Plants Grow in Lunar Soil... Will Humans Pound Rice Cakes Instead of Okto-kki? [Reading Science]

Florida University Research Team in the US Successfully Grows Plants Using 3 Soil Samples from the Apollo Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] An experiment to cultivate plants using soil collected from the moon has succeeded. In the not-so-distant future, humanity is expected to be able to harvest crops on the moon, where the "Moon Rabbit was pounding rice cake."

On the 16th, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that a research team from the University of Florida recently succeeded in cultivating Arabidopsis thaliana using lunar soil samples collected by Apollo 11, 12, and 17 missions. Arabidopsis thaliana is a plant common in Europe and Africa, and because of its small size and ease of growth anywhere, it is often used as a model plant for testing soil conditions.

The research team placed 1 gram of lunar soil samples into experimental containers, then added seeds and watered them. They then placed the containers in an artificial garden (terrarium) in a clean room equipped with lighting, providing nutrients daily while waiting for germination. Surprisingly, after two days, seeds planted in all three experimental containers sprouted and began to grow. However, compared to the control group planted in volcanic ash collected from Earth, the plants showed some differences. They grew more slowly, roots were bent, and some leaves did not develop well and turned reddish, indicating poor vegetation.

The research team also conducted genetic analysis by harvesting the Arabidopsis just before flowering, 20 days after planting. The results confirmed that the plants experienced stress as if they had grown in extremely harsh environments with high salt or heavy metal content. Additionally, the condition of the Arabidopsis varied depending on the collection site. Among the three samples, the plants grown in the soil collected during Apollo 11 were much weaker than those grown in the other two samples.

This study is regarded as opening the possibility of food cultivation in future lunar soil. Since the moon’s soil environment is very different from Earth’s, it is necessary to develop varieties that can adapt, and to study the characteristics of lunar soil in different regions to find suitable places for plant cultivation. NASA biophysicist Shamila Bhattacharya explained, "Growing organisms in space not only provides a change of pace but also enables food supply and sustainable exploration."

Meanwhile, NASA is conducting the 'Artemis' project, a space development program including manned lunar exploration, in collaboration with about ten countries including Korea. This study was conducted as a preliminary research ahead of the manned lunar exploration planned for after 2025.