When humans finally land on Mars one of the first dishes made of locally grown vegetables may be the universally popular French fries.
Researchers from the International Potato Center and the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, Peru, say potatoes could grow in Martian soil, if they are given certain nutrients and water.
Researchers successfully grew potatoes in soil from the Pampas de La Joya desert in Peru, which they say is the closest chemically to the dry Martian soil.
Helped by scientists from NASA Ames Research Center, they built a special chamber closely mimicking the Martian temperature, air pressure, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
The most promising results have come from a variety of potato specially bred for extreme soil and climate conditions on Earth.
The new experiments were started on February 14 and can be viewed on potatoes.space/mars.
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