Researchers at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) have successfully cultivated viable mustard plants in a simulated lunar soil environment, which even produced three viable seeds. This achievement marks a unique milestone globally, as it is the first time plants have been grown in soil—rather than hydroponically—under lunar-like conditions.
During an innovative experiment, MATE researchers cultivated mustard plants in lunar soil simulation, yielding three seeds. This breakthrough is especially remarkable as, until now, similar experiments have only been conducted in hydroponic systems, which rely on nutrient-rich solutions. MATE researchers, however, achieved this with soil, marking a significant advancement in lunar agriculture.
Specimens of the 'lunar' mustard plants (MATE)
György Barkó, a senior researcher at MATE's Technical Institute, and his team aimed to recreate conditions similar to lunar caves, employing specialized lighting and water-use protocols. Following NASA's international guidelines, the MATE team selected plants capable of thriving in lunar-like soils. NASA's criteria specified plants with minimal water requirements, high oxygen production, edibility, and the ability to absorb volatile organic compounds in their surroundings.
Mustard was chosen as it met all these criteria and proved highly suitable for the experiment. In the lunar soil simulation used in the experiment, mustard seeds successfully sprouted with minimal water. According to Barkó, this is a significant advance, as previous hydroponic experiments had not used soil for plant growth. Researchers also demonstrated that minimal water could be extracted from minerals through heat treatment, such as heating copper sulfate, which releases water.
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