Selection of Leafy Green Vegetable Varieties for a Pick-and-Eat Diet Supplement on ISS

Spinach, lettuce, chard, beet, mizuna, and Chinese cabbage were grown in plant chambers to assess their potential as candidate crops for space food production systems. The species and varieties were compared in terms of biomass yields, size, nutrient value, and taste factors, as determined by a taste panel. Although other species might be considered for future studies, Chinese cabbage ranked number one from the testing, chard second, mizuna third, and red-leaf lettuce fourth. Results from the testing and analyses will be presented.