A first: Scientists grow plants in soil from the Moon

[Still Waters]

Scientists have grown plants in soil from the Moon, a first in human history and a milestone in lunar and space exploration.

In a new paper published in the journal Communications Biology, University of Florida researchers showed that plants can successfully sprout and grow in lunar soil. Their study also investigated how plants respond biologically to the Moon's soil, also known as lunar regolith, which is radically different from soil found on Earth.

This work is a first step toward one day growing plants for food and oxygen on the Moon or during space missions. More immediately, this research comes as the Artemis Program plans to return humans to the Moon.

https://phys.org/news/2022-05-scientists-soil-moon.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03334-8?

[jethrofloyd]

For the first time, scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA's Apollo astronauts.

Researchers had no idea if anything would sprout in the harsh moon dirt and wanted to see if it could be used to grow food by the next generation of lunar explorers. The results stunned them.

 

"Holy cow. Plants actually grow in lunar stuff. Are you kidding me?" said Robert Ferl of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/world/plants-grown-in-soil-from-the-moon-for-first-time/7d1d8b50-20b7-4c3a-a42c-d9a9e986bb5d

[+Desertrat56]

10 minutes ago, jethrofloyd said:

For the first time, scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA's Apollo astronauts.

Researchers had no idea if anything would sprout in the harsh moon dirt and wanted to see if it could be used to grow food by the next generation of lunar explorers. The results stunned them.

 

"Holy cow. Plants actually grow in lunar stuff. Are you kidding me?" said Robert Ferl of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/world/plants-grown-in-soil-from-the-moon-for-first-time/7d1d8b50-20b7-4c3a-a42c-d9a9e986bb5d

So do they not have any soils scientists that know what plants depend on to grow and someone who has analyzed the lunar soil?  I think someone needs to check Robert Ferl's credentials.

Edited Friday at 06:42 PM by Desertrat56

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

So it took 65 years for them to decide to try this...? 

Edited Friday at 11:44 PM by Earl.Of.Trumps

[moonman]

is it straight up moon dirt or did they add stuff other than water?