BBC News has an interesting article this morning about scientists that have managed to grow marigolds in crushed moon rock. Apparently with the right combination of bacteria they can extract the nutrients they need from the rock. Which, in my mind, proves that organic gardening is the way to go – it’s the only method that preserves the soil ecosystem that plants obviously rely on to thrive.
The First Shoots on the Moon
21.08.2023 - 11:49 / theunconventionalgardener.com / Emma Doughty
A year ago, the first seeds sprouted on the Moon. China’s Chang’e-4 mission was the first to land on the far side of the Moon, which faces away from Earth. The lander carried a sealed container filled with soil, cotton, rapeseed, Arabidopsis (rock cress) and potato seeds, yeast and fruit fly eggs. The aim of the experiment was to form an artificial, self-sustaining environment – a mini biosphere. The six components were chosen to act “producers, consumers and decomposers”, with the plants producing oxygen and food to sustain the fruit flies. The yeast was to process waste from the flies the dead plants to create more insect food.
Professor Xie Gengxin, the experiment’s chief designer, explained that these six species were chosen because they were small and could grow in a confined environment and were hardy enough to withstand extreme conditions on the lunar surface. Professor Liu Hanlong, head of the experiment, said that potatoes could be a source of food for space explorers, with rapeseed as a source of oil and cotton could be used for clothing.
“We have given consideration to future survival in space. Learning about these plants’ growth in a low-gravity environment would allow us to lay the foundation for our future establishment of space base.”
The biosphere canister was just 18cm tall and weighed 3kg. It was designed to test photosynthesis and respiration and contained a supply of air, water and nutrients. The seeds inside were kept dormant for the 20-day trip to the Moon.
Chang’e-4 touched down on 3rd January 2018, and mission control centre sent a command to the probe to water the seeds to start them into growth. China announced that the cotton seeds had grown buds 12 days later, stating this was “the completion of
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