Botanist

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Service

Botanist

Access: Maintenance, Service, Hydroponics (+ Kitchen, Bar on certain stations)
Difficulty: Easy
Duties: Supply the Chef with all the produce they can carry. Mutate panacea plants to replace Medical. Overrun the station with Kudzu 10 minutes into the shift.
Supervisors: Head of Personnel
Subordinates: None
Guides: This is the guide.

Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions. Nanotrasen has standardized the use of state-of-the-art hydroponics technology across their many corporate outposts, and employees are encouraged to disregard any evidence that departments on some stations still include rudimentary soil mounds.

The Hydroponics department is the home of the station's Botanist, who has the extraordinary task of not only producing crops to feed the crew, but catering to the specific needs of the station's many departments and pushing the boundaries of agricultural science. Though any crew member may stop by Hydroponics, you can expect to see the Chef making visits to request ingredients, Cargo Department stopping by to task you with bounties to complete, and the occasional Chemist requesting medicinal herbs.

The department in a high population station

Equipment

A variety of different machines, tools, crates and chemicals can either be found within Hydroponics, or serve to aid the Botanists working there.

Machines

Appliances and utilities found within the Department
Image Name Usage
Botanist's Locker
Contains spare clothing for Botanists to use, as well as some useful items like a Dropper, Plant Bag, and Sterile Swab Dispenser.
Biogenerator
An advanced machine capable of processing plants into biomass, which can then be printed into a variety of useful items. Allows Botany to use their excess produce to restock spent chemicals and aid the Chef in food preparation. Plants inserted into the Biogenerator will produce an amount of biomass equal to their nutriment content.

Be sure to insert a glass or beaker into the machine before printing liquids, or they'll splash all over the floor.

High-Capacity Water Tank
Contains 10,000 units of liquid water, enough to keep your plants watered for an entire shift.
HyDrobe
Contains Hydroponics marked clothes, such as jumpsuits and bags, as well as various cosmetic items like hats, aprons and scarves.
Hydroponic Tray
The heart and soul of Botany, these advanced trays allow the cultivation of any plant in the galaxy, with diagnostic systems that allow the user to easily identify a crop's needs.
These needs are signaled through the various LED lights that blink on the tray's side; you can find their meaning in the Tray section.


Trays need to be regularly refilled with water and must have their nutrients refilled with fertilizer or by mulching plants.
Trays can receive any liquid solution, with some being more helpful to the plant's well-being than others; the tray absorbs 1 unit of a solution every second, even when there is no plant inside.

MegaSeed Servitor
Contains 3 to 5 of every common seed.
Microwave
Primarily used for Cooking, but also to dry out Tobacco, Cannabis, and Aloe into more useful items. Some stations have Microwaves already installed in Hydroponics, while on other stations you'll need to borrow the chef's.
NutriMax
Dispenses all of the tools found in the Tools section, including Left-4-Zed when Emagged.
Patch of Soil
The classic and much less responsive way of cultivating plants. You can still inspect it to check on nutrients and water saturation, but say goodbye to fancy lights and automatic warnings.
Reagent Grinder
Always found in the kitchen and/or Chemistry lab, although some Hydroponics departments are found with one. Can fit up to 6 materials and a glass, beaker, shaker or other container to process them in. All plants can be ground up to extract their inner chemicals (such as Vitamins and Nutriment). Some can be juiced to obtain specific juices.
Seed Extractor
Insert a plant's produce into this machine to extract 1 to 3 seeds. Note that on all plants, you can also use Plant Clippers on the plant before you harvest it for a free seed packet.

Hydroponics Tray

These interstellar-grade hydroponics systems are where a botanist typically spends most of their time. Examining a tray by ⇧ Shift + Left Click will reveal details about its current status, including its water and nutrient levels, the presence of weeds and the status of any plants currently in the tray.

