Could this strange discovery finally make farming on Mars possible?
Researchers are investigating the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve Martian soil quality for future agriculture. This method aims to help plants absorb nutrients more efficiently in the harsh, nutrient-poor regolith of the Red Planet.
Why it matters
Advancements in space agriculture are critical for the long-term feasibility of human colonization on Mars and the Moon.
In The Martian , the 2015 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, Mark Watney, the astronaut played by Matt Damon, grows potatoes in Martian soil by using the ‘bio-waste’ of him and the rest of the crew who fled when a dust storm struck.
That’s one way of transforming the nutrient-poor, so-called ‘regolith’ of the Red Planet into something in which crops may thrive.
However, it’s probably not an ideal solution. So how do we make soils viable for agriculture if we want to colonise other worlds?
Not only is the soil on Mars (and also the Moon should we ever want to colonise that too) lacking essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, it is also very alkaline and has high concentrations of toxic elements and compounds such as aluminium, manganese and perchlorates.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in