New Mars Forums

IanM

Member

From: Chicago

Registered: 2015-12-14

Posts: 276

Re: Crops

I'm not arguing for an extra 2.5 billion people but this Malthusian statement "This overconsumption isn't sustainable. " needs to be challenged. There are huge areas across the planet - Africa in particular - where agricultural efficiency could be vastly increased... I mean by more than 100%.  There is a bit of a zero sum game going on between humans and the rest of the biosphere, but I have no doubt we could feed another 2.5 billiion if the proper arrangements are put in place.

I couldn't agree more. I read somewhere that there's more than enough food for everyone on Earth right now, with hunger merely as a result of distributional woes. I do agree that overconsumption individually is really bad in that it leads to obesity and its associated health problems, but we as a society are in no imminent danger of running out of food nor have we been since the Green Revolution of the 1960s.

As for chemosynthesis brought up earlier in this thread, it did predate photosynthesis by millions to hundreds of millions of years. The main issue with it is that oxygenic photosynthesis is the most energetically-favored form of autotrophy (organic Carbon production), though in dark areas that doesn't matter as much. I'm not sure whether chemosynthesizers are aerotolerant (i.e., can survive in an atmosphere with significant Oxygen), but if they aren't that would also be an issue.

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The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot live in a cradle forever. -Paraphrased from Tsiolkovsky

Void

Member

Registered: 2011-12-29

Posts: 7,834

Re: Crops

IanM,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosynthesis

CO + H20

Or CH4 + O2 "Methane Seep".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_seep
Quote:

The first type of organism to take advantage of this deep-sea energy source is bacteria.[3] Aggregating into bacterial mats at cold seeps, these bacteria metabolize methane and hydrogen sulfide (another gas that emerges from seeps) for energy.[3] This process of obtaining energy from chemicals is known as chemosynthesis.[3]

A mussel bed at the edge of the brine pool
During this initial stage, when methane is relatively abundant, dense mussel beds also form near the cold seep.[3] Mostly composed of species in the genus Bathymodiolus, these mussels do not directly consume food.[3] Instead, they are nourished by symbiotic bacteria that also produce energy from methane, similar to their relatives that form mats.[3] Chemosynthetic bivalves are prominent constituents of the fauna of cold seeps and are represented in that setting by five families: Solemyidae, Lucinidae, Vesicomyidae, Thyasiridae and Mytilidae.[5]
This microbial activity produces calcium carbonate, which is deposited on the seafloor and forms a layer of rock.

Mushrooms that eat oil might be considered involved in Chemosynthesis.  And I presume that they breath Oxygen to do so.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/a-res … ms-eat-oil

But, at this site, there are forbidden subjects such as Chemosynthesis, Mushrooms, and some other things.  Typically I get replies that are dismissive, and incoherent, and seem to try to discourage discussion.

It is strange.

Last edited by Void (2018-07-08 18:01:37)

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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Mushrooms and greenhouse are not really a good fit but after we have the right feed stock then its one that is very specific for the types trying to be raised.

Environment for Mushroom Growth

Mushrooms are a type of fungus that grows by feeding off of decaying tree bark or other materials. Unlike plants, mushrooms do not contain chlorophyll and do not require sunlight to grow. Whether mushrooms grow indoors or in the wild, they have certain light, water, heat and growing-medium requirements to thrive and produce their fruit. Some mushroom varieties are safe for human consumption, while others are not. Commercially grown mushrooms are a safe choice for those who do not know how to identify edible mushrooms in the wild.

https://www.mushroomcouncil.com/growing … m-farming/

The six steps of mushroom farming:
Phase I

1. Composting

Phase II

2. Finish Composting
3. Spawning
4. Casing
5. Pinning
6. Cropping

Composting what is the initial problem for mars as much as having soil for them to be grown in.

Just a few ways to make use of them once we can grow them....

Void

Member

Registered: 2011-12-29

Posts: 7,834

Re: Crops

Very sporting Spacenut.

I did specify a family of greenhouse methods that were a bit unusual, but that was only to illustrate that the crops desired might be facilitated by those unusual methods.

