08-04-2024, 08:30 AM
Lucy’s knowledge of fruit and vegetables only went as far as what her mom put in their meals or what she’d come across at college and the Academy. She listened and tried to take in what Aeryn was saying. Salad, pizza, and sometimes fried. The results of this experiment would hopefully be palatable. It would be informative to know how those native to the beta quadrant used tomatoes.
With the plants spaced out appropriately Lucy started working on the bio-filter parameters. One sample of pollen from the Beta quadrant could be added to a tomato plant and after the sample passed into the bio filter no pollen could pass between the rest of the plants. The field would register the sample upon entry.
Lucy put on her own gloves and lifted a few cotton swabs. She proceeded to put one sample of pollen before her allotted half of the plants. She opened the first sample container and used a swab to gently lift some pollen. Botany was a strange field of science or some Lucy thought as she carefully applied the pollen to the stamen of each open flower. Plants could use the wind, animals or insects to propagate.
It was very restful work as Lucy worked through her allotted plants. She had tested the bio-filter and observed the pollen separate from the cotton swab as the swab passed through. It would avoid unintended cross-pollination until the fruit had formed. At least it would not affect watering or light absorption.
“That’s my side pollinated, Lieutenant Commander. The bio-filters seem to be holding up well. They can be lowered once we see fruit forming on the plants.”
Lucy’s mind wandered a little as she looked at the plants. Humans on Earth had altered the evolutionary path of plants bearing edible produce in order to make something hardy and still appetizing, yet there were so many varieties.
“The variety of fruit and vegetables can be a lot to take in. I’d heard that in Peru on Earth they have around two dozen varieties of potato. So much out there among the stars. Some of it not entirely safe for humans to eat. We’re still exploring. There’s times I wonder what I was expecting when I signed up for the Academy.”
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With the plants spaced out appropriately Lucy started working on the bio-filter parameters. One sample of pollen from the Beta quadrant could be added to a tomato plant and after the sample passed into the bio filter no pollen could pass between the rest of the plants. The field would register the sample upon entry.
Lucy put on her own gloves and lifted a few cotton swabs. She proceeded to put one sample of pollen before her allotted half of the plants. She opened the first sample container and used a swab to gently lift some pollen. Botany was a strange field of science or some Lucy thought as she carefully applied the pollen to the stamen of each open flower. Plants could use the wind, animals or insects to propagate.
It was very restful work as Lucy worked through her allotted plants. She had tested the bio-filter and observed the pollen separate from the cotton swab as the swab passed through. It would avoid unintended cross-pollination until the fruit had formed. At least it would not affect watering or light absorption.
“That’s my side pollinated, Lieutenant Commander. The bio-filters seem to be holding up well. They can be lowered once we see fruit forming on the plants.”
Lucy’s mind wandered a little as she looked at the plants. Humans on Earth had altered the evolutionary path of plants bearing edible produce in order to make something hardy and still appetizing, yet there were so many varieties.
“The variety of fruit and vegetables can be a lot to take in. I’d heard that in Peru on Earth they have around two dozen varieties of potato. So much out there among the stars. Some of it not entirely safe for humans to eat. We’re still exploring. There’s times I wonder what I was expecting when I signed up for the Academy.”
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