SELECTION OF HIGHLY ADAPTABLE CROPS FOR CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS UNDER SIMULATED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32636/agroscience.2026-(5)-3-9Keywords:
Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems, CELSS, controlled environment agriculture, crop selection, plant adaptation, closed ecological systems, Micro-Lunar Greenhouse System, simulated environmentAbstract
The development of plant cultivation technologies in controlled environments requires the identification of species capable of efficient functioning in closed or semi-closed ecological systems with limited resources. One of the promising directions in this field is the use of Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS), where plants perform key functions in maintaining gas balance, participating in water and biogeochemical cycles, and producing fresh food biomass. The aim of this study was to substantiate approaches for selecting plant species with high adaptive potential for cultivation under controlled environmental conditions and to develop an experimental platform for investigating their growth and functional characteristics. Based on an analysis of international research and existing crop selection criteria for bioregenerative systems, a set of principles for selecting promising crops was formulated, considering ecological adaptability, morphological traits, nutritional value, and technological suitability for cultivation in regulated environments. As candidate species, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis, and Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl. were proposed due to their compact morphology, high nutritional and bioactive compound content, and potential suitability for cultivation in limited space conditions. To evaluate their adaptive potential, an experimental facility, the Micro-Lunar Greenhouse System (MLGS), was designed to simulate key parameters of a controlled environment, including temperature, humidity, atmospheric gas composition, light conditions, and nutrient solution characteristics. A standardized cultivation experiment scheme and a system for evaluating morphological, physiological, biochemical, and resource efficiency indicators were proposed. The obtained results provide a methodological basis for further studies on plant adaptation in controlled ecological systems and may contribute to the development of cultivation technologies for closed growing environments
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