Fungi could enable food cultivation on the Moon and Mars

A collaborative team of Brazilian and American scientists has proposed using fungi to facilitate food cultivation on the Moon and Mars. Establishing human communities on these celestial bodies requires local food production, as transporting sufficient supplies from Earth is not viable.

Lunar and Martian regolith presents significant challenges for plant growth. The soil is deficient in essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Furthermore, it contains high levels of metals like iron that plants cannot easily utilize, aluminum which can be toxic, and perchlorates on Mars that create a hostile environment.

Researchers suggest leveraging the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants, a method used on Earth for over a century. In these relationships, plants provide sugars to the fungi, while the fungi assist the plants in managing environmental stress and accessing nutrients, potentially making extraterrestrial soil more suitable for agriculture.