Chickpeas Thrive in Moon Soil Simulant, Pioneering Lunar Agriculture
TL;DR
Researchers at UT Austin (with Texas A&M) grew chickpeas in a lunar soil simulant using vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, a first step toward farming on the Moon for long missions; the crops survived longer with fungi and showed reduced uptake of harmful metals, but scientists still need to assess safety and nutritional value before declaring them a viable astronaut food source.
- Scientists Have Just Successfully Grown Chickpeas in Lunar Soil for the First Time The Daily Galaxy
- Bioremediation of lunar regolith simulant through mycorrhizal fungi and plant symbioses enables chickpea to seed Nature
- With lunar missions looming, scientists grow chickpeas in 'moon dirt' Reuters
- Lessons from 'The Martian': How astronaut poop could help us settle the Red Planet Space
- UT and Texas A&M researchers grow chickpeas in moon dirt, thanks to Reddit Houston Chronicle
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The Daily Galaxy