Seeds can be planted in an empty hydroponics tray by clicking with a packet of seeds equipped. Once planted, the seeds will quickly sprout and begin to grow. While the plant is growing you can water it, use Robust Harvest to increase potency or fertilizer to increase the tray's Nutrients. When the plant is ready to harvest the hydroponics tray will show a green indicator . Most plants can be harvested by hand; some more ligneous plants, like Tower Caps, will require the use of a Hatchet. Some plants, such as Apple Trees, can survive multiple harvests. Others, such as Wheat, will need be replanted each time.

You can Examine a Hydroponics Tray to see its Water and Nutrients. Adding water will increase the Water count over time. Adding fertilizers will increase the Nutrient count over time. Over time, the water and nutrient count will fall if there is a plant in the tray.

Different Hydroponics Tray Indicators
Image Position Description
Green Light, Left
Ready for harvest. Left click to harvest.
Red Light, Middle-Left
The plant in the tray is dead or dying. Use a spade to remove the dead plant matter, or attempt to save the dying plant.
Flashing Red Light, Center
The environment is sub-optimal. Inspect the tray to determine the exact issue. If the tray is full of weeds, use a Mini Hoe to clear them out. If the issue is a problem with the atmosphere, temperature or pressure, and it seems to be effecting other plants, call an Engineer or Atmospheric Technician to find the problem. Remember that plant mutations can both change a plant's sensitivity to these factors AND that mutations can cause plants to generate dangerous gases.
Yellow Light, Middle-Right
The tray is low on nutrients and requires fertilizer. EZ Nutriment is the easiest way to fertilize trays, but harvested produce can also be directly mulched into trays for fertilizer. More advanced methods, like Ammonia from Chemistry or large amounts of blended Nutriment from produce, also work well.
Blue Light, Right
The tray requires more water. Use a water bucket on the tray to refill it.

Tools

Items for the Botanist to use
Image Name Usage
Bottle
Used to store and transfer small amounts of liquid. Holds 30u. If dropped, shatters.
Bucket
Used to store and transfer large amounts of liquid (usually water). If dropped, spills contents on the floor. Holds 250u of liquid.
Dropper
A smaller version of the syringe, holds up to 5 units of liquid and dispenses only 1 unit at a time. Vital for careful use of Unstable Mutagen.
EZ Nutrient
Can be used to easily add Nutrients to the Hydroponics Trays. 1u of EZ Nutrient adds 2 Nutrient to the tray.
Hatchet
Useful for harvesting Tower Caps and certain mutated plants. A territorial Botanist's best weapon.
Left-4-Zed
A unique mutagenic compound that has a chance to increase mutation severity. Best used in concert with Unstable Mutagen. Can be made in the Biogenerator.
Mini Hoe
Removes weeds from your precious Hydroponics Trays.
NT "AgriChem Is Fun" Kit
A kid-friendly chemistry kit with everything you need to get started with botanical science. Includes 30u each of Potassium, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and Ethanol, 5u each Radium and Chlorine, an empty 30u bottle, and detailed and not-at-all condescending instructions on mixing botanical chemicals.
Pest Spray
Non-refillable spray bottle of Pest Killer, takes away any vermin that might be present in the tray, but poisons the plant. As tray vermin aren't currently implemented, this item is currently useless.
Plant-B-Gone
Kills plants and weeds. Best saved for unexpected Kudzu outbreaks.
Plant Bag
For transporting plant materials. When holding the bag, left click the ground near you to store up multiple plants (and seeds) at a time. Left click on a table or counter in order to empty the bag onto it. Right click on the bag to get the option to dump the contents where you are standing. Plant Bags only take up a 1x2 inventory slot, fit in backpacks, and can be stored in pockets. This makes them extremely useful for moving and storing huge amounts of produce.
Plant Clippers
The Botanist's best friend. Takes samples from plants, giving you a seed; all of the plant's genetics at the time of clipping will be copied onto this seed. Overuse will decrease the health of the plant. Some plants are multi-harvest plants and so can be clipped at the final harvest. Other plants are single-harvest plants so should be clipped before each harvest, especially if they've been treated with Robust Harvest. If the plant is still seed-bearing, the Seed Extractor is often more useful for mass production of plants.
Robust Harvest
Increases plant potency (and size) up to 50 (i.e. half of max potency). Up to 15u to a Hydroponics Tray are needed to be completely sure to get to this value with most plants, although it can be made into a more precise measure by using the dropper. Be warned, as plants significantly modified with Robust Harvest will not produce seeds, making clipping necessary to produce new crops. Has fun side effects if metabolized by Diona.
Scythe
Sharp, a more showy but less damaging alternative to the hatchet.
Spade
Removes living or dead plants from the tray. Can be used as a rudimentary weapon.
Sterile Swab
Used to transfer pollen from one plant to another for cross-breeding.
They are found clean in boxes, or in the NutriMax, and after one single swabbing they're considered used, and will have stored one single, random genetic trait from the starting plant; swabbing again, on a different plant, will transfer said trait and collect another from it. It is so far not possible to know which traits are being taken, or to properly transfer desired genes without using multiple swabs.
Syringe
Holds 15 units of liquid at a time. While holding it, press Z to switch 'Draw' and 'Inject' modes. Can draw from bottles, beakers and other containers, if you count people and animals 'containers' too.
Weed Spray
Not refillable spray bottle of Weed Killer, takes away any weeds that might have grown in the tray, but poisons the plant. Using a Mini Hoe has the same effect, and is generally preferable.

