Seed Treatment for 2011

For 2011, teachers will receive two packages of seeds for each class registered. The packages are labeled ”M” and “D”. Each package will contain approximately 40 seeds; the seeds are packaged by weight and there could be a variance of +/-5.

One package of seeds is a control group and the other is the "treatment" group. The treatment group of Tomatosphere seeds was subjected to a simulated space environment at the University of Guelph for a 3-month time period. The simulation approximates what might happen to the seeds if there was a breach in the storage system on a vehicle (with astronauts) going to Mars for the first time. While on Mars, astronauts will have to grow some of their own food. The tomato may be a candidate for a “farm on Mars”. 

You are receiving 40 seeds per package this year. You may plant as many as are possible for the space you have; we suggest a MINIMUM of 25. Some (5 – 10) from each group could be germinate using “growing spheres” which are are small polymers that have a strong affinity for water – like a sponge absorbing water. They swell to about 300 times their size. They are invisible in water and can be used to “view” the germination process (which students cannot see when they are in the peat pots). Go to the section in the Teacher Resources - Growing Spheres for more information

Here is the “storyline” that you can use with your students as they begin their Tomatosphere experiment.

We are on the way to Mars and a sensor indicates some kind of problem with a storage system on the outside of the space vehicle.  The problem is investigated by an astronaut on a “spacewalk” – an extravehicular activity or EVA – who indeed finds there is a problem with the storage system. Over the next few weeks, plans are made on Earth to fix the problem and an astronaut conducts another EVA to fix the problem. However, some time has passed and the seeds have been exposed to extremely cold temperatures (-90 °C), and very low atmospheric pressure (almost a vacuum). The problem with the storage system is fixed – BUT, HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE SEEDS THAT WE WILL USE TO GROW TOMATOES ONCE WE GET TO THE SURFACE OF MARS?