RUSSIA managed to grow watermelons in the coldest place on earth, namely Antarctica. This success was part of an experiment at Vostok Station, a year-round Russian research station located at the Cold Pole.
Yes, Antarctica has indeed been classified as the coldest place on Earth. The recorded temperature has ever reached minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 89.2 degrees Celsius). Please note that the watermelon appeared in the Sudan area, more than 4,300 years ago. In other words, this fruit was born far from the cold Antarctic environment.
Researchers from the Russian Antarctic Expedition of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), together with colleagues from the Research Institute of Agrophysics and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, created an oasis where they could increase the temperature and humidity of the air.
The team deliberately chose two varieties of watermelon that ripened early, not only because of their delicious taste, but also because of their ability to adapt to the low atmospheric pressure and lack of oxygen in the greenhouse. They plant seeds in a thin layer of soil substitute and use special lighting that mimics sunlight.
As reported by Live Science, because there are no insects to help pollinate plants, the researchers also pollinated by hand. After planting for 103 days the researchers also obtained 8 ripe and sweet fruits, growing on 6 different plants.
The Russian Geographical Society says the watermelons grow to weigh about 2 pounds (1 kilogram) and up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) in diameter. This experiment also proved that, under the right conditions, watermelons can grow in the coldest places on the planet.
“Of course, all polar explorers are happy at the thought of summer. Even observations of seedlings, growth and appearance of fruits get a positive response,” said Andrei Teplyakov, AARI’s principal geophysicist,
The Vostok station is not doing this for the first time growing produce. In 2020 the researchers successfully planted a variety of crops, including anise, parsley basil, arugula and cabbage, according to the statement.
And in 2021, Korean researchers planted watermelons at King Sejong Station in West Antarctica, where the lowest temperature ever recorded was minus 78.1 F (minus 25.6 C), according to The Korean Bizwire. In the next plan, the researchers plan to grow a variety of fruit, including blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
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2023-08-04 03:03:51
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