditions. However, radish showed significant increases in edible mass when grown under mixed-crop compared to monoculture conditions. The observed increases in growth are likely attributable to increased light interception due to a decreased guard row effect as well as a faster canopy development for radish.