It has been made possible after researches that moon soil can grow and sprout seeds. Here is the whole account:
Scientists are able to grow plants in the lunar soil of the moon, from the samples which were brought back in the Apollo NASA missions in 1969 and 1972. This achievement would be a major step in producing food and oxygen on the Moon during future space missions.
Scientist showcased their research at the University of Florida that plants successfully sprout and seeds are grown in the lunar soil. They have also published, in their research paper, how the plants and the seeds respond biologically to the lunar soil as it is very different from the Earth’s soil.
“For future, longest space missions, we may use the moon as a hub. It makes sense that we would want to use the soil that is already that grow plants”, Rob Ferl, one of the study’s authors said.
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Conditions used in experiment
When the seeds were sown in the lunar soil, researchers added water nutrients and light and recorded the results. This experiment was performed using only 12 grams of lunar soil. The temperature in the laboratory was placed around 23 degrees Celsius under the LED lights. Researchers used culturing plates to make each of them function as a pot. This achievement took over 11 years and a chance of over three times, for making happen.
Scientists filled each port with approximately a gram of lunar soil, moisturized it with a nutrient solution, and added a few seeds. The seeds which were used were from the Arabidopsis plant. As the genetic code of the plant has been fully mapped, this plant is widely used in research works.
The research generated observations that nearly all the seeds planted were able to sprout in the lunar soil. This gave more insights about how the soil affects the gene expression of the plants. The plants grown in the lunar soil are more varied in size. Some were smaller or grew more slowly.
“We are amazed. We did not predict that” said Anna-Lisa Paul, one of the study’s authors and a professor of horticulture Sciences at the University of Florida.
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Comparison with Non-Lunar soil
For comparison, researchers also grew the plant in a terrestrial substance that mimics real lunar soil. As well as in Martian soil and Terrestrial soils from extreme environments. This comparison was the control group of the research work. There were differences between the plants in the lunar soil and the control group as the plants in the lunar soil were working to cope with the chemical and structural makeup of the Moon soil as explained by Paul.
Scientists are researching the data that would help plants- particularly crops to grow in the lunar soil with very little impact on the health of the plant. Plants with more signs of stress to cope were those grown in the mature lunar soil. The mature lunar soil has altered due to the exposure to more cosmic wind. On the other hand, plants with less stress were observed to be grown in less mature soil as they had better health quality.
“Plants can be grown in the lunar regolith. This opens the door to future exploration using resources in place on the moon and likely Mars”, stated Paul. The plants showed stress factors indicated in their gene expression due to the reactions of salt, metal, and oxidation. Plants have to stress metabolically hard to cope with the conditions of the lunar soil. Scientists are seeing this achievement as a way to clean the atmosphere and recycle water using plants.
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Man’s responsibility for Mother Earth
This experiment shows that plants are not only the residents of Earth but also have traces in the universe. This achievement is of huge value for humans, as various deeds supporting the greed of man, has drastically devastated nature. It is seen as a way to produce more oxygen by growing the plants outside the earth.
Besides this, we also have the responsibility to take care of our mother earth too, which is the sole reason for the birth and survival of human life. It has been gifted to us to prosper. This experiment is a new achievement outside the earth, but we should also not shoulder off what we have to pay back to the mother nature who has nurtured us to this extent as it is the main reason for human life’s existence on earth.