Crates

A Botanist can request various Hydroponics oriented crates from Cargo Department. Most often you'll only be requesting Exotic Seeds Crates, you addict.

Name Usage
Bulk Plant-B-Gone Crate
Contains a total of 1000u of Plant-B-Gone. Completely overkill, unless the station resembles a singular mass of Kudzu.
Exotic Seeds Crate
The most common purchase a Botanist will request from Cargo. Contains 2 Bungo, Cannabis, Egg-Plant, Fly Amanita, Nettle, Tobacco, and Tower Cap seeds. Some of the seeds are technically contraband, but it's extraordinarly rare for anyone to bat an eye.
Hydroponics Equipment Crate
Contains the equivalent of a Hydroponics locker. Not a common purchase, everything inside can be purchased at the NutriMax or Hydrobe.
Medicinal Seeds Crate
Contains 3 packets of Aloe, Ambrosia Vulgaris, Galaxythistle, Lingzhi, and Poppy seeds.
MegaSeed Restock Crate
Contains a MegaSeed restock box to refill your department's MegaSeed Servitor.
NutriMax Restock Crate
Contains a NutriMax restock box to refill your department's Nutrimax.
Seeds Crate
Contains 12 generic seeds that are otherwise available in the MegaSeed Servitor.

Plants & Seeds

Most seeds will be available in the MegaSeed Servitor, but some exotic seeds will need to either be purchased from Cargo or even mutated from existing seeds.

You can Examine a Seed to see its Yield and Potency.

Potency starts at 5 out of the Seed Extractor / Vending Machine but can be increased to 50 via 15u of Robust Harvest. Max potency is 100 and can only currently be achieved by mutating plants that already have 50 potency (e.g. via Unstable Mutagen). Potency affects the size of the plant and amount of chemicals it provides in the Reagent Grinder. For example, highly potent medical herbs break down into more medicine and can be eaten for more pronounced effect and higher number of bites. A higher potency in wheat equates to higher amounts of flour produced.

Yield differs by plant and can be modified by mutation (e.g. via Unstable Mutagen) or by swabbing from plants with different yields (Commonly, Apple Trees or Cocoa Trees are used to give other plants higher yields). Yield affects the number of plants that will be harvested when a planted seed has grown.

Plants can also be cross-pollinated with one another for a chance to transfer traits and other desirable properties. To transfer pollen from one plant to another, use a Sterile Swab. Avoid pollen cross-contamination! Different species can be crossed to produce hybrids. Since cross-pollination is also probabilistic, it may take several tries for you to transfer the traits that you desire.