If we could ferment organic materials from Carbon Monoxide in the presence of water as the Oxidizer, we might create biofuels and biomass.
The Biomass can be fed to aquatic animals, aquatic animal poo can be fed to mushrooms.  Mushrooms can feed CO2 to potato plants.  Potato plants can feed O2 to Mushrooms.  If oils could be synthesized that also could be fed to Mushrooms.  I would prefer less toxic types of oils, but they would be excellent to store, for the time of a dust storm.

Food from Crops.

Lets start with Moxie (I am an idea thief, but I do try to make payments back).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Oxyg … Experiment
Quote:

Objective[edit]
The main objective of this experiment is to produce molecular oxygen (O2) from the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) present in the atmosphere at 96%.[1][8] Scientists will record the efficiency of the O2 production rate, and the resulting oxygen and carbon monoxide will be vented out after measurements are done.
To achieve this objective, the MOXIE instrument has a goal of producing 22 g of oxygen (O2) per hour with >99.6% purity during 50 sols (Martian days).[1][3][9]
NASA officials stated that if MOXIE worked efficiently, they could land a 100 times larger MOXIE-based instrument on Mars, along with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Over the course of some years the generator would power the system, which would produce up to two kilograms of oxygen per hour,[10] and fill an oxygen reservoir that could be used for a sample return mission,[11] or for when astronauts arrive sometime in the 2030s.[3][12] The stored oxygen could be used for life support, and can also be used as rocket propellant oxidizer to power their return trip to Earth.[13][14] High purity is crucial as future astronauts will breathe it.[15] N
2 and Ar are not separated from feed, but vented with carbon monoxide CO. The CO, a byproduct of the reaction, may also be collected and used directly as propellant[16] or converted to methane (CH4) for use as propellant.[2][17]

And then ferment some of the CO into a biofuel, and of course the microbes are biomass as well.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 … 131742.htm
Quote:

Cornell University biological engineers have deciphered the cellular strategy to make the biofuel ethanol, using an anaerobic microbe feeding on carbon monoxide -- a common industrial waste gas.

If I have understood correctly these organisms use Carbon Monoxide and H20 to ferment ethanol.

I don't so much want drunk humans or Mushrooms, so I would prefer to make something like a vegetable oil to feed the Mushrooms, but lets not be fussy just yet.  Perhaps some microorganism would make themselves only, and so directly be food for humans, or food for Mushrooms.

…..

We then have Moxie, and if somehow we can learn to extract the tiny amount of CO dissolved in the Martian atmosphere, we have that as well.

If you want to build soils, then farm fish, and feed them the microbes, they will poo, that will go into the bottom soil.  Remove that, add it to soil along with Oil and perhaps plant waste, add Mushrooms, and I bet they will make that soil much more suitable.  And you get the Mushrooms for a crop.  Dust storms won't stop you from this type of farming if you have the CO, Oil, and Oxygen.

Genetic engineering should make it possible to increase the nutrition value of Mushrooms.

……
……
……

Storing O2 could be a problem.  You could store it as a weak solution of Hydrogen Peroxide and water???  That in a tank under a lake @ hydrostatic pressurization???

You could store Liquid Carbon Monoxide on the surface so that if it leaks it is relatively safe (CO being extremely poisonous to us).

Or if you ferment it into a liquid fuel, you can store it in a tank, again at the bottom of a created lake at hydrostatic pressurization???

……
…..
…..

The symbiosis of Potatoes and Mushrooms, are a speculative notion I have had, where they would be planted in the same terrarium.  These could be small size, or so big as to require a fork lift.

They would be pressurized canisters, placed into the sunlight.  In this case we might entertain a coating of wax with Tholin in it to block U.V.???

In order for them to have frost protection overnight, the terrariums would be embedded into a liquid pool, or alternately have bags of water packed around them.  The phase change of the water would ensure that the interiors of the terrariums would be frost free, if it is done correctly.

Why terrariums?  Well you could mass produce them.  If one depressurizes or fails in another way, the others are likely to be OK.

