TOKYO —

A ‘‘vegetable factory’’ that enables plants to be grown indoors under fluorescent lights free of agrochemicals is proving a welcome addition for the Japanese research expedition in the Antarctic. The ‘‘Green Room’’ factory established in 2006 produces a variety of vegetables, including lettuce, sangchu lettuce, Japanese greens called ‘‘mizuna,’’ rucola, and basil.
   
Using techniques developed at the “Green Room” members of the Japanese expedition wintering at the Showa Base in the Antarctic, where temperatures can plunge to minus 40 C, cultivate and eat fresh vegetables all year round as a major source of nutrition using vegetation growth installed there last year. Expedition leader Shuki Ushio, 47, said, ‘‘I didn’t think we could eat fresh crispy vegetables. I was very impressed.’’ Temperatures are set at a fixed level in the Green Room, which is shut almost tight. The period of time the fluorescent lights are on and the amount of nonchemical fertilizer given to the vegetables are adjusted to conform to their growth. Temperatures are set at a fixed level in the Green Room, which is shut almost tight. The period of time the fluorescent lights are on and the amount of nonchemical fertilizer given to the vegetables are adjusted to conform to their growth. ‘‘The vegetables are free of insects since they are grown completely agrochemical free,’’ said Mirai President Shigeharu Shimamura. ‘‘We harvest 300 heads of lettuce a day and a maximum of 20 harvests a year is possible.’’ They grow at double the speed of those cultivated outdoors, he added. A freshly picked lettuce leaves a sweet taste on the tongue. Shimamura said, ‘‘The taste can be changed by the kind and the amount of fertilizer used.’’

Kyodo

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7 Comments

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  nandakandamanda at 03:14 PM JST - 29th June

  The mind boggles.

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  space_monkey at 05:15 PM JST - 29th June

  absolutely awesome. i want one.

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  Bento at 05:23 PM JST - 29th June

  ‘‘The vegetables are free of insects since they are grown completely agrochemical free,’’ This sentence has surely been inverted in the translation process..no insects present so no agrochemicals needed to be used..generally agrochemicals are used to kill pests and diseases.

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  Disillusioned at 05:32 PM JST - 29th June

  Alright! Antarctic buds! cool man!

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  franz75 at 05:48 PM JST - 29th June

  "The vegetables are free of insects since they are grown completely agrochemical free" nothing lives there... Ah.. penguins... Mansato is going to develop a new fertilizer for it.

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  saborichan at 12:53 PM JST - 2nd July

  There's also a double sentence !

  Temperatures are set at a fixed level in the Green Room, which is shut almost tight. The period of time the fluorescent lights are on and the amount of nonchemical fertilizer given to the vegetables are adjusted to conform to their growth. Temperatures are set at a fixed level in the Green Room, which is shut almost tight. The period of time the fluorescent lights are on and the amount of nonchemical fertilizer given to the vegetables are adjusted to conform to their growth

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  SpaceWarper at 02:00 AM JST - 6th July

  Would like to see that on the ISS and later on the moon.

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