New Mars Forums

Since this is a general "crops" thread, I'm going to make a comment/request to the moderator: We have intermingled goals and ideals for several different levels of colony gardening requirements. Maybe we should separate these lines of thought accordingly? My original assumption was a colony based on the first few years of Mars Direct minimalist-type missions, serving a small (up to maybe 50 scientists and developers) research station/colony as a step towards the Elon Musk ITS program wherein hundreds are brought in ALL AT ONCE.

I'd really like to suggest a combined crops-greenhouse thread limited to a basic and minimalist approach. It also makes sense for the longer term to "think big," as Lake Matthew Team-Cole has proposed.

Lake Matthew Team-Cole

The GMO that you're describing are through radiation induced random mutation, not synthesis of a desired characteristic. Most mutations such as you have described are lethal, and have very little chance of massively influencing a species. That's why the crops may not thrive if exposed to too much cosmic radiation. Fortunately, the thin atmosphere on Mars, in addition to the planetary bulk reduces the surface Cosmic radiation exposure down to something like 35% of that in deep space, which is roughly the same level airline pilots are exposed to by flying in the 35,000 to 40,000 feet msl flight levels.

Monsanto is now "on the hook" for lots of cattle and swine illness as a result of their genetically modified field corn crops; released and promoted without adequate long term feeding trials. I'm surprised the FDA actually approved this sort of genetic crop modification without at least a 5 year field trial on the long term effects of the cattle and swine feed.

Stockpiling enough food for a 100 person colony isn't trivial. Elsewhere, I've pointed out the necessity of ~ 2% of the individual body weight as the daily food requirement. That's for sedentary activity, not doing outside construction or agricultural labor, or the requirement goes up to 2.5% or 3%. Granted, if freeze-dried foods are utilized, which have the ~70% of their moisture removed, the weight required goes down, but only at the expense of hauling a lot more water as cargo. If the foods are in the form of MREs containing water (yuck!), the initial figures remain. I've calculated a generous 5 pounds per colonist per day in these figures; for 3 years stockpile (based on a possible launch disaster during a Hohmann transfer window), that comes to 810,000 pounds of stockpiled food. This brings another topic into sharp relief: FINDING  AND DEVELOPING A WATER SUPPLY! As an Army veteran, I can state unequivocally that living 3 years on MREs would be fun. NOT!

The idea of building into a hillside for the greenhouse would allow for use of vertical growth across the back walls, and allow more efficient utilization of the available sunlight. My late wife was a gardener and had every garden catalog imaginable. From our study of such, the vine type peas and green beans are much heavier bearers of crop than the bush varieties, in addition to allowing easier harvesting--no "stoop" labor. If the Bobcat-type front loader became available early-on, building this would require less glassed-in area if the soil face could be simply plasticized. This could also result in less heat loss during Martian nights, as well as becoming a decent passive solar heat capture. What we're looking for, in the case of a 100 colonist system is the most efficient utilization of every square meter of horizontal growing area, so why not "go vertical" as well?

I'm highly opposed to transporting Genetically Modified life forms to Mars, in spite of the attractiveness of the concept. Monsanto is just now beginning to feel the backlash against some of the modified corn that they have promoted, since there has now been more research into the possibly toxic compounds found in them: Putrescine and Cadaverine are both polyalkyl symmetrical diamines that have very negative effects on animals fed the corn. The major advantage the corn has for growers and hence Monsanto, is the GMO resistance to Roundup.

There are several berry crops which are self fertile: Gooseberries, Black Currants, and Red Currants. Black Currants are extremely good producers of Vitamin C, in addition to being great for making jelly and jam.

Robert-

My list is by no means complete either, but instead of a menu, we need some on-Mars experimental gardens in order to see which crops can be grown successfully. One of my concerns regards crops requiring pollination, and that means bees. I contacted one of my old friends, an anthropologist who specialized in the Sherpas of Nepal. She lived for 5 year in the village of Rolwaling at > 12,000 feet msl. The question I posed to her was what did they grow at that altitude, which could be something similar to the greenhouse atmosphere. She commented that they mostly grew potatoes and huge radishes. In the past, they grew a Tibetian Barley. And there were virtually NO flying insects at that altitude. In the Colorado Rockies, I've seen bees at 10,000 feet and there are plenty of flowers and berry bushes (raspberries), as well as strawberry plants. Both require pollination.

This would seem to place different restrictions on the greenhouse atmospheric density than some have suggested, since bees need enough to fly. Either that, or strictly root crops and leafy vegetables; no beans, squash, melons, peas, tomatoes, peppers, etc.

I've contacted a friend,  an Anthropologist, who spent many years in Nepal, and lived at a village at 13,100 feet msl. She published a paper several years ago which was an inventory of plants utilized by the Sherpas in their daily lives. I made an inquiry as to whether or not she encountered honeybees at that altitude, and whether or not they had a supply of honey or had beehives. A similar set of questions could be posed to any visitors to Tibet.

There must also be enough atmospheric density for them to be flight-enabled! I've seen bees in the Colorado mountains as high as 10,000 feet msl, and probably even a little higher. There are flowers and raspberry plants to that elevation, and wild strawberries, too.

Reinventing the wheel?

Almost all the concern over radiation hazards is succinctly discussed in Dr. Zubrin's book, "Entering Space."

GW-

I agree that there's a significant materials incompatability in the system. Elsewhere on either this thread or one closely related, I suggested a shrink-wrap of a PTFE-type polymer bag around the outside of the Helium pressure vessel. That, or do a Teflon-type coating in a polymerization vessel which would impregnate/seal all the possible voids with solid PTFE.

Lake Matthew Team-Cole

There's nothing wrong with "thinking big," but you are looking ahead to what might be called a 3rd generation system. Thinking generously for food preparation, sanitation, and personal care might add up to a 5 gallons per day of purified potable water per person. The other "gray water" would be minimally processed for agricultural use. Let's recite the problems in order: (1) find some Martian ice or subsurface water; (2) test said water for mineral and toxic substance content; (3 use the small purification system onboard the habitat module or a larger system brought in on a payload vessel to begin accumulation of a reliable water supply. This system could be built by incorporation of several different concepts: ion exchange resins, reverse osmosis, activated carbon "polishing" to improve taste, and or distillation. A good Chemical Engineer could design and build a system that would meet my specifications and produce say--150 gallons per day...or Sol. It certainly would be transportable in one of the earliest payloads, as it would meet my earlier stated volume and mass limits. If water is rationed, as it will be for the first few years, a system such as the one I've described should be able to handle the water requirements of up to 50 crewmembers. Some improvements in toilets will reduce the gallons per flush down to something similar to that used on airliners, and this subsequently allows a bit more water for personal hygiene.