At Chiba University's Matsudo Campus, a small room at the back of a laboratory differs in temperature and humidity from the outside. Metal shelves on both sides of the central aisle are lined with green and purple crops, illuminated by white LED lights that give the space a futuristic vibe.
On one of the shelves, a leafy plant had a small strawberry growing at the tip of its stem. All the crops were grown using soilless cultivation methods. Researchers here are trying to make a giant leap forward to the future.
From the fruits of their labor, an astronaut could someday enjoy a freshly picked strawberry on the moon. The work at the Research Center for Space Agriculture and Horticulture at Chiba University on "space farming" is laying the groundwork for future lunar settlements.
The researchers are also unlocking innovative techniques that could be a boon for agriculture on Earth.
Read more at The Asahi Shimbun