For the first time, crops grown on Earth have successfully germinated and developed in soil sourced from the Moon, as revealed in a groundbreaking experiment.
However, the question of whether humans can build a greenhouse on “the land of the Moon Goddess” remains unanswered.
Scientists Anna-Lisa Paul (left) and Rob Ferl study lunar soil – (Photo: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA)
In early May 2022, researchers from the University of Florida (USA) successfully grew plants in lunar soil samples (also known as “regolith”) brought back by NASA’s Apollo missions. This research could lay the groundwork for cultivating plants that provide oxygen and food for humans on the Moon.
The study, published in the journal Communications Biology, was approved 18 months ago but has actually undergone a proposal process that began 15 years ago. The scientists conducted their research on 12 grams (about three teaspoons) of lunar soil collected during the Apollo 11, 12, and 17 missions (from 1969 to 1972).
They placed these “historic” soil samples into multiple plastic trays, each containing 1 gram of soil along with water and nutrients to germinate Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) seeds. They chose this small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa because it has been extensively studied and its genome decoded, allowing them to track the effects of lunar soil on the plants.
The results were quite promising, with most of the seeds germinating and growing in the dark-colored soil. “We were surprised. This shows that lunar soil does not inhibit the hormones or signals related to plant germination,” said Lisa Paul, a professor of horticultural science at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
However, the thale cress plants demonstrated the reality that they struggled to thrive in lunar soil. The plants grown in this soil tended to be smaller, slower-growing, with stunted roots and exhibited purple pigments, indicating “stress.”
The research coincides with NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. Based on these findings, the scientific team aims to further investigate plant cultivation on the Moon, where plants will face harsher conditions such as cosmic rays, solar winds, and space particles.
NASA scientist Sharmila Bhattacharya expressed that the results are intriguing and open up many further research opportunities. “We need to find ways to help plants grow better in this regolith. For example, do we need additional components to support plant growth, and if so, what are they? Are there other plant species that might adapt better, and if so, what characteristics make them more resilient?” Bhattacharya added.
