“Genetically Modified Rice Could Become Food Source for Martian Colonists”

A new study presented at the 54th Conference on Lunar and Planetary Sciences suggests that genetically modified rice could become a food source for the first Martian colonists. This discovery could be a game changer in the pursuit of human settlement on Mars.

Given that Mars is at least a seven month journey from Earth across 300 million miles / 480 million kilometers, and the planets only come close to each other every two years or so, the first humans to live on Mars needed to grow their own food. . Unfortunately, Martian soil contains perchlorate salts which are toxic to plants, making it difficult to grow food.

To simulate Martian soil, scientists from the University of Arkansas used basalt-rich soil mined in the Mojave Desert, developed by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They cultivated three types of rice on land, including one wild line and two genetically engineered lines that were better adapted to drought, sugar shortages, and salt conditions. They also grow three strains of the same in potting soil and a mixture of the two.

The team found that GM rice grew well in simulating Martian soil when a quarter of it was potting soil. They also found that three grams of perchlorate per kilogram of soil was the plantable limit for the rice lines.

The discovery could have implications far beyond Mars, as it could prove useful in regions of Earth where the soil has a high salt content. The team proposes using Earth as a terrestrial partner before sending seeds to Mars.

The team’s next step is to experiment with simulating newly developed Martian soil and other rice strains. 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 Martian settlers.