Growing Food on Mars: Utilizing Earth's Hardiest Flora for Nutrient-Rich Soil

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In summary, creating a habitable environment on Mars would require basic needs such as food, shelter, and water. While water and shelter may already be available, food crops would face challenges due to soil degradation. There is a possibility of using Earth's hardiest flora to extract necessary materials from Mars' soil, but fungi may be more effective in breaking down minerals. Nutrient depletion in Martian soil is not a major concern compared to other challenges such as finding radiation-resistant plants and dealing with toxic perchlorates. In a closed ecosystem, nutrients can be recycled, but the dust on Mars' surface may not contain useful fertilizers.
  • #1
ZMacZ
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As some people may know, the hardest thing to do is create a habitable environment on Mars.

Basic needs would be food, shelter and water.

Assume that water and shelter are already available (for the sake of this topic)

That leaves food..

Food crops could be grown on Mars, but after a while you'd have soil degradation.
The minerals and such would have been extracted from the soil in such a manner that any crop
would not be able to grow there any longer..

Now here's my questionaire:

Would it be possible to use Earth's hardiest flora, to gain any such materials from Mars' soil ?
(regular weeds, cacti and such )

The ingredients would be a handful of Earth soil, mixed in with a lot of Mars soil..
(micro-organisms) and water..
If the weeds would be able to extract any amount of nutrients from the Mars soil,
they could then be composted and used as fertilizer for the actual crops..

Now, is it possible, or is there any indication of Mars soil not being able to deliver
any such ingredients ?

Thanx..

Note: Assume the atmosphere would be CO2 enriched..as a by-product of the habitation
unit's CO2 'production'.
 
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  • #2
ZMacZ said:
Food crops could be grown on Mars
Only in greenhouses with considerable effort
 
  • #3
For starters, nutrient depletion in Martian soil would be minimal if the inhabitants recycled their sweat, urine, and 'night soil'. For example when you create pure water from urine, as is done on the ISS, you get a concentrated solution with potassium and nitrogen compounds that can act as a fertilizer (as long as you neutralize the basicity first).

As far as weeds being "able to extract any amount of nutrients from the Mars soil", you've got the wrong picture. Fungi are what typically break down large mineral structures into soluble minerals that can be absorbed by plants. There's all kinds of symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi for that express purpose. And yes, mixing Earth soil with Martian soil would probably do the trick to some degree. You could also mechanically crush the minerals to speed up the process even faster.

In sum, nutrient depletion in Martian soil is so far down the list of challenges that it's barely worth thinking about. Far higher on the list is finding or designing plants that can withstand the hard radiation on Mars' surface, or dealing with the problem that Martian soil is intrinsically toxic due to the high concentration of perchlorates.

https://www.space.com/21554-mars-toxic-perchlorate-chemicals.html
 
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  • #4
@ZMacZ - google for 'Mars jar' - an old approach. As our understanding of Mars soils and atmosphere stands at the moment, there are no 'weeds' (mostly angiosperms, so-called flowering plants) from Earth that could grow on Mars. Extremophile Earth bacteria, maybe. It is also slightly possible that we may have already introduced some bacteria to Mars via some of our exploratory spacecraft .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremophile
A more pop Science take: https://news.nationalgeographic.com...a-alien-life-protection-humans-planets-space/
 
  • #5
In a closed ecosystem nutrients can't disappear, they are recycled,
Water and CO2 might be exchanged with the external environment, but Nitrogen compounds and other essential nutrients such as Phosphorus should be fully recoverable,
As far as I know, the dust on the surface of Mars has very little in it which would be a useful fertilizer or soil improvement.
Iron Oxides and other metal compounds with a lot of Chlorine in it. yuck.
 
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1. What types of plants can be grown on Mars?

There are several types of plants that have been identified as potential candidates for growing on Mars, including leafy greens, root vegetables, and legumes. Some examples include lettuce, potatoes, and soybeans.

2. How will the plants obtain nutrients in the Martian soil?

The Martian soil, also known as regolith, is lacking in essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. To overcome this, scientists are exploring ways to introduce bacteria and other microorganisms to the soil to help break down and release these nutrients for the plants to absorb.

3. Can plants grow in the extreme Martian environment?

The Martian environment is harsh, with extreme temperatures, high levels of radiation, and low atmospheric pressure. However, studies have shown that certain plants, such as radishes and peas, can grow in simulated Martian conditions. This indicates that with the right technology and techniques, it is possible to grow plants on Mars.

4. How will the plants be protected from the harsh environment on Mars?

To protect the plants from the harsh environment on Mars, scientists are exploring various techniques such as using greenhouses, building underground structures, and using protective coatings on the plants. These methods can help shield the plants from extreme temperatures, radiation, and dust storms.

5. How will the plants be watered on Mars?

Water is a scarce resource on Mars, and it is essential to conserve it. One method being explored is to use recycled water from human waste and condensation from the Martian atmosphere. Another approach is to extract water from the ice found on the Martian surface. Additionally, technologies such as hydroponics can reduce water usage by growing plants without soil.

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