Could you make big ones that humans could be in?  Well yes, that would be a Greenhouse.  If it leaks you loose everything.

I think that is enough for tonight.

Oh by the way, your mars cart could burn CO, and O2.

Done

Last edited by Void (2018-07-08 20:02:15)

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knightdepaix

Member

Registered: 2014-07-07

Posts: 239

Re: Crops

Considering much phosphate and potassium fertilizers on Earth are mined, could any chemical elements be mined from any parts of Mercury, Venus, near-Earth and near-planet objects, the Moon, Phobos and Deimos and used on Mars? These mining processes can be crossed over with the terraforming effort of Venus, the Moon and other moons of other planets in the solar system.

In short, where can human find phosphorus? Or shall be make it by transmutation and recovery of elements in nuclear fission and/or fusion waste?

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Adding my content from another discusion which was focusing on dwarf plants and what they provide is suplemental food sources and materials to build with.

Which is how they (dwarf trees and plants) are on earth and I would not expect any real change to that of Mars.

https://bigpictureeducation.com/dwarf-breeds-plants

Since the protection systems are akin to being inside The 16 Best Healthy, Edible Plants to Grow Indoors for nutrition and health.

1. Avocados
2. Carrots
3. Garlic Greens
4. Lemons
5. Mandarin Oranges
6. Microgreens
7. Mushrooms
8. Salad Greens
9. Scallions
10. Tomatoes
11. Basil
12. Chives
13. Cilantro
14. Ginger
15. Mint
16. Rosemary

Many of these can be planted in hanging planters to make the most use of the volume within the protected area.

https://www.organicauthority.com/live-g … es-that-is

Here are some specific dwarf varieties to look for at your nursery:

    Apple: Cortland, Empire, Fuiji, and Honeycrisp
    Pear: Asian, Ayres, and Bartlett
    Peach: Belle of Georgia, Bonanza, and Elberta
    Citrus fruit: Meyer lemon, Valencia and blood oranges
    Cherry: Bing, Black Tartarian, and Danube
    Plum: Alderman, Burbank, and Damson
    Apricot: Autumn Royal and Early Golden

jfenciso

Member

From: Philippines

Registered: 2018-10-27

Posts: 89

Website

Re: Crops

In short, where can human find phosphorus? Or shall be make it by transmutation and recovery of elements in nuclear fission and/or fusion waste?

To obtain phosphorus in the phosphorus-deficient soil, I recommend to plant Chickpea (Wouterloud et al. 2004), white lupin and faba bean (Liu, Tang, and Li, 2016) as a source of food and increase the soil fertility. Don't forget to do an intercropping also (Xue et al. 2016).

Reference:
1.) https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 … 8.28893.f6
2.) https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Faobpla%2Fplw058
3.) https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcv182

Last edited by jfenciso (2018-10-28 09:50:01)

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I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Adding content to food lists

Peanut butter is given in most food pantry help as they know that meats are short in supply and just for a different reason when going to mars.

I agree! Planting peanut will help the soil increase the fertility also.

To increase the availability of phosphate in the soil, chickpea and maize are recommended.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

another content list of food to grow

I recommend to use as crop candidates for establishing Martian agriculture based on the study from China.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 6508000593

They choose 14 crops including 4 food crops (wheat, rice, soybean and peanut) and 7 vegetables (Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radish, carrot, tomato, squash and pepper). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) are main food crops in China. Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. communis), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Lam.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), carrot (Daucus carota L. var. sativa DC.), tomato (Lycopersicon escalentum L.), squash (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) and pepper (Capsicum frutescens L. var. longum Bailey) are 7 vegetables preferred by Chinese. Furthermore, coriander (Coriandum sativum L.), welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L. var. giganteum Makino) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) were selected as condiments to improve the taste of space crew.

