Suitability of martian environmental conditions for crop growth on Mars

Abstract

This article has applied the results of plant growth experimentation under various conditions, including high carbon dioxide concentrations; low light, water, and nutrient levels; and the effect of low pressure and magnetic fields to plant growth and, more specifically, crop productivity. By examining the outcomes of these experiments the feasibility of crop growth under conditions that would be expected on Mars can be demonstrated. It is shown that stress factors likely to be encountered on Mars, including low light water and nutrient levels, can be compensated for through the use of an enriched CO2 environment. Other environmental factors are shown to be either not limiting on crop productivity, or easily compensated for in a managed greenhouse.