Scientists grow potato under Mars-like conditions in Peru

[Smokin Joe]

A big question in my mind is whether the martian regolith simulant has the required amount of perclorates in it.  These chemicals are ubiquitous on Mars, and are very toxic:

http://www.space.com/21554-mars-toxic-perchlorate-chemicals.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242525435_Perchlorate_on_Mars_A_chemical_hazard_and_a_resource_for_humans

from r/askscience

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4xv2bw/do_martian_regolith_simulants_contain_perchlorates/

I know a guy who makes fireworks, and that's where perchlorates rang a bell. What's the chance of isolating them for rocket fuel?

[Suppressed]

A big question in my mind is whether the martian regolith simulant has the required amount of perclorates in it.  These chemicals are ubiquitous on Mars, and are very toxic:

http://www.space.com/21554-mars-toxic-perchlorate-chemicals.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242525435_Perchlorate_on_Mars_A_chemical_hazard_and_a_resource_for_humans

from r/askscience

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4xv2bw/do_martian_regolith_simulants_contain_perchlorates/

I don't know that perchlorate would be that toxic to the plants, but rather the resulting plants might be toxic for consumption via bioaccumulation.  Indeed, phytoremediation might be one solution to the perchlorate problem on Mars.

[Doug Loss]

I don't know that perchlorate would be that toxic to the plants, but rather the resulting plants might be toxic for consumption via bioaccumulation.  Indeed, phytoremediation might be one solution to the perchlorate problem on Mars.

I don't know either, but any tests of growing plants in Martian regolith simulant are irremediably flawed if the simulant doesn't have the required amounts of perclorates in them.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

@Smokin Joe

You could be onto something there. Political officers make fine fertilizer,and by killing one and using him or her to grow edible food,it must might make one useful.


I'll take your word for that. I can't even grow weeds.

There's an Issac Asimov story that uses that as a plot point. In this case the crewmen died due to an excess of ammonia while trying to get plants to grow in a hostile world. I think it was "Founding Fathers".

[sneakypete]

There's an Issac Asimov story that uses that as a plot point. In this case the crewmen died due to an excess of ammonia while trying to get plants to grow in a hostile world. I think it was "Founding Fathers".

@Idaho_Cowboy

I used to really LOVE reading that mag and Analog. Stopped reading them when I started working 14 hours a day 6 days a week,and for some reason never got back to them.