Being able to grow plants without sunlight could literally change how we feed astronauts. It would open new doors for plant growth both on Earth and beyond our atmosphere.

Plants are dependent on the sun. ... Plant growth without light control Date: May 16, 2012 ... the effects on complete plants are now described in the The Plant Cell journal.

How they did it — To grow plants without sunlight, ... “As food production becomes more efficient, less land is required, reducing the environmental effect of agriculture. ...

Using this method, the plants grew entirely in the dark and the study’s authors even found that the process was up to 18 times more efficient than the normal photosynthesis process for some ...

For a decade, scientists have believed that plants sense temperature mainly through specialized proteins, and mainly at night ...

There are a number of flowering plants that flourish without bright or direct sunlight and can thrive in shade.

Any amateur gardener knows plants need two things to survive: sunlight and water. But tweak a few genes and those basic requirements can diminish or even disappear.

Even plants in locations that receive sun all day long receive fewer hours of sunlight in the winter than in summer. This does not have a significant negative effect on most plants growing in your ...