Russian scientists succeeded in cultivating watermelon in Antarctica, summer taste even in extremely cold environment of minus 89.2 degrees
Российские полярники вырастили арбузы в самом холодном месте планеты | Русское географическое общество
https://www.rgo.ru/ru/article/rossiyskie-polyarniki-vyrastili-arbuzy-v-samom-holodnom-meste-planety
На антарктической станции Восток вырастили арбузы
Russian scientists have grown watermelons in the coldest place on Earth | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/antarctica/russian-scientists-have-grown-watermelons-in-the-coldest-place-on-earth
Watermelon is a plant that was born in Sudan more than 4,300 years ago, and has been cultivated in places far from the extremely cold environment of Antarctica, such as appearing in works of art excavated in Egypt.
The research team of the 68th Russian Antarctic Expedition, which has been working on the joint experiment 'Plants' to cultivate vegetables at the Vostok base since 2020, has already succeeded in cultivating watercress, turnips, lettuce, spinach, etc. I started working on 'watermelon cultivation in the southernmost land in the history of mankind'. On July 31, 2023, the research team published a record of watermelon cultivation for 103 days.
Founded in 1957, the Vostok Air Station sees temperatures drop below minus 70 degrees Celsius each year in winter and rarely exceed minus 30 degrees Celsius even during the summer months. Also, in July 1983, the lowest temperature on earth was recorded at Vostok Station, at minus 89.2 degrees Celsius.
In cultivating watermelons, the research team created a greenhouse at the Vostok base that can maintain favorable conditions for growing watermelons, such as temperature and humidity. In addition, special soils, nutrients, and lighting with a spectrum close to that of daylight were used. Below is a video of the watermelon cultivation environment at the Vostok base.
Арбузы в Антарктике - YouTube
The research team selected two types of early-ripening watermelons with red and yellow flesh and planted them in early April 2023. The we. After that, in May 2023, the research team conducted artificial pollination because there are no insects that pollinate plants in Antarctica.
In July 2023, 103 days after planting the seeds, the research team harvested eight watermelons. The largest watermelon harvested had a diameter of up to 13 cm and weighed about 1 kg.
Andrei Teplyakov, a research team member who tried eating watermelons grown and harvested in Antarctica, said, ``Our research team was able to enjoy the sweet taste of summer despite being in Antarctica.Observation of watermelon seedlings. And seeing the growth, and observing the growth of the fruit gave us positive emotions.”
Oleg Orlov, from the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said: 'The psychological reactions and effects of the research team on the cultivation of plants at the Vostok base this time are related to the closure of the universe, such as the moon and other planets. The results have been very beneficial and adaptable to people in social spaces.”
According to Teplyakov, the cultivation of cucumbers and tomatoes is underway at the Vostok base. In addition, it is reported that blackberries, blueberries and strawberries will be cultivated in the future.
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