Potato farming on Mars is being studied
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
In the movie The Martian, Matt Damon plays a botanist who found himself alone on the red planet having to feed himself.
He did so by creating a potato garden and feasting on spuds until his….
We won’t spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it.
According to a report by BBC World, research is being done to study what type(s) of potatoes could survive on Mars.
Experiments are being carried out by NASA and the International Potato Center (CIP) to plant Peruvian potatoes in conditions similar to Mars. The organizations decided soil from Papas de la Joya desert in Southern Peru can simulate conditions found on Mars.
“The increased levels of carbon dioxide will benefit the crop, whose yield is two to four times that of a regular grain crop under normal Earth conditions. The Martian atmosphere is nearly 95% carbon dioxide,” CIP said in a press release.
Different potato varieties will be tested, then NASA technology will try to replicate the atmosphere on Mars and see any effects it would have on the plants. The hope is that the results give astronauts an idea of how possible it would be to produce potatoes on Mars.
Successful results may lead solutions facing the population on Earth.
“We need people to understand that if we can grow potatoes in extreme conditions like those on Mars, we can save lives on Earth,” said Joel Ranck, CIP head of communications.
Keeping with potatoes, a variety designed to withstand late blight, the pathogen responsible for the Irish potato famine, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The Russet Burbank Generation 2, created by Idaho’s J.R. Simplot Co., will also allow potatoes to be stored in colder temperatures for longer periods of time to reduce waste.
“This will bring 24-hour protection to farmers’ fields and, in addition, has the potential to reduce pesticide spray by 25 to 45 percent,” Haven Baker, vice president of plant sciences at Simplot told the Associated Press.
Before the potato is cleared for consumers to purchase, Simplot must complete its registration with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts on NASA researching the possibility of potatoes on Mars or the FDA’s decision to approve the Russet Burbank Generation 2.