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This topic is offered for NewMars members to provide feedback/guidance regarding the possible addition of a forum devoted to Agriculture.
Agriculture might be considered an "Industry", so it may already be accounted for, but (on the other hand) it may be so inclusive and essential to survival of a community on Mars, that it may deserve it's own forum.
This suggestion was inspired by a post of Void, who reported scientific research on addition of powdered rock to soil on Earth.
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This post is reserved for an Index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
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This post is intended to provide a reminder that chlorine is present in the "soil" of Mars to an extent not found on Earth.
Per Google:
Martian soil
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Martian_soil
Martian soil is toxic, due to relatively high concentrations of perchlorate compounds containing chlorine. Elemental chlorine was first discovered during ...
People also ask
How much chlorine is in Mars soil?
Is there chlorine on Mars?
What is the composition of Mars soil?
What is the water content of Mars soil?
FeedbackEvidence for Deposition of Chloride on Mars From Small ...
AGU Publications
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › full
by EK Leask · 2022 · Cited by 25 — The small amounts of water required are most likely from occasional melting of ice. Chloride could come from the top of the soil; clay-rich ...
Missing: percentage | Show results with: percentageMars Science Laboratory Observations of Chloride Salts in ...
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC6919417
by NH Thomas · 2019 · Cited by 63 — Here, we report the chloride salt distribution along the rover traverse. Chlorine is detected at low levels (<3 wt.%) in soil and rock targets with multiple MSL ...
Missing: percentage | Show results with: percentageEvidence for the distribution of perchlorates on Mars
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
https://www.cambridge.org › core › journals › article › e...
by BC Clark · 2016 · Cited by 87 — However, the S/Cl ratio across the broad range of meteorites is almost always at least 100 : 1, whereas in the martian global soil the chlorine is much higher ...Mars Soil May Be Toxic to Microbes
Space.com
https://www.space.com › ... › Solar System › Mars
Jul 6, 2017 — Ultraviolet (UV) radiation streaming from the sun "activates" chlorine compounds in the Red Planet's soil, turning them into potent microbe- ...The effect of chlorine on the liquidus of basalt
ScienceDirect.com
https://www.sciencedirect.com › article › abs › pii
by J Filiberto · 2009 · Cited by 93 — High Cl contents have been confirmed by the MER rovers. The Adirondack-class basalts have ~ 0.2 wt.% Cl (Gellert et al., 2006) while the soil ...Water and chlorine content in the Martian soil along the first ...
AGU Publications
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › full
by IG Mitrofanov · 2014 · Cited by 72 — The presence of hydrated phases in the soil and near-surface bedrock of Gale Crater is thought to be direct evidence for water-rock ...
Missing: percentage | Show results with: percentageCuriosity's SAM Instrument Finds Water and More in ...
NASA (.gov)
https://www.nasa.gov › solar-system › curiositys-sam-in...
Sep 26, 2013 — “About 2 percent of the soil on the surface of Mars is made up of water, which is a great resource, and interesting scientifically.” The ...Soil on Mars
Let's Talk Science
https://letstalkscience.ca › backgrounders › soil-on-mars
Sep 23, 2021 — Learn how soil is different on Mars than on Earth, and what that means for growing plants on the red planet.Precise chlorine determination in geological materials ...
ScienceDirect.com
https://www.sciencedirect.com › article › abs › pii
by Y Rao · 2024 — In-situ measurements with the Wet Chemistry Laboratory onboard the Phoenix Mars Lander performing aqueous chemical analyses of martian soil ...
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The expression "Three Sisters" has prominence as a summary of an agricultural practice.
The practice has been discussed in this forum, and while I don't recall the specific post, I am sure tht RobertDyck has discussed them.
I asked Google to refresh my memory of the term, and while agriculature was the first reference, a play by Chekhof came up along with a rock formation Australia.
For anyone who might appreciate this reminder of quite disparate subjects, here is the citation Google came up with:
Overview
The term "three sisters" refers to two distinct concepts: an ancient Indigenous American agricultural method involving corn, beans, and squash, and Anton Chekhov's 1901 play of the same name.Three Sisters agricultural technique
This companion planting method is a sustainable farming practice in which corn, beans, and squash are planted together for their mutual benefit.
Corn: Provides a tall stalk for the bean vines to climb, keeping them off the ground and closer to the sun.
Beans: Are a legume that fixes nitrogen into the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer for the nitrogen-hungry corn and squash.
Squash: Has broad, prickly leaves that spread out at the base of the mound. This functions as a "living mulch," shading the soil to prevent weeds and retain moisture. The prickly vines also deter pests.
This trio provided a nutritionally balanced diet for Native American communities, offering carbohydrates from the corn, protein from the beans, and vitamins from the squash. The method is still used today and is revered by many Indigenous cultures as a spiritual symbol of interdependence and community.
Chekhov's Three Sisters play
This Russian play, written by Anton Chekhov, explores themes of hope, disillusionment, and the search for meaning in life. The story follows the three Prozorov sisters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—who live in a provincial town and long to return to the bustling life of Moscow.
Plot: The sisters are intelligent and cultured, but they feel trapped and unfulfilled by their stagnant, provincial existence. Their life is filled with trivial social gatherings, but their deeper aspirations for love, work, and a more meaningful existence remain unrealized.
