Lunar Harvest

Author: Eve Pranis

While some scientists are busy trying to improve methods for raising food crops on Earth, others have turned their thoughts skyward. Some Milwaukee members of the National Space Society have set up a nonprofit corporation, LUNAX (Lunar National Agricultural Experiment Corporation), to promote lunar agriculture experiments in schools. Their efforts sprung from their belief that human colonies on the Moon will only be possible if they are nearly self-sufficient in growing their food. "What's so compelling to us and to students," says LUNAX board member, Peter Kokh, "is that these are true experiments for which no one yet has answers."

Although they have worked primarily with high school and college science classes, LUNAX members are intrigued by the idea of engaging younger indoor gardening students in lunar investigations. The LUNAX experiment they suggest for classrooms with light gardens is the "Lunar Nightspan Hardiness Experiment." Because the moon has a 14 Earthday span of daylight and a 14 Earthday span of darkness, plants would have to be artificially lighted during the two-week lunar night. Since providing this light will require much expensive power, researchers want to determine how little light different types of crops can get by on during the two-week cycle.

Peter suggests trying to grow different types of plants under a simulated lunar cycle, experimenting to see how little additional light during the 2-week lunar night will still produce reasonable harvests. He suggests germinating seeds during the middle of a simulated 2-week lunar dark period. Once seeds germinate, use just a few hours a day of lighting. After a week, if plants are still alive, give them two weeks of 24 hours per day of light to simulate the 2-week lunar day. Then go for 2 weeks with student' own light-rationing pattern that might be used during a lunar night. For example: 4, 6, or 8 hours of light a day or 12 or 18 hours of light every second or third day. A sample schedule follows:

Day 1-7: No lights; then 2 hours per day once germinated.

Day 8-21: 24 hours of light per day

Day 22-35: 6 hours per day

Day 36-51: 24 hours per day

Day 52-65: 6 hours of light per day

Consider putting an opaque covering over the light garden to keep out classroom or outside light during simulated lunar dark periods. It can be painted white on the inside to reflect light onto plants during light periods.

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