Plant Name Description Plant Image Produce Image
Aloe Vera
Produces aloe, which can be used to make aloe cream, or blended to make Dermaline and Aloe. Microwaved Aloe will turn into Aloe Cream, a topical medicine for treating burn damage. Aloe is vital to the creation of other advanced topical medicine.
Ambrosia Vulgaris
Produces ambrosia vulgaris, a complex plant that contains Bicardine, a general Brute medicine, Kelotane, a general Burn medicine, and Desoxyephedrine, also known as Meth. A very useful plant for Chemistry.
Anomaly Berry
Made by planting a Plant Anomaly Core, Anomaly Berries allow Botanists to reproduce the berries found at Plant Anomaly sites. Eating the berries will produce a random piece of plant produce. Berries can also be ground up for Artifexium. Changing the plant's potency doesn't seem to have an effect.
Apple tree
Produces apples, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used in various cooking recipes.
Banana tree
Produces bananas, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used to make Banana bread or pulped for medicine. Their peels are useful for making people slip.
Berries
Produces berries, used in a variety of different dishes and pastries.
Bungo Plant
Produces bungo fruit, an unremarkable fruit that can be safely consumed. The bungo pit inside, however, contains Bungotoxin, a slow acting but remarkably lethal poison. Seeds come from Exotic Crates. Pits can also be used as seeds.
Cabbage
Produces cabbages, which can be eaten for light sustenance.
Cannabis
Produces cannabis leaves which can be dried and then crafted into a joint or blunt. Seeds come from Exotic Crates.
Carrot
Produces carrots. Carrots are used in various cooking recipes. When ground, produces Oculine, which can be used in healing eye damage.
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Produces chanterelle mushrooms, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used to make Mushroom pizza.
Cherry Tree
Produces cherries. Can be eaten for light sustenance and used in certain dishes. Eating cherries produces cherry pits, which contain a tiny amount of Toxin and can be used as seeds.
Chili Bush
Produces chilis, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used to make Bowls of chili, Enchiladas, and Queso.
Cocoa Plant
Produces cocoa pods, the cornerstone of all chocolate dishes. Can be eaten for light sustenance, or turned into cocoa beans and used in certain dishes. Beware, cocoa and its products contain Theobromine, which is poisonous to some species.
Corn stalk
Produces corn, which can be eaten for light sustenance. When ground in a grinder, it becomes cornmeal. Corn is used to make Popcorn and Enchiladas.
Cotton Plant
Produces cotton bolls, the cornerstone of all textile dishes. Can be eaten by moths for light sustenance and used in certain moth-friendly dishes. Cotton can be shaved with a knife and crafted into cloth.
Eggplant
Produces eggplant, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used to make Vegetable Pizza.
Egg-Plant
Produces eggs slower than an animal can, and have half the amount of egg versus their animal counterparts. Eggs are of course essential for Cooking. Seeds come from Exotic Crates and the MegaSeed Servitor. These are technically a mutation, but they're easily available from aforementioned sources.
Fly Amanita
Are used in Cooking, and contain Amatoxin, a powerful poison. Seeds come from Exotic Crates, or Emagged MegaSeed Servitors.
Galaxythistle
Produces galaxythistle which can eaten raw or ground to produce Stellibinin, a potent anti-poison medicine. Chemistry will love these.
Garlic Heads
Produces garlic, which can be eaten for light sustenance or used to make Garlic Bread.
Gatfruit Tree
Produces gatfruit, which can be eaten to produce a Python revolver loaded with regular .45 magnum rounds. Very illegal.
Grape Plant
Produces grapes, which can be eaten for light sustenance or used in certain dishes.
Lemon Tree
Produces lemons. Lemons are used in various cooking recipes. They also help prevent scurvy.
Lingzhi
Produces lingzhi, a mushroom which contains high amounts of Epinephrine and Ultravasculine, two critical chemicals used for stabilizing critical patients and healing toxin damage.
Nettle Bush
Produces nettles which contain Histamine, a mild poison that can be used to manufacture some medicines. Seeds are found in Exotic Crates.
Oats
Produces oat bushels. Oats are used in various cooking recipes.
Onion
Produces onions, which can be eaten for light sustenance. A Chef can slice these with a knife to make onion slices which are used in various cooking recipes.
Orange Tree
Produces oranges, which can be eaten for light sustenance or used in various dishes.
Pea Vines
Produces pea pods, which can be eaten for light sustenance.
Pineapple Bush
Produces pineapple, which can be eaten for light sustenance. Pineapples are used in various cooking recipes, and can be juiced for drink recipes.
Poppy Flower
Produces poppies which contain Bicaridine, a foundational medical chemical used to treat Brute damage and used as an ingredient for various advanced medicines.
Potato
Produces potatoes, which can be eaten for light sustenance. Potatoes are used in various cooking recipes.
Pumpkin
A fall classic. Can be carved with a knife to create carved pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns.
Red onion
Produces red onions, which can be eaten for light sustenance.
Rice Stalks
Produces rice bushels, which can be ground up and used in a variety of dishes.
Soy Plant
Produces soybeans, which can be eaten for light sustenance or used in a variety of dishes.
Sugarcane
Produces sugarcane. Sugarcane can be ground into sugar and used in various cooking recipes.
Tea Plant
Produces tea leaves, which can be dried and ground to make a variety of tea-related beverages.
Tobacco
Produces tobacco leaves which can be dried and then crafted into a blunt. Seeds come from Exotic Crates.
Tomato
Produces tomatoes, which can be eaten for light sustenance. They are also used to make various dishes like Pizzas, Spaghetti, and Bowls of chili. Can also be thrown for fun.
Tower Cap
Produces tower caps. Tower caps are a source of logs. A hatchet is needed to chop these trees down. The resultant produce can be carved into Wood Planks via a hatchet or knife. Seeds come from Exotic Crates and MegaSeed Servitor.
Watermelon
Produces watermelon, which can be sliced into delicious watermelon slices and used in certain recipes. Can also be eaten whole, somehow.
Wheat
Produces wheat bushels. Wheat can be used in a grinder to produce flour which can be mixed with water to make dough or used in various cooking recipes.

