Growth of plants at reduced pressures: experiments in wheat-technological advantages and constraints.

Procedures and results are presented concerning the growth of wheat plants with variable partial pressures of O2 and N2. Data demonstrate that some growth occurs in pressures as low as 0.1 atmosphere. The growth was similar or higher at 200 mb (0.2 atmosphere) than in normal atmosphere but the development was different. Advantages of the low pressure cultivation, especially in the absence of nitrogen, are discussed, including better ratio volume/mass of plant cultivation module; lower losses of gases by leakage; easier management of photosynthetic oxygen produced by plants.