YEKATERINBURG, January 28. /TASS/. Russian cosmonauts will try to grow sweet pepper in a new greenhouse which will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) by the year end, a project scientist told TASS on Thursday.

"High plants" will be studied in a new greenhouse aboard the Russian sector of the ISS, said Margarita Levinskikh, leading laboratory specialist at the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Medical and Biological Issues.

"The experiment of growing sweet pepper on board has been approved," she said. "Sweet pepper has never been grown on the ISS before," Levinskikh said, adding that a greenhouse already on the orbiter would be adapted to nurture the newcomers.

ISS crews have many years of experience experimenting with plants on board. Future "space gardens" may be used for long-term expeditions such as flying to Mars.

Six experiments growing salad were conducted between 1990 and 2000. Between 2002 and 2011, there were 17 trials seeking to grow wheat, peas, barley, radish and salad.