Russian polar explorers harvested watermelons, vegetables, and greens in Antarctica.
Polar explorers at the Russian Antarctic station Vostok have harvested watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and leafy greens under the Plants program, developed by scientists from two St. Petersburg institutes - the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), the Agrophysical Research Institute (AFI) - and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"At Vostok Station, both humans and plants face extremely harsh and uncomfortable conditions: extremely low temperatures, polar nights, low atmospheric pressure, and a lack of oxygen. Not all crops can adapt to such an environment, so our colleagues are conducting extensive research to select varieties that can produce a stable harvest at Vostok."
— said the director of the AARI Alexander Makarov.
Thanks to the new phytotechnical complex, it was possible to grow 30-40 kg of watermelons per square meter per year, and the yield of leafy greens increased by 40-55 kg during this time.
Plants program from 2020
The Plants program has been implemented since 2020. Scientists are studying the possibilities of year-round crop cultivation in extreme conditions. Fresh vegetables, watermelons, and herbs help maintain the health of polar explorers.
This season, a greenhouse is planned to be created on board the research vessel Akademik Fedorov, which carries out voyages to Antarctica.
Photo: Denis Melnikov, AARI