It's Possible to Grow Edible Food in Martian Soil

New research has proven that the red planet's metallic soil might not harm plants and possible to grow edible food on it.


If the Pixar movie Wall-E happens in real life, then we may expect Mars to save humanity and all living things.

Scientists at Wageningen University of the Netherlands have published a new research in their quest to test the feasibility of growing agriculture on the red planet. They found that radishes, peas, tomatoes and rye grown in ersatz-Martian soil were completely safe to eat.

However, the soil used was enriched with old-fashioned soil from Earth, a move that may have played a key role in the success of the plants.

The research was supported by Mars One, a Dutch group that wants to put a human colony on Mars by 2026. Mars One is an outsider in the world of space exploration. They were also being criticized by both NASA and MIT engineers with their goal, saying that 2026 is an unrealistic goal.

It's still noted that the research isn't foolproof since the research hasn't been formally published and has not been reviewed. Scientists haven't been able to point out flaws in the methodology and findings yet.

Even so, the results of the research are promising. With 10 different crops grown, the scientists were surprised that the heavy metals in the soil did not contaminate the food. With more funding, the team is hoping to test six more crops.

Source: Daily Meal

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