Long-duration space missions, such as those to the Moon or Mars, require a reliable source of fresh, nutritious food for survival.
The current reliance on pre-packaged astronaut meals could be unsustainable for extended periods.
Now, the Moon-Rice project, a collaborative effort led by the Italian Space Agency and three Italian universities, aims to develop a “super-dwarf” rice variety ideal for sustained space habitation and extreme environments on Earth.
The challenge of creating dwarf crops
Space travel takes a toll on the human body, and various studies have already showcased it.
To overcome negative health impacts, astronauts need a reliable source of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber – something fresh.
Past space station-based experiments have showcased the viability of growing crops in space. Earlier, Chinese astronauts successfully grew rice seedlings on the Tiangong space station, which provided insights into growing food for long-duration space missions.
However, the current lies in developing the ability to cultivate food directly in harsh space environments.
The Moon-Rice project aims to do something different.
Marta Del Bianco, a plant biologist at the Italian Space Agency, highlights a key hurdle: the size of current crops. Even dwarf rice varieties are too large for the confined spaces of a lunar or Martian outpost.
The team is working towards the development of resilient “super-dwarf” crops. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed before it turns out to be a success.
“Dwarf varieties often come from the manipulation of a plant hormone called gibberellin, which can reduce the height of the plant, but this also creates problems for seed germination. They’re not an ideal crop, because in space, you just don’t have to be small, you must also be productive,” the researcher explained.
Collaboration of three universities
The Moon-Rice project is a powerful collaboration involving three leading Italian universities.
Each university brings a specialized expertise: the University of Milan focuses on rice genetics, the University of Rome Sapienza on crop physiology manipulation, and the University of Naples Federico II on space crop production.
Just nine months into this four-year project, preliminary results are promising.
Milan researchers have successfully isolated mutant rice varieties that grow to a mere 10 cm, providing an excellent starting point for space-friendly crops.
Meanwhile, the Rome team has pinpointed genes that can optimize plant architecture for maximum production.
To address the inefficiency of meat production in space, the team is also working on enriching the protein content of rice by increasing the embryo-to-starch ratio.
Dr. Del Bianco’s personal expertise lies in understanding how these “super-dwarf” rice plants will react to the unique conditions of microgravity.
“We simulate microgravity on Earth by continually rotating the plant so that the plant is pulled equally in all directions by gravity. Each side of the plant gets activated continuously and it doesn’t know where the up and down is,” said Dr Del Bianco.
“It’s the best we can do on Earth because, unfortunately, doing experiments in real microgravity conditions, i.e. in space, is complex and expensive,” the researcher added.
The Moon-Rice project could also help tackle food security and sustainable agriculture here on Earth.
The team notes that developing a robust crop for space means it could also thrive in challenging terrestrial environments like the Arctic, Antarctic, deserts, or small indoor spaces.
The research was presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, on July 9, 2025.