Symbolism: The recurring expression "To Moscow!" comes to symbolize the sisters' yearning for a future that will likely never arrive. The play's meaning is often seen as a portrayal of human struggle with mortality and the disconnect between a life dreamed of and the life lived.Other uses of the expression
The phrase "three sisters" also appears in other, less prominent contexts, such as:A children's book series: The Baby-Sitters Little Sister has a book titled Karen, Hannie and Nancy: The Three Musketeers, where a trio of young friends is referred to as the "three musketeers".
A rock formation in Australia: The Three Sisters are a famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, with a traditional Aboriginal legend explaining their origin.
If anyone is ** really ** interested, Google found a number of citations where the subject is pursued in depth.
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The article at the link below is about the importance of peasants, and how they are facing many threats both now and in coming decades.
https://aeon.co/essays/the-planet-and-h … nt-farmers
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This post is about an idea that ** should ** appeal to NewMars members.
By default, life (by humans) will be lived underground, due to radiation levels.
The same will be true for the Moon, but this forum is primarily about Mars.
Today's Internet feed offered a report on Chinese study of use of abandoned coal mines for agriculture.
This fits in nicely with work Calliban has been doing with acetate, supported by Void and RobertDyck.
I don't know for ** sure ** but since coal harvesting started in Britain, I'll bet there are plenty of abandoned coal mines there.
There are certainly plenty of them in the US.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/arti … 00198.html
Eventually, knowledge gained from farming underground could be used to inform future approaches to growing crops in extreme environments – whether that's out in space or in remote areas of the world not suited to traditional agricultural systems.
Science Alert
Chinese Scientists Propose Turning Abandoned Coal Mines Into Farming Laboratories
David Nield
Fri, September 11, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDTThe tracks of the old coal mines in the village of Cercs in Catalonia
(Mario Marco/Moment/Getty Images)Researchers in China are exploring the idea of repurposing abandoned coal mines as underground farming labs, citing the controlled environment as beneficial for agricultural experiments.
There are more than 12,000 abandoned coal mines across China, offering vast amounts of underground space and sophisticated infrastructure that could potentially be repurposed – and researchers have an idea about how to do just that.
The idea, from a team at the Shanxi Province Coal-based Resources Green and High-efficiency Development Engineering Center, is to use the tunnel and cavern networks for "agricultural experiments", turning these spaces into farming labs.
Let's get the obvious downsides out of the way first: There's clearly no sunlight or rainfall underground, which is usually crucial for farming.
However, as the researchers outline in a paper published in China Mining Magazine, there are upsides too.
Subterranean environments can be carefully controlled, and are protected against fluctuations in the weather, ongoing climate change, and natural disasters.
"Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change and growing agricultural demand in extreme and enclosed environments, exploring experimental agricultural models in coal mine underground spaces carries important scientific significance and engineering value," write the researchers in their published paper.
Abandoned coal mine analysis
The researchers used several different criteria to assess coal mine suitability. (Yuan et al., China Min. Mag., 2026)
That's not to say this isn't going to take a significant amount of work – or that all of those 12,000 mines can be set up as farming experiments.
The research team carried out a general assessment looking at structural safety, the feasibility of converting abandoned mines into agricultural units, and the practicality of managing light, heat, water, air, and carbon dioxide in these environments.
They also considered issues like ventilation and drainage.
The conclusion was that at least some of the mines would provide environments stable enough to test out new approaches to farming – approaches that might become increasingly important as the climate shifts.
Farming experiments
Some mines could be suitable for controlled farming experiments, the researchers concluded. (Yuan et al., China Min. Mag., 2026)
"The results show that coal mine underground spaces possess the engineering foundation for constructing agricultural experimental units when the surrounding rock stability meets engineering specifications, and ventilation, drainage, and safety monitoring systems are complete," write the researchers.
"Through artificial light sources and environmental control systems, underground spaces can realize the independent supply and precise regulation of key production factors such as light, heat, water, air, and carbon, thereby supporting the implementation of highly controllable agricultural experiments."
Another bonus of farming underground is access to geothermal energy. The researchers suggest this could be tapped into as a sustainable heat source for crops, with far fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
What's more, contaminated groundwater that leaks back into the mines and becomes contaminated – through sulfates, metals, and other particles – could be treated underground and reused for irrigation.
We're not talking about full fields of crops, but rather research projects that test out different ways to grow food in different settings.
"The introduction of agricultural systems into the underground space of coal mines aims not to achieve traditional agricultural production, but rather to construct an agricultural scientific experimental platform for extreme and enclosed environments," write the researchers (via Google Translate).
According to the South China Morning Post, the number of closed mines will be up to some 15,000 by the end of the decade. That represents around 7.2 billion cubic meters (254 billion cubic feet) of space going unused.
While plenty of challenges remain (and the researchers haven't done any testing in the field yet), it's at the very least a possibility. The feasibility study points to the Callio project in Finland, a successful mine conversion project, as an example of what's possible.
Eventually, knowledge gained from farming underground could be used to inform future approaches to growing crops in extreme environments – whether that's out in space or in remote areas of the world not suited to traditional agricultural systems.
Related: Radical Overhaul to Milk Production Would Use Up to 96% Less Land Than Cows, Study Suggests
"Overall, coal mine underground spaces can serve as an important carrier for highly controllable agricultural experiments, providing a new approach for agricultural mechanism research in extreme environments and the reuse of underground space resources," write the researchers.
The research has been published in China Mining Magazine.
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