Scientists Grow Plants In Moon Soil For The First Time In Latest Breakthrough
Scientists have now managed to grow plants in Moon dirt, marking a breakthrough for future of humanity in case a colony were to be set up on the Moon.?
This marks the first time that seeds have ever been sown in soils from an extraterrestrial body, a new study claims.?In the future, lunar gardens could be set up to support human colonies and astronauts on long-term missions to the Moon, Vice reported.
While the plants managed to grow in lunar soil, most of them were stunted when compared to the same plants that grew in Earth-based materials.
Could Moon support Earth's plants?
The study, published in the journal Communications Biology on Thursday, builds on plans to grow plants in regolith, the loose material on the Moon and other rocky objects in space.
Also read:?Our Moon May Have Been Stealing Water From Earth's Atmosphere, New Study Finds
"Terrestrial life can potentially live on the Moon, and for astronauts spending any time on the Moon, plants can be used for life support in ways that have till now have only been speculated about," Robert Ferl from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and senior author of the study told Vice.
The scientists grew a plant called "Arabidopsis thaliana" more commonly known as thale cress. It was able to germinate and grow in "diverse lunar regoliths," they wrote, while adding that plants that were seeded in a fake lunar soil called JSC lunar simulant did not grow as well.
Also read:?NASA Will Send Artificial Female Bodies To The Moon To Study Radiation Effects
The plants were grown in three different samples of Moon soil that were returned by the Apollo 11, 12, and 17 missions.?For the mission, NASA gave them 12 grams of lunar soil in total. NASA hopes to tackle this demand when crews aboard future Artemis missions bring back more soil samples to Earth.
What do you think about growing plants in lunar soil? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.
References
Ferreira, B. (2022b, May 12). Scientists Grow Plants in Moon Soil for First Time in Major Breakthrough. Vice.?
