An international team of researchers has tested the possibility of growing rice on Mars. The analysis showed that
The researchers modeled the Martian soil,using basalt-rich soil mined in the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. This model is known as the Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS). It was developed by specialists from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and to a high degree reproduces the features of the Martian regolith, rich in toxic salts of perchloric acid (perchlorates).
The researchers used three varieties of rice - onea wild species and two variants with genetic mutations that help the plant respond better to stress such as drought, lack of sugar or salinity. The scientists grew each type of rice in ordinary potting mix, MMS soil, and mixtures thereof.
The analysis showed that genetically modifiedrice varieties can survive even in pure Martian soil (MMS) conditions. But under these conditions, the plants were not as developed as those grown in potting soil and hybrid mixture. However, replacing just a quarter of MMS with potting mix resulted in improved rice development.
The researchers also found that 3 gperchlorates per 1 kg of soil - the maximum concentration of salts, above which plants do not survive. At the same time, hybrid species, unlike wild rice, can grow in soil with a salt concentration above 1 g/kg. The researchers will continue to work to test the plant's ability to survive in other Martian soil analogs, as well as to try to create hybrids that are tolerant of high levels of salt.
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