Mutations

Plants treated with Unstable Mutagen will undergo random genetic mutations, and may even mutate into new species. The more Unstable Mutagen a plant receives, the likely it receives mutations. Since many genes are essential to a plant's survival, high amounts of Unstable Mutagen are likely to kill a plant. It's recommended that you use a Dropper to limit the amount of Mutagen you introduce a plant to.

Mutation Effect
Bio-Luminescence
Both plant and produce glow.
Heat Resistant
Less prone to heat damage.
Higher Max Potency
The maximum potency of the plant is increased from 50 to 100.
Higher Potency
The potency of the plant is increased.
Higher Yield
The yield of the plant is increased.
High Pressure Tolerance
Resistant to high pressure.
Kudzu
Kills the plant and replaces it with rapidly spreading Kudzu vines. Kudzu obscures tiles and slows movement to a crawl, and it's capable of overtaking entire stations if left unchecked. Best dealt with through liberal use of Plant-B-Gone, or sharp weapons like the Hatchet.
Less Water
Requires less water to grow.
Ligneous
Requires a hatchet or a scythe to be harvested.
Long Life
Longer life cycle.
Low Light Tolerance
Requires less light to grow.
Low Pressure Tolerance
Resistant to low pressure
New Chemical
The produce now contains a different chemical than the one it normally would have had, or gained a new chemical alongside the original.[1]
Pest Resistant
Less likely to get pests.
Removed Chemical
The inverse of the mutation above, the produce will now no longer contain one of its original chemicals.
Screaming
Screams when harvested, clipped and, killed.
Seedless
The produce cannot be extracted for seeds. Use clippers for seed samples instead.
Sentience
The tray gains sentience (becomes a ghost role); can be killed by deconstructing.
Slippery
Makes you slip when running on the fruit.
Toxin Tolerance
Toxins have less of an effect on the plant's health.
Weed Resistant
Less likely to get weeds.

