Scientists grow chickpeas in simulated lunar soil for the first time
Scientists at the University of Texas in Austin have successfully grown chickpeas in artificial lunar soil, a significant step as NASA plans to send astronauts to the Moon in the 2030s. The lunar regolith presents challenges for plant growth due to its lack of organic matter and presence of toxic heavy metals. To address these issues, researchers added compost and specific fungi to the soil, enabling the growth of chickpeas in a mixture containing up to 75% regolith. Currently, they are studying the safety of the harvested crops, which could potentially allow astronauts to grow their own food on the Moon in the future.
NASA is planning to send astronauts to the Moon in the 2030s. For this reason, the issue of growing food on space stations is of great importance. Ixbt.com reports.
Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have demonstrated the possibility of growing chickpeas in simulated lunar soil.
Lunar soil, known as regolith, is an extremely hostile environment for plants. It lacks organic matter and contains toxic heavy metals.
To address this problem, the researchers added worm castings and special fungi to the soil.
Experiments showed that chickpeas can be grown in a mixture containing up to 75% regolith. The fungi help plants absorb nutrients and reduce the effects of heavy metals.
Scientists are currently studying the safety of the harvested crops. If the results are positive, astronauts will be able to grow their own food in lunar soil in the future.
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