A new study presented at the 54th Conference on Lunar and Planetary Sciences suggests that genetically modified rice could be a food source for the first settlers of Mars. This discovery could be a game-changer in the pursuit of a human settlement on Mars.
Since Mars is at least seven months away from Earth, 300 million miles / 480 million km away, and the planets only come close together about every two years, the first humans to live on Mars will have to grow their own food. . Unfortunately, the soil on Mars contains perchlorate salts that are toxic to plants, making it difficult to grow food.
To simulate the soil of Mars, scientists at the University of Arkansas used basalt-rich soil mined in the Mojave Desert, which was developed by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They planted three types of rice in the land, including a wild strain and two transgenic strains that are better adapted to drought, lack of sugar, and saline conditions. They also grew the same three strains in potting soil and a mixture of the two.
The team found that GM rice grows well in simulating Martian soil if it is one quarter loamy. They also found that three grams of perchlorate per kilogram of soil was the maximum a rice strain could grow in.
This discovery could have implications beyond Mars, as it could prove useful in regions of Earth where soils have a high salt content. The team proposes using Earth as a terrestrial counterpart before sending seeds to Mars.
The team’s next step is to experiment with simulations of newly developed Martian soil and other strains of rice. Next, they plan to develop a Mars simulation chamber that simulates the temperature and atmosphere of the Red Planet.
This breakthrough could be instrumental in achieving the goal of colonizing Mars and providing a sustainable food source for future Mars colonists.
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