If we are going to establish permanent bases on the Moon or Mars we require to know that they can be ego - sufficient . There are dubiousness about the production of water and the likely danger of cosmic ray , and we also postulate to consider food . Dutch investigator set about addressing the latter , and obtain some interesting upshot .
As cover in the journalOpen Agriculture , researchers led by Wieger Wamelink at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands wield to develop crops in Martian and lunar mock dirt developed by NASA . They found that it is possible to grow food for future astronauts now in the soil of another world and that the crops grown can give rise viable seeds that can then be replanted .
The simulated soils were mix in with organic matter to provide nutrients for the crops and received Earth ground was used as a control sample . The squad set about to cultivate 10 dissimilar harvest : garden cress plant , skyrocket , tomato , radish , rye , quinoa , spinach , chives , pea , and leek . The resultant show that it ’s only bad news for the Popeyes among the spaceman because spinach plant was the only crop that did n’t reach a head where the scientists could glean edible parts .
“ In this limited preliminary experiment , we show that crop growth on Mars and moon filth simulants is possible , " the writer write in thepaper . " The addition of constituent matter to both the Mars and moon regolith simulants resulted in the germination and growth of all ten crop coinage . Several crops produced fruit and seeds on both Mars and Moon simulants . ”
The Earth territory produced the most plant biomass but the data suggest that the mock Martian soil has a similar productivity to the soil we have on Earth . The grunge from the Moon was less fat . Flowering plants had antecedently been tested in extraterrestrial soil simulants , but the researchers believe this is the first meter that fruits have been harvest from such experiments .
" We were thrill when we saw the first tomatoes ever produce on Mars soil simulant release red . It meant that the next stride towards a sustainable shut farming ecosystem had been taken , " said Wamelink in astatement .
For three out of the 10 mintage planted ( radish , cress plant , and rye ) , it was possible to glean enough seed for a germination experiment , and no germinating plants died during the 20 days of the experiment . The radish pullulate better in the Martian and Earth soil than the Moon grime .
This experiment is an early look at what we might involve in the future , but if space agency are serious about settlements , we need to live what can be grown beyond Earth .
