Growing Crops on Mars

Martian agriculture might still be a theoretical possibility, but it's becoming increasingly feasible the more that it's researched. Especially with the recent discovery of water on Mars (although it is mostly in ice or vapour form).

Martian crops are a subject of ongoing experimentation and research. The international space station (ISS) has ongoing experiments for growing crops in space-like conditions and has successfully harvested various crops. None of these conditions are zero gravity. The gravitational force aboard the ISS is approximately 89% of the gravity on Earth, but since the ISS is in orbit the astronauts feel weightless because of free fall. Mars has approximately 38% of the gravity of Earth, so there will be more challenges before growing anything on Mars.

These experiments consider growing conditions such as light exposure, water requirements, and the effects of low gravity on growth. Some successful harvests the astronauts on the ISS have enjoyed are leafy greens, peppers, and more. Just last year, they harvested green chilis and made themselves space tacos! It is downright fascinating to consider where these discoveries could lead.

But what about crops on Earth?

Although certainly less exciting than the prospect of Martian crops, Earthan crops are not without their unique challenges. Only, instead of it being a Martian agriculture problem, it’s a late-stage capitalism problem. Of how we can keep up with the increasing demand for crops with the level of soil erosion we are facing.

And you may be thinking, “what does soil have to do with space?” But think about it! Soil is just the inverse of space. Space occupies a great distance with little (discovered) life to speak of. On the other hand, every bit of soil is teeming with life! One square metre of rich soil can contain up to 1,000,000,000 organisms. Soil gets shoehorned as something mundane that we know everything about, but a closer look reveals so much diversity in ordinary soil. That is, if we preserve it properly.

Soil erosion sucks

Soil erosion is an issue of critical importance. In recent years, there’s been a push for organic food and against genetically modified food (GMOs). But genetic modification can increase crop yield and reduce the need for pesticides.

Our current crop demand is not sustainable. We rely on topsoil for 95% of our crops and it is degrading ten times faster than it can be replenished. Thanks to pesticides, intensive soil tilling, synthetic fertilizers, lack of crop rotation, and increasing demand, the soil isn't given any opportunity to rest and recover. Humanity has not been following any soil tilling best practices. Over time, its quality inevitably degrades, and it will affect our ability to grow food. And that is purely a result of capitalism.

Growing crops on Mars is absolutely essential for long-term expeditions into space. After all, astronauts cannot rely on freeze-dried food for all their nutrition, it’s not sustainable for them. But soil erosion is not sustainable for us. This trend of running the soil we have into the ground spells worrying things for our future agricultural capabilities.

The technology that we need to resolve these issues isn't there yet, and we don't know when it will be. But despite the climate catastrophes and supply chain disruptions that our planet is currently facing, Earth is still the best equipped to meet our current agricultural needs. We cannot survive on space crops alone, no matter how cool they are.

Looking at the big possibilities has its place in our cultural imaginings. But looking closer into the evolving challenges of growing on Earth is important to sustain us until we have the technology to grow crops on Mars. If we can find a more sustainable way to do it, we can still be growing crops in 50 years. And who knows? By then, we may be able to go to Mars and have the technology needed for alternatives.

But for now, this planet is what we got. So, we should protect it while we can. Until such a time when we can abandon the Earth in a flaming heap, I'm here to remind everyone to keep Earth’s soil in your mind and hearts. Just in case Earth doesn’t implode as soon as we think. It’s always good to have a backup plan.

Milo Ezra Kane - Milo is a writing student who longs for the cold embrace of the void. When they aren’t talking about space, they can be found playing dnd, embracing the absurd, and screaming into the void about the weight of capitalism.

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