New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Re: Agriculture Study Mars Pure CO2 Greenhouse

This is for Calliban primarily, although there might be another forum member or two who would be interested ...

This topic was created to try to collect information about the optimum conditions for a greenhouse on Mars.

Along the way, numerous studies of the subject were discovered and reported.

After months away from the topic, I find that my recollections have faded significantly.

Ghosts of memories persist ... one in particular is of a NASA sponsored university study which created a simulated Mars atmosphere in a laboratory chamber, and then set up a simulated greenhouse chamber inside the first, to try to establish the optimum conditions needed for plant growth.

Another memory from the topic is that plants need oxygen during the seed growth phase.  However, subsequent to the early growth phase, and after the plants begin producing oxygen on their own, they no longer require an external supply of oxygen.  In fact, oxygen can be harvested from the greenhouse as a waste product, just as the Earth harvests oxygen as a waste product from ocean dwelling entities which perform photosynthesis.

Another memory from the topic is that there is an upper limit to concentration of Carbon Dioxide.  I had originally imagined that a pure Mars atmosphere might be agreeable for Earth sourced plants, but one of the studies found in developing this topic showed that there is a sweet spot, above Earth normal concentration of Carbon Dioxide, and well below the Mars concentration, where plants thrive.

SearchTerm:GreenhouseSummary

Inspired by SpaceNut's post #52, I'm thinking of attempting to collect in this post all (or as much) knowledge/experience/wisdom as possible, to help a greenhouse designer for the Mars environment.  There are many studies of a professional nature, and many lifetimes of experience not written down.

The intention here would be to try to find the best available resources, and to record the optimum recommendations, so that the endless re-learning that can be observed in daily human life can be reduced by some tiny increment in the NewMars forum.

As SpaceNut pointed out, there are needs for planning for:

1) Atmosphere (at various stages in plant growth) [component mixture ratios, pressure overall, partial pressure for maximum plant performance]
2) Temperature
3) Solar input (light for photosynthesis, ultraviolet excluded, infrared for heating)
4) Water flows in soil
5) Moisture flows in the atmosphere
6) Soil (complex subject with many options)

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-07-07 08:04:33)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Agriculture Study Mars Pure CO2 Greenhouse

Water, humidity or moisture is important as well as heat for germinating the plants that rest in the soil so as to get growth to start in addition to the chambers atmosphere.

Time to poke another topic.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Agriculture Study Mars Pure CO2 Greenhouse

Spain: Vertical farm cuts CO2 costs by 79%
https://www.verticalfarmdaily.com/artic … sts-by-79/

Direct Air Capture unit
"Vertical farms need CO2 to operate effectively and profitably. Néboda Farms is among the first of many CEA businesses that will benefit from the ability to generate its CO2 onsite. And they will do so in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way.