Study Suggests Potatoes Can Grow On Mars (phys.org)

The International Potato Center (CIP) has launched a series of experiments to discover if potatoes can grow under Mars' atmospheric conditions, as well as under extreme conditions on Earth. The CIP placed a potato inside a "specially constructed CubeSat contained environment" that simulates Mars temperature, air pressure, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. They then used sensors and live-streaming cameras to record the soil and monitor the status of the potato. Preliminary results are positive as cameras inside the container show sprouts. Phys.Org reports: "We have been looking at the very dry soils found in the southern Peruvian desert. These are the most Mars-like soils found on Earth." Chris McKay of NASA ARC. "This [research] could have a direct technological benefit on Earth and a direct biological benefit on Earth," says Chris McKay of NASA ARC. From the initial experiment, CIP scientists concluded that future Mars missions that hope to grow potatoes will have to prepare soil with a loose structure and nutrients to allow the tubers to obtain enough air and water to allow it to tuberize. "It was a pleasant surprise to see that potatoes we've bred to tolerate abiotic stress were able to produce tubers in this soil," Amoros said. He added that one of the best performing varieties was very salt-tolerant from the CIP breeding program for adaptation to subtropical lowlands with tolerance to abiotic stress that was also recently released as a variety in Bangladesh for cultivation in coastal areas with high soil salinity. Amoros noted that whatever their implications for Mars missions, the experiments have already provided good news about potato's potential for helping people survive in extreme environments on Earth.

Comments

I hate these hype stories

[Rei]

Yeah, you can grow things in Mars regolith. If you first remove the toxic perchlorates. And the hexavalent chromium. And the general excess of arsenic. And on and on. Basically, if you take a highly polluted natural material and remediate the various pollutants from it, then add water, you can grow plants in it. Well golly gee, whoda thunk that?

This project is a stunt by a potato council. They're not growing potatoes in Mars regolith or anything similarly contaminated, they're growing them in soil taken from the Pampas de La Joya desert. Interviewed elsewhere:

The goal is to raise awareness of the incredible resilience of potatoes, and fund further research and farming in devastated areas across the globe where malnutrition and poverty are rife and climbing.

“How better to learn about climate change than by growing crops on a planet that died two billion years ago?” said Joel Ranck, CIP Head of Communications. “We need people to understand that if we can grow potatoes in extreme conditions like those on Mars, we can save lives on Earth.”

Re:I hate these hype stories

[Rei]

No information anywhere specifying what pressure (Pa, mbar, psi, atm....) they're using in there, but I can tell you it's not a Marslike ~600Pa / 6mbar / 0.006 atm, because that's below the Armstrong limit, and water can't exist in a liquid phase at those pressures (the "liquid water flowing on Mars" was actually concentrated toxic deliquescent brine). I can also tell you that they're not using Marslike temperatures because it's not exactly a secret that potatoes don't sprout or survive in the winter.

What a load of hype.

Re:Now all we need is ...

[mwvdlee]

Outside of the US, most people prefer mayonaise with their fries.
We need to raise chickens on Mars.