First tomatoes and peas harvested on Mars and moon soil

[frigidmagi]

Nature Today

Mars and moon soil simulant
A few improvements have been made since the first experiment in 2013. Dr Wamelink commented: ‘we used trays instead of small pots and added organic material (fresh cut grass) to the Mars and moon soil simulant. This solved the problem we had with watering in the first experiment and also added manure to the soils’. The crop growth on the moon soil simulant in particular showed improvement. Where in the first experiment most plants died, in this experiment they flourished and we could harvest from the same species as on the Mars soil simulant and the earth potting compost control.

Biomass
Overview of the experiment, with lower tray earth control with potting compost, middle tray Mars soil simulant and upper tray moon soil simulant. The photo is taken one week after the start of the experiment
Overview of the experiment, with lower tray earth control with potting compost, middle tray Mars soil simulant and upper tray moon soil simulant. The photo is taken one week after the start of the experiment (Bron: Wieger Wamelink)
The production of biomass on the Mars soil simulant was lower than on the earth control; however, the difference was small and caused by one of the trays that showed less growth. However, it was not statistically different from the earth control and that was a real surprise for us. According to Dr Wamelink: ‘It shows that the Mars soil simulant has great potential when properly prepared and watered. The biomass growth on the moon soil simulant was less than on both other soils, about half of the biomass. Only the spinach showed poor biomass production’.

Heavy metals
Although we harvested several edible crops, we did not eat them. The soils contain heavy metals like lead, arsenic and mercury and there is also a lot of iron. If they become available for the plants they may be taken up and find their way into the fruits, making them poisonous. Further research on this is necessary and this is one reason why a crowdfunding campaign has been started in order to finance the third experiment that will be all about food safety. This experiment will start in April 2016 with the growth of a new batch of crops including potatoes and beans. If the crops prove to be safe to eat, the funders will be invited for dinner where a ‘Martian meal’ will be served that includes the harvested crops, (at least for those who dare!).

The experiment
Ten different crop species, tomato, rye, radish, pea, leek, spinach, garden rocket, cress, quinoa and chives were sown in trays with either Mars or moon soil simulant and earth potting compost as a control. The experiment began in April 2015 and final harvest took place in October 2015. Plants were cultivated in a glass house under constant temperature, humidity and light conditions and under earth atmosphere. This is because we expect that first crop growth on Mars and moon will take place in underground rooms to protect the plants from the hostile environment including cosmic radiation. We use Mars and moon soil simulants provided by NASA, that mimic Mars and moon soil as closely as possible. The Mars soil simulant originates from a volcano on Hawaii and the moon soil simulant from an Arizonian desert.

[rhoenix]

This makes me very happy to read about. I don't know whether it's popular opinion pushing this, or the movie the Martian, but either way - this sort of thing being tested means this is getting serious. I'm fully hoping to see farming settlements on Luna and Mars within my lifetime.

[Batman]

I hope you're more than a baseline human then because without cryofreeze I'm not seeing this in my NOR Damien's lifetime...and I'm a really complicated kind of sorta immortal.

[rhoenix]

I hope you're more than a baseline human then because without cryofreeze I'm not seeing this in my NOR Damien's lifetime...and I'm a really complicated kind of sorta immortal.

What sorts of economic or technological barriers do you specifically think might slow this advancement?

[Batman]

Neither technological nor economic, as such. I expect we'd have the technology and the money to do it-just not the will what with most people considering space travel a waste as it is, and the short term economical benefits from it are going to be far and few between.
That didn't matter during the space race because everybody was 'like hell you'll beat us to the moon' so the stuff was done and the technological advances happened as a sort of side effect. These days it's 'so how exactly are we going to make money off that?' and for a long time, we're not, so I don't see it happening.

[rhoenix]

Neither technological nor economic, as such. I expect we'd have the technology and the money to do it-just not the will what with most people considering space travel a waste as it is, and the short term economical benefits from it are going to be far and few between.
That didn't matter during the space race because everybody was 'like hell you'll beat us to the moon' so the stuff was done and the technological advances happened as a sort of side effect. These days it's 'so how exactly are we going to make money off that?' and for a long time, we're not, so I don't see it happening.

Fair enough - this is an exchange of opinions here, so I won't turn this into a debate. I will say that I am encouraged by this and other advances I've been seeing within the past few years, and we'll see how long it takes for these things to bear fruit.