Mutated Species

Some plants can mutate into entirely new species if exposed to Unstable Mutagen early in their life cycle. These Mutated Species often resemble the original species while containing different chemicals, serving different functions, or otherwise radically differing from normal plant life. Mutate with caution, as some of the plants on this list are extremely dangerous.[2]

Plant Name Original Plant Description Plant Image Produce Image
Ambrosia Deus
Ambrosia Vulgaris
Contains Omnizine, Space Mirage, and Desoxyephedrine (Meth). Chem will always be happy to see it delivered.
Blood Tomato
Tomato
Contains Blood, and can be further mutated into Killer Tomatoes.
Blue Pumpkin
Pumpkin
Contains Chlorine and Ammonia instead of Pumpkin Flesh. Can't be carved into Jack-O-Lanterns.
Blue Tomato
Tomato
Contains Space Lube. Bursts when thrown at walls or a disgruntled Security Officer.
Capfruit
Gatfruit
Beloved by Clowns and Mimes alike, the Capfruit can be eaten to produce Cap Guns, much like the Gatfruit.
Capfruit (Fake)
Gatfruit
Beloved by Traitors and Criminals alike, the Fake Capfruit produces Fake Cap Guns, loaded with .45 magnum armor-piercing rounds. It is indistinguishable from normal Capfruit.
Chilly
Chili
Contains Frostoil, a chemical which cools those that metabolize it.
Death Nettle
Nettle
Produces Death Nettles, which look menacing and cause heat and caustic damage when used in combat. They can be ground up for their Sulfuric Acid and Fluorosulfuric Acid.
Egg-Plant
Eggplant
While obtainable easily at most vendors, it is still technically a mutation of normal Eggplants; also referred as "Eggy".
Extradimensional Orange Tree
Orange Tree
A disturbingly three-dimensional orange. Contains Haloperidol, a sedative that counteracts many drugs.
Glasstle
Galaxythistle
Produces razor-sharp thistle that can be used as a fragile melee weapon, welded to create glass, or ground up for Razorium.
Golden Apple Tree
Apple Tree
Produces golden apples, which contain Doctor's Delight, a healing cocktail.
Holymelon
Watermelon
Produces holymelons, angelic plants filled with Holy Water. Can be juiced to create wine.
Killer Tomato
Blood Tomato
Produces Killer Tomato Mobs, attacks any person that wasn't present for their harvest.
Koi Beans
Soy Beans
Contains Carpotoxin, a poison useful for making Cognizine.
Laughin' Peas
Peas
Contains Laughter, a chemical which causes uncontrollable laughter if metabolized. The clown's favorite plant.
Lemoon
Lemon
A mutated lemon which contains Milk. Can be juiced to produced Sake.
Lily
Poppies
Same as normal Poppies, can be mutated into Spaceman's Trumpet.
Meatwheat
Wheat
A sinewy plant that can be harvested to create bushels of Meatwheat. Can be processed into an almost meat-like substance.
Mimana
Bannana
Contains Mute Toxin, which can be metabolized to temporarily cause muteness. The mime's favorite plant.
Papercane
Sugarcane
Can be whittled down with a knife to produce paper.
Pyrocotton
Cotton
Contains Phlogiston, an extremely dangerous and flammable chemical that ignites on contact with living beings.
Rainbow Cannabis
Cannabis
Contains Space Mirage, Lipolicide, Mindbreaker Toxin, Happiness and Psicodine. The best high in the galaxy.
Spaceman's Trumpet
Lily
Contains Polypyrylium Oligomers, which heals both Airloss and Brute; optimal to heal spacing.
Steel Cap
Tower cap
Produces Steel-Cap Logs, which can be processed with a Hatchet or knife to create steel.
World Peas
Laughin' Peas
A further mutation of Laughin' Peas that contain Pax, a chemical that makes the user incapable of violence when metabolized.

Chemicals

Warning
The Chemicals section of this page is currently under construction pending a larger Chemistry rework.

Produce can contain chemicals, which are metabolized when eaten. Plants with higher Potency (Such as those treated with Robust Harvest) will have naturally have more chemicals. Alternatively, the plant can be ground and refined into a more pure chemical.

  1. [1], List and Weights of the chemicals that can be added
  2. [2], Seeds and their possible transformations