Researchers Grow Plants on Alien Materials

The new discipline of 'astroecology' involves growing plants directly in extraterrestrial environments.

Most experiments that involve growing plants in space have typically involved growing them in as Earth-like an environment as possible aboard the space station or where the conditions on the surface of our own planet can be readily replicated.

Chemistry professor Michael Mautner however has been taking a different approach, instead opting to grow plants in materials taken from asteroids or other extraterrestrial environments.

His main goal is to be able to grow plants on other worlds without having to rely on replicating Earth's environment in order to do so.

"People have been talking about terraforming, but what I’m trying to do is give some concrete evidence that it’s possible to do this, that it’s possible to grow in extraterrestrial materials," he said.

"What I’ve found is that a range of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, and even asparagus and potato plants - can survive with the nutrients that are in extraterrestrial materials."

Read more here: washington.cbslocal.com...

I thought this was interesting news. So we know it works with certain vegetables,which means it is possible.
My question is, are they doing research on this because of our planned manned trip to Mars in 2021?
Could it be part of the plan for colonizing Mars?
I would love to see a list of the vegetables they managed to grow this way.
Do they grow at the same rate as vegetables grown in our own soil?
And what about nutrients, and taste?

I am eager to read more about their research, and see how far they can go with this.

Mars ,here we come.

edit on 17/6/2014 by Rainbowresidue because: added a thought

In the 70s in Spain using moon soil samples they grow crops, they grew faster and bigger than in earth soil, i tried to find a link for this but its too old and from a non us country so its as good as lost.

a reply to: Rainbowresidue

This is an interesting field to be sure, but I question what the effect would be on someone consuming vegetable product grown in alien soils. You see, when we eat vegetables in the normal manner, grown here on our planet, from its own soil, we are consuming everything that plant has consumed also. That is why it is important to keep agricultural land free of harmful toxins.

Eating a large amount of contaminated vegetation has very serious effects on a persons health after all. For that reason, I am concerned that although plants might well grow, and even flourish on alien soils, they might not be edible to the same degree as plants grown in agricultural soil. The other concern I have, is that they may grow well initially but fail to go to seed, fail to spawn offspring and so on.

You also have to consider the possibility of alterations to the plants genes, over time. What might start out as a colony of yummy Terran vegetables, might wind up as a thicket of inedible weed after x amount of generations. There is an awful lot to think about there!

a reply to: TrueBrit

Hello TrueBrit,
Thanks for stopping by.
So basically humans could have side effects from consuming those vegetables?
We need to run more tests in that case to find out.

Also very interesting point you bring up about the veggies turning into weed after awhile, it could be a possibility. More research would have to be done in order to prevent that from happening.
You have certainly given me food for thought, thank you.



To:Indigent
I've read about that too,but that was a long while ago.

Great Find!
Imagine all the Possibilities we can Learn from This Research!

a reply to: Rainbowresidue

I know this could sound inhumane, but we could test the food on death row inmates?
Instead of feeding it to animals because this research is to find the humane race better mean of nutrition.
Many dastardly experiments have been done in positive motion for science and mankind. I'm sure TPTB have already "required" test subjects.

originally posted by: SirKonstantin
Great Find!
Imagine all the Possibilities we can Learn from This Research!

Indeed!
Is it just me, or has there been a lot more space related research the last couple of years?
It seems to be picking up.
Our better technology is also a great factor here. (Compared to let's say the 80s.)

originally posted by: SirKonstantin
a reply to: Rainbowresidue

I know this could sound inhumane, but we could test the food on death row inmates?
Instead of feeding it to animals because this research is to find the humane race better mean of nutrition.
Many dastardly experiments have been done in positive motion for science and mankind. I'm sure TPTB have already "required" test subjects.

I'm not sure about that....I mean how bad can those side effects be? (I'm guessing not too bad, and I repeat, I'm just guessing.)

How about testing it on volunteers?
The same way they do with new medicine....
Here, eat this potato, we'll pay you 500$, call us in the morning with any side effects.

a reply to: Rainbowresidue

I believe your right on this. New Space Craft to go warp speed. exploration to Europa. Time lapse images of an exploding nebula(or something like that). Its all about the Agenda to ease humanity into extraterrestrials and advance technology.

We need more researchers to focus on these plants, and hope Monsanto doesn't get involved otherwise it's gmos on Mars.

a reply to: Cosmicsavage

Hahaha, you are right.

I also just had a thought. We are being told this news now, but who knows how long they actually have been testing this?
When did this project start?

I wonder in the future with these plants. Will we have new species of fruit and veggies that will only be available on mars because of the different environments. I'm ready for my new space fruit.

Another question, with the other plants that have already been tested how long until we can see a visible change in these plants. New leaf colors or a change in fruit color. What if these plants absorb different wave lengths of light in space.

a reply to: Cosmicsavage

I know.
This research seems to bring up even more questions.

Who is ATS's botany expert?
I'd love some input from an expert.

Is that Phage too?

I bet we would might get super powers if we ate food growing on asteroids. Like superman had. Maybe we would just get hemoriods from assteroid foods though. Hard to know.

a reply to: Rainbowresidue

Money for testing is a good idea. And i think its should be done. ...Yet...
Down side could be that the potato kills the test subject. Lawsuits. Even though it was with good positive intents. Lawsuits.
Death-row inmates test subject can be kept on the down-low. We could be like, here eat this, you might die but will give you a tv and a game console in your jail cell?

..testing?

haven't they already been sending these space-seeds to schools so they can grow giant pumpkins and what-not?

originally posted by: SirKonstantin
a reply to: Rainbowresidue

I know this could sound inhumane, but we could test the food on death row inmates?
Instead of feeding it to animals because this research is to find the humane race better mean of nutrition.
Many dastardly experiments have been done in positive motion for science and mankind. I'm sure TPTB have already "required" test subjects.

They are probably testing a lot of the stuff on us already that is what Genetically Modified Food is.
They may be in a hurry for all we know, there is something coming and they need to have a plan to get some people off planet in a time frame.

a reply to: Char-Lee

Yesh!!! Doom Porn!!!

originally posted by: Indigent
In the 70s in Spain using moon soil samples they grow crops, they grew faster and bigger than in earth soil, i tried to find a link for this but its too old and from a non us country so its as good as lost.

Interesting experiment

originally posted by: SirKonstantin
a reply to: Char-Lee

Yesh!!! Doom Porn!!!

hehe don't you love it! I watched this last night and it seems to so match the many things we are seeing, easy to think they have been working on building their getaway ship since the 50'60's.

Listen to the first sentence on it!