IIST to Study Space-Flown Crop Seeds From Axiom-4 Mission
Why in the news
With Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew back on Earth, IIST began studying the seeds flown as a biological payload.
Key facts
- Project: Crop Seeds on ISS; aim: microgravity effects on growth and yield.
- Lead: Space Biology Lab, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram.
- Partners: KAU, ISRO, ESA, ISRO HSFC.
| Crop | Variety |
|---|---|
| Rice | Jyothi, Uma |
| Horse gram | Kanakamani |
| Tomato | Vellayani Vijay |
| Sesame | Thilakathara |
| Brinjal | Soorya |
Significance
Helps long space missions and off-Earth farming, and adds a biology strand to India’s human spaceflight effort.
Exam angle
- Seed supplier: Kerala Agricultural University.