An Ancient Maya Practice Could Be the Key to Growing Vegetables on Mars [View all]

Researchers are exploring whether intercropping—a technique of growing different types of plants in close proximity to one another—could be the secret to agriculture on the Red Planet

Sarah Kuta
Daily Correspondent

May 6, 2024



Scientists experimented with planting tomatoes, peas and carrots together and separately in several types of soil. Gonçalves et al. / Plos One, 2024


If humans build settlements on Mars, how will they feed ourselves? Waiting on deliveries from Earth would take too long and costs would be exorbitant, since getting to the Red Planet is currently a nine-month one-way journey. On top of that, dehydrating foodstuff—the best preservation method for perishables sent to space—removes vital nutrients.

More than likely, Martian settlers will need to grow their own food.

Researchers are now exploring how best to optimize crop yield on Mars using intercropping, a technique perfected by Maya farmers centuries ago that involves growing multiple plants in close proximity to one another. Their findings—published this month in the journal Plos One—could not only benefit the pioneers who end up colonizing the Red Planet, but also farmers here on Earth amid a rapidly changing climate.

Building upon past research, scientists at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands conducted greenhouse experiments that mimicked the conditions of similar structures that could eventually be built on Mars.

Inside the greenhouses, they filled pots with a mixture of rocks, dust and sand, known as regolith, that simulates Martian soil. Separately, they also filled some pots with standard potting soil and some with river sand. They added a small amount of organic soil to both the regolith and river sand pots to help improve water retention and root growth.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ancient-maya-farming-technique-could-be-the-secret-to-growing-crops-on-mars-180984276