The researchers will do a further study about the agronomic characteristics of the chosen crops.

elderflower

Member

Registered: 2016-06-19

Posts: 1,262

Re: Crops

Soy sauce could be made by fermentation. I'm not sure about other oriental sauces (black bean, oyster etc) but Tabasco can also be made by fermentation of chillies. We will definitely need flavourings to allow varied preparation of what might otherwise be a monotonous diet.
You might need to add a couple of oil seeds such as rape or sesame for oil soluble vitamins and some more pulses to increase protein availability and variety.

jfenciso

Member

From: Philippines

Registered: 2018-10-27

Posts: 89

Website

Re: Crops

Therefore, we should plant soybeans and chili for condiments. Don't forget the Brasicca, we should ferment it to Kimchi!

Talking about native garlic, my roommate in a dormitory is working his study about propagation of native garlic using Plant Tissue Culture. I am waiting for the results of his experiment.

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I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

Website

Re: Crops

A reminder of what I posted earlier in this thread...

As I posted last page, my ideas are summarized by a couple previous posts. I started with crops, but as some people pointed out we need a menu. So I came up with this. It's similar to your list, and certainly not complete. Glad to see someone else.

Menu: Click here

Greenhouse area: Click here

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Heat and Mass Transfer of a Low Pressure Mars Greenhouse
http://dl.icdst.org/pdfs/files/04cc9251 … 03abcd.pdf

Advanced life support crop growth conditions. pg 11 nice list of vegies that grow at low pressures.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Then we need to process the crops so that we can make what we want to eat...

For the processing and preparation of the plant material into acceptable
food, certain equipment is analyzed, including the following: [Parks et al., 1994]
• Extruder
• Grain/flour mill
• Soy milk machine
• Food processor
• Bread machine
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Dehydrator
• Press (oil extraction hydraulic)
• Pasta press
• Automatic tofu/milk machine
• Galley
• Stovetop
• Toaster oven
• Mixer
• Convection oven
• Bagel maker
• Blender

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

We are going to be needing these RoboBees if things do not change. Autonomous Flying Microrobots (RoboBees)

Humans need bumble bees—and they are disappearing faster than we thought in which it dropped by an average of more than 30 percent

Bumble bees are large and furry as an adaptation to cold climates, decline among 66 different species found throughout North America and Europe: the projections incorporate each species’ individual temperature and precipitation tolerances, which are now increasingly challenged by a warming planet.

heat likely strains a bee’s metabolism and food sources.

Neonicotinoid pesticides, research shows, shorten a bumble bee’s flight and potentially hinder pollination.

like squash, tomatoes, and berries. Insect pollinators like bees facilitate the growth of 35 percent of global crops.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

repost for article content as it relates to all of the food types we would want to eat on mars:

For SpaceNut re this topic ...

Here is an update on automation of agriculture ...

The article is longish.  The detail I picked up on is the really interesting idea of measuring the growth of each ** individual ** plant.  This is something that was not practical before the present age of cloud computing and inexpensive data storage.

This technique seems particularly appropriate for Mars, where the greenhouses are likely to be operated at pressures below what humans will prefer.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/growing-pres … 47119.html

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Something to remember with growing of foods and each will need several methods to prepare and save for later use.
Stuffing you pantry

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Meet Benin's zero waste farmer inspiring an agricultural movement

knightdepaix

Member

Registered: 2014-07-07

Posts: 239

Re: Crops

About Void post#259,

I put in the imaginations.
1.Water warms itself from ice into liquid or vapor using waste heat. Low atmospheric pressure on Mars favors the warming.
1.1.Water splits itself into oxygen and hydrogen in electrolysis or with heat.
1.2. carbon monoxide is not stored but reacts with the warmed water vapor in water gas shift reaction to hydrogen and recyclable carbon dioxide.
2. hydrogen and more carbon monoxide react in the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process to hydrocarbons such as propene, butenes and ethene. Low atmospheric pressure and temperature favors the pressurized storage of alkenes.
2.1.2. Then the usual petrochemical industry on Mars could have raw materials.
2.1.2.1. Butenes isomerize to isobutene and butanes isomerize to isobutane or isobutane dehydrogenates to isobutene. Either ways, iosbutane reacts with isobutene to isooctane, the octane number 100 fuel.
2.1.2.1.2. A vehicle with the common internal combustion engine can mobilize on Mars with isooctane fuel with an external oxygen tank. Or can it?
3. oxygen react with propene to form propanoic acid or lactic acid.
3.1. If mining also proceeds, bacteria react propanoic acid with sulfate to glucose and sulfur that was recovered. Chalcogenates and perhalates are recovered analogously for chalcogenides and halides.
3.2.1. lactic acid polymerizes into polylactic acid (PLA) for medical use, plastic utensils and greenhouse plastics.
3.2.1.2.

