According to a new study, alfalfa sprouts are a contender for the first plants future Mars colonizers could farm.
, alfalfa plants are the first greens that future astronauts should plant on Mars. The team of researchers from Iowa State University found that thecan survive in tough volcanic soil similar to what is found on Mars. It could be also be used as an additional fertilizer ingredient to grow other food like lettuce, turnips, and radishes.
“The low nutrient content of Martian soil and high salinity of water render them unfit for direct use for propagating food crops on Mars,” write the researchers. “It is therefore essential to develop strategies to enhance nutrient content in Mars soil and to desalinate briny water for long-term missions.”
Producing a copy of Martian regolith, or the loose, unconsolidated soil on top of bedrock, here on Earth is quite challenging. The team put together the best approximation they could, before testing different seeds in it. Martian soil is largely weatheredand previous studies show that basaltic regolith contains multiple macro elements and minor elements .
The team found that the alfalfa didn’t need any additional fertilizer to grow as healthily as it does in Earth soil. They then used the alfalfa as a fertilizer in the simulated Martian soil and successfully grew lettuce, turnips, and radishes. These types of plants plants are amendable for space farming, as they do not need much water or maintenance and can grow rapidly.
But this study does not mean that astronauts are ready to start farming Mars. The experiment required fresh water, which Mars currently doesn’t have readily available. The team theorizes that the
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