Pooja Kasiviswanathan was the researcher who initiated research on the development of food systems for the red planet. With her studies, she discovered a potential plant that could be grown on Mars, whose soil has low nutrient content and water has high salinity.
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Possible answer for farming on Mars
Given these characteristics, developing methods to increase nutrient content in the soil and desalinate water are essential for agriculture on Mars. Aiming at this, the study demonstrated the healthy growth of the alfalfa plant in simulated Martian soil, without the need for the addition of fertilizers.
Alfalfa is able to survive in tough volcanic soil and has been used as a biofertilizer for years. During the research, the scientists added alfalfa fertilizer to simulated soil on the red planet and realized the success of growing turnips, radishes and lettuce – low-maintenance plants and fast growth. In the case of turnips, growth increased by 190%, while that of radishes increased by 311% and that of lettuce increased by 79%, when compared to the simulated and untreated soil.
As for the salt water found on Mars, the researchers treated it with marine bacteria and then filtered it with volcanic rocks to produce fresh water. When carrying out the tests with the same plants, the alfalfa biofertilizer and this water, the turnips and radishes showed a significant increase in growth.
potential problems
However, it is not possible to define the true similarity between the simulated Martian soil and the real one. For example, simulated soil does not have toxic perchlorate salts, which are naturally present on Mars. However, the researchers said that there is the possibility of removing this substance using desalinated water, and thus carry out the cultivation without harming the plants.
As mentioned, studies of this type provide for the development of agriculture on the planet and, consequently, sustain missions and permanent settlements.