Meet Benin's zero waste farmer inspiring an agricultural movement the plastic cover(?) at the roots can be made with PLA.

3.2.2. potassium, calcium and magnesium lactates are mineral supplements.
3.2.2. lactic acid itself is a food source.
4. oxygen react with ethylene to acetic acid that pickles greenhouse fruits and vegetables.
5. In general, hydrocarbons reacts with oxygen to form monosaccharides. With a nitrogen supply, a biotechnology sector on the settlement can use these raw materials.
6. human breathes oxygen
7. if oxygen is still available after all the above processes, cryogenics and paramagnetism stores liquid oxygen near spaceport or on Martian orbit for replenishing the fuel.
8. if oxygen is still available at this last stage, oxygen reacts with hydrogen to form hydrogen peroxide that is stored as solids. The peroxide is the disinfectant and oxidant in the settlement. Low Martian atmospheric temperature favors the solid storage.

that is all.

Last edited by knightdepaix (2020-06-29 16:18:51)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Crops

Vitamin A is vulnerable to oxidation and vitamin supplements are sometimes prepared under nitrogen atmospheres to prevent this.  In our case, we want to take advantage of oxidation.

In Scotland, potato cakes are part of a full breakfast.
https://www.christinascucina.com/scotti … d-british/

I wonder if we could make something similar as a 'traditional' food on Mars?  Maybe, potato mixed with powdered hydrilla and flavoured with various spices?  I may be tempted to experiment with this.  There are other things that might work - soups perhaps, maybe even deserts.  Booze of course.

Colcannon is a recipe originally from Ireland.  The main ingredients are cabbage (a low light vegetable) and potato (high yield and high calorie) and onion, which is often a winter crop, but other things are added in to add flavour.  Potato is mashed, mixed with boiled cabbage and other ingredients and then fried into flay cakes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colcannon

Traditional English 'Bubble and Squeek' is potato and cabbage, mixed with other things and fried into cakes .  A way of serving up leftovers by mixing it in with potato and frying it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_and_squeak

Hash was potato mixed with corned beef and fried.

A lot of traditional British foods tend to based around potatoes, with other things added for flavour.  Potatoes are a high yielding crop that can be grown just about anywhere.  In the past, I have grown potatoes in barrels which fit in small spaces within and around my back yard.  Tipping the barrels out is a convenient way of harvesting the potatoes, which would require a lot of digging if I planted them in the soil.  We could cluster potato barrels within a Nemo glass diving bell, much like the ones that Void referenced being used in Italy.  Provided they are fed with water and CO2, they would require very little attention between planting and harvesting.  As isolated environments, there shouldn't be any problem with pests or diseases.

Most traditional foods are based on attempts made by people living in difficult places at making the few food ingredients they had more palatable.  On Mars, we would need to do the same.  Living under ice and growing food with a mixture of natural and artificial lighting, there are a limited number of things that we can succeed in growing at an affordable cost.  How do we combine them to produce food that is palatable with the correct balance of nutrition?  The good news is that most herbs are low light plants.  We will be able to take advantage of abundant seasoning in whatever we do produce.

RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

Website

Re: Crops

Long narrow greenhouse, oriented east-west with mirrors along both long sides. Mirrors as high as the greenhouse roof. Greenhouse width:height ratio 2:1. This results in double illumination, and mirrors do not have to track the sun. They do need adjustment for season, but that works out to 1° every 14 Mars solar days. Mars orbit gets 47% as much illumination as Earth orbit, but because of atmosphere, Mars surface gets 51% as much as Earth surface. On a clear sunny day. This means crops that require full sun will do just fine.

Vegetables tend to thrive in shade. They can grow in a dome greenhouse. No need for mirrors.

