seeder Posted March 9, 2017 #1 Share Posted March 9, 2017 GOOD News!! Quote The Martian got it wrong: Study reveals potatoes would grow OUTSIDE in Martian soil in breakthrough for manned missions CubeSat controls environment to create Mars-like day and night conditions Also mimics air pressure, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels on the red planet Researchers brought in Mars analog soil from the Pampas de La Joya desert So far, the potatoes are able to sprout, with salt-tolerant breeds faring best Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4294808/Study-reveals-potatoes-grow-Mars.html#ixzz4apgOQnkf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted March 9, 2017 #2 Share Posted March 9, 2017 I think it will take more than potatoes to get me to go there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted March 9, 2017 Author #3 Share Posted March 9, 2017 4 minutes ago, Frank Merton said: I think it will take more than potatoes to get me to go there. But Frank...if potatoes grow outside.... so can many more plants..... then we have a place in space....which is not the earth.... that supports life!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acute Posted March 9, 2017 #4 Share Posted March 9, 2017 But, where are the oceans? There's no point in chips without fish! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted March 9, 2017 Author #5 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Perhaps Terra forming is possible after all... if we could send plants that will grow... but tonnes of them.....in different locations..... well who knows the possibilities? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman76 Posted March 9, 2017 #6 Share Posted March 9, 2017 I'll believe that when I see it. Which I guess will be never cause chances are I wont ever be able to go there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted March 9, 2017 #7 Share Posted March 9, 2017 I JUST READ THAT NASA CAN PUT AN ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELD OVER MARS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted March 9, 2017 Author #8 Share Posted March 9, 2017 3 minutes ago, danielost said: I JUST READ THAT NASA CAN PUT AN ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELD OVER MARS. DID YOU? No need for all the caps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted March 9, 2017 #9 Share Posted March 9, 2017 i forgot i had them on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted March 9, 2017 #10 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Kool. To be precise, the potato sprouted. They will have to wait a fair while to see if potatoes do actually grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.United_Nations Posted March 9, 2017 #11 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Potatoes still grow outside of soil though 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted March 9, 2017 #12 Share Posted March 9, 2017 6 minutes ago, Mr.United_Nations said: Potatoes still grow outside of soil though On mars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark_Grey Posted March 9, 2017 #13 Share Posted March 9, 2017 10 minutes ago, taniwha said: Kool. To be precise, the potato sprouted. They will have to wait a fair while to see if potatoes do actually grow. True, but if it sprouts, that's half the battle. That means roots are growing which means the plant finds the available nutrients sufficient to grow. Also, isn't Martian soil rather rich with water? Or am I just making that up? Is it Thursday? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted March 9, 2017 #14 Share Posted March 9, 2017 1 hour ago, acute said: But, where are the oceans? There's no point in chips without fish! Hey that's a good experiment. Put an aquarium in the simulator and see what it takes to successfully breed fish! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted March 9, 2017 #15 Share Posted March 9, 2017 2 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said: True, but if it sprouts, that's half the battle. That means roots are growing which means the plant finds the available nutrients sufficient to grow. Also, isn't Martian soil rather rich with water? Or am I just making that up? Is it Thursday? There is always the possibility of rot. I think it wouldn't be beyond the realms of modern tech to genetically modify an edible crop of potatoes for the Martian soil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted March 9, 2017 Author #16 Share Posted March 9, 2017 1 hour ago, taniwha said: There is always the possibility of rot. I think it wouldn't be beyond the realms of modern tech to genetically modify an edible crop of potatoes for the Martian soil. as i said earlier....we could send simpler plants which is how earth started.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nzo Posted March 9, 2017 #17 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Why not just send a rover to plant a few seeds over on mars. Have the Rover contain enough water to keep them watered for a few weeks/months. Then we will know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted March 9, 2017 Author #18 Share Posted March 9, 2017 7 minutes ago, goodgodno said: I'm no Mars expert, but I'd imagine that any moisture in the Martian soil is just been held there by the soils specific rentention i.e unable to drain under gravity. This moisture won't be a sustainable source to grow a crop. I think a long term water supply would still be necessary which is going to represent a huge challenge for growing crops on Mars. I assume the researchers watered the potatoes anyway.. there is moisture there....I wasnt at home for nine months due to a hospital stay,,... when I came home.....an Aloe Vera plant had doubled in size. nobody watered it.... so how did it get so big? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taniwha Posted March 9, 2017 #19 Share Posted March 9, 2017 1 hour ago, seeder said: as i said earlier....we could send simpler plants which is how earth started.. I think genetically modified to be more resistant. Therefore more complex. We don't have to terraform using simple plants if we already have the technology to improve past that. And we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsec Posted March 9, 2017 #20 Share Posted March 9, 2017 5 hours ago, Frank Merton said: I think it will take more than potatoes to get me to go there. Fried potatoes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundew Posted March 9, 2017 #21 Share Posted March 9, 2017 (edited) IF there is no current life on Mars and it is a truly dead world, then start terraforming it with the toughest, hardiest lichens and bacteria, assuming they can stand the solar radiation. Higher plants will likely not be growing outside of a shelter for a long time, given the freezing temperatures. Edited March 9, 2017 by Sundew spelling 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperdyer Posted March 10, 2017 #22 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Remember the key phase in the article is "if give the proper nutrients" Potatoes like sandy soil. Potatoes would grow in sand wit the proper fertilizer. I don't know how much oxygen potatoes need. Trying to grow cotton would be impressive as the product you want grows above the ground not beneath it like potatoes do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldrover Posted March 10, 2017 #23 Share Posted March 10, 2017 On 3/9/2017 at 1:28 PM, seeder said: then we have a place in space....which is not the earth.... that supports life!! You mean like Newport? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingitsune Posted March 12, 2017 #24 Share Posted March 12, 2017 I wouldn't have thought potatoes would have enough oxygen to live, let alone grow, on Mars. That would help a potential martian colony a lot, since they don't need to shelter the fields. It will leave more room for humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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