| NSTDA aims to join space experiment - plans to grow Thai rice in space | | | |
Thailand’s top science and technology organisation, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), said that it aims to participate in a space experiment within 2010 in partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
A model of the experiment is being put on display at the NAC 2008 exhibition held to showcase NSTDA's research work conducted during the past year in partnership with many of the country’s universities and other research institutions under NSTDA's Fast Forward plan.
Associate Professor Dr. Sakarindr Bhumiratana, President of NSTDA, said, "NSTDA, through BIOTEC, is working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for a potential experiment to grow Thai rice in space. The zero-gravity experiment aims to contribute to developing better and more productive strains of rice. The knowledge we gain can be applied to help Thai farmers and our country’s agricultural sector."
Professor Dr. Morakot Tanticharoen, Director of the National Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), said, "Right now we are studying ways to improve the development of Thai rice varieties. We are looking at how factors like light intensity, different durations of sunlight, temperatures, different concentrations of carbon dioxide and different amounts of ultraviolet radiation affect the plants’ growth.
"We will present the results of these preliminary studies to JAXA in 2009. If JAXA considers the submission favourably, then our project to grow Thai rice breeds will be chosen to participate in a space experiment aboard Japan’s international space station (KIBO), possibly as soon as 2010,"she said.
Dr. Suriyan Cha-oom, a BIOTEC researcher in charge of the project said it will also be the first time that rice saplings grown from tissue culture would be grown in space. Thai scientists will test four varieties of rice from the Pathum Thani Rice Research Centre: Pathum Thani 1, Khao Dok Mali 105, KK 6, and Japanese rice.
The model of the 'Space Rice' experiment will be on display at NAC 2008 and will show the technologies used to measure factors that affect the growth of rice in weightless conditions, including sensors for air and soil moisture, light intensity, temperature, as well as a video camera that will record the sapling’s growth.
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