So I don't think there'll be a shortage.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

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Re: Crops

You want an example? I was given some orange things in a plastic bag, had to figure out what they are. Turns out they're red lentils. Look orange, but called "red". So next question is what do you do with them? I looked on the internet, and found Koshari. It's delicious.

Lentils, rice, macaroni, in a spicy tomato sauce. And I don't mean "hot", I mean tasty spices.
Lentils made with cumin powder, bay leaf, and fresh garlic.
Macaroni is the usual way.
Rice is first fried in vegetable oil, then cooked in vegetable stock instead of water.
I have a recipe for vegetable stock made with kitchen scraps. Does require vegetable oil, fresh carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and bay leaf.

Sauce is made with tomato sauce that doesn't have North American spices; I use crushed tomatoes. Fry diced onions in vegetable oil until translucent, add minced garlic, saute until golden brown. Add tomato sauce, Baharat spice blend, chili flakes, and red wine vinegar. Simmer for 20 minutes.

I don't know where to buy Baharat, so blend the spices myself. Made from black peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, paprika, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg.

Delicious! I read that it was invented in the UK when the UK occupied Egypt, but now is considered to be Egypt's national dish. Sound like we could grow the ingredients on Mars?

Nutrition: note this has lentils and rice. Beans and rice are combined to provide a "complete protein". Actually, both include all essential amino acids, but have a couple amino acids that are very scarce. But what's scarce in one is plentiful in the other, so they balance. Lentils are a "pulse", which is a subgroup of legumes. Same principle applies with lentils and rice. And macaroni is made with high gluten wheat; yet a different protein source. Rice and sauce are cooked with vegetable oil, which soaks in, isn't drained. That adds dietary fatty acids (oil). Quite nutritious.

Often served with chickpeas aka garbanzo beans sprinkled on top. Yet another protein source.

elderflower

Member

Registered: 2016-06-19

Posts: 1,262

Re: Crops

I have read that if you rely on pulses for your protein intake you should have at least 3 different varieties. eg lentils, mung beans and chickpeas. Soy beans are an exception, they contain all the needed amino acids
In India, in the North in particular, untold millions of people rely on vegetables, pulses and rice and have developed hundreds of ways of preparing them. Some seem weird to the western palette, most are nice, many are fabulous.
Occasional supplements are paneer, a bland kind of cheese, and dried fish.
From time to time I will make a vegetable curry with lentils, veg such as Spinach, other brassicas or roots and chickpeas ( I cheat and use a canfull). My wife loves them and so do I.

RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

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Re: Crops

Went grocery shopping today. Local major grocery store has an impressive selection of vegan foods. They even have one brand of jackfruit. Bought one of them today, had for dinner. (Top left corner. Yes, the display case has a mirror on the left side.)

Wikipedia: Jackfruit

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India and the rainforests of Malaysia.

The jack tree is well-suited to tropical lowlands, and is widely cultivated throughout tropical regions of the world. It bears the largest fruit of all trees, reaching as much as 55 kg (120 pounds) in weight, 90 cm (35 inches) in length, and 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter. A mature jack tree produces some 200 fruits per year, with older trees bearing up to 500 fruits in a year. The jackfruit is a multiple fruit composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and the fleshy petals of the unripe fruit are eaten. The ripe fruit is sweet (depending on variety) and is more often used for desserts. Canned jackfruit has a mild taste and meat-like texture that lends itself to being called a "vegetable meat".

Bought the flavour with curry. Label said it's good on rice, so made rice. Was quite good. The package is a cardboard box with heavy plastic bag inside. It's "canned" but in a plastic bag instead of steel can.

RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

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Re: Crops

I posted earlier in this thread about growing cocoa trees for chocolate. That's a tropical tree, it's pollinator is biting midges. Again, connect the greenhouse to habitat with a tunnel that has negative pressure in the greenhouse; breeze in the tunnel when doors are open will be faster than midges can fly. That keeps them in the greenhouse. The midges require rotting vegetation on the ground, and a variety of plants. So jackfruit in the same greenhouse?