Martian potatoes

Scientists have grown potatoes in the "Martian" climate

Kristina Ulasovich, N+1

A shot from the movie "The Martian", where the main character is Mark Watney
equips a greenhouse for growing potatoes

Preliminary results of an experiment on growing potatoes in conditions simulating Martian conditions turned out to be positive, according to the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru in a press release Indicators show potatoes can grow on Mars, published on the organization's website. As the video taken by the camera inside the sealed container shows, the tubers were able to germinate even in sufficiently dry soil and at low atmospheric pressure.

For several years, researchers have been conducting experiments on growing crops in conditions as close as possible to Martian. With their help, scientists hope to determine whether plants can survive on another planet, as well as how suitable they will be for food. Thus, studies show that some crops are indeed able to exist at low atmospheric pressure and humidity, but the number of such experiments is still too small to unambiguously judge the viability of plants.

The new experiment of the International Potato Center (CIP) and the NASA Aerospace Agency started on February 14, 2016. Researchers from the Peruvian University of Engineering and Technology have created a special platform based on the CubeSat satellite, where a camera with soil from the Pampa de la Hoya desert was placed – one of the driest places on Earth. Inside the sealed installation, agronomists reproduced the Martian temperature, atmospheric pressure, as well as the corresponding levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. The soil was fertilized with the help of water in which nutrients were dissolved (the researchers do not report anything about the chemical composition of the soil and fertilizers, however, it is worth noting that in real Martian soil there are a large amount of hydrochloric acid salts (perchlorates).

The condition of the plants was monitored using a camera mounted on a modified CubeSat, which monitored the ground around the clock. It turned out that potatoes are able to germinate in even arid soil (the video shows plants planted already in 2017). In addition, according to Walter Amoros, one of the project participants, agronomists managed to obtain tubers, but nothing is reported about their quality and suitability for food. The researchers also do not say what kind of potato was used for this experiment.

Experts concluded that future colonists will probably still be able to grow potatoes on Mars, but for this they will have to first saturate the soil with nutrients and loosen it so that the tubers receive enough air and water. In the future, agronomists plan to continue their research and determine a sufficient minimum for growing potatoes.

This is the second such experiment of the International Potato Center. As scientists reported last year, 100 types of potatoes were selected for it, which had previously been tested for survival in "Martian" conditions. Among the selected candidates, 40 species grow in the Andes in rocky and arid conditions and withstand sudden changes in weather, and the remaining 60 are genetically modified varieties adapted to survive in soils with low water and salt content.

In 2015, an experiment on growing crops was also conducted by scientists from the Netherlands. They planted ten species of plants in soil as similar as possible to the Martian and lunar soil. Despite the fact that the researchers managed to get a harvest, it is worth noting that all the samples were in greenhouse conditions at constant temperature, humidity and lighting.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  09.03.2017