Growing Gardens on the Moon: Scientists Unlock the Secret to Fertile Lunar Soil

By Sneha Kundu

Humanity’s dream of establishing bases on the moon is closer to reality than ever before, but there’s a major obstacle: how do we grow food in the lunar soil? Plain lunar soil, also known as lunar regolith, lacks the nutrients necessary for plant growth. However, scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could pave the way for agriculture on the moon.

In a recent study published in the journal Communications Biology, researchers from China Agricultural University have found a way to make lunar soil fertile by introducing special bacteria. These bacteria enhance the availability of phosphorus, an essential nutrient for plants. 

The researchers conducted experiments using simulated lunar soil and a relative of tobacco called Nicotiana benthamiana. They found that when the soil was treated with three species of bacteria, the plants grew significantly better. The bacteria made the soil more acidic, which caused phosphorus-containing minerals to dissolve and release phosphorus, making it available for the plants.

Lead researcher Yitong Xia explains the importance of their findings: “We may be able to use these microbes to turn the lunar regolith into a bio-friendly substrate for plant cultivation in future lunar greenhouses.”

This discovery builds upon previous research where scientists in the United States successfully grew Arabidopsis thaliana, a flowering weed, in actual moon soil collected by NASA. While the plants did grow, they didn’t thrive as well as they did in Earth’s volcanic ash. This suggests that lunar soil needs some help to become more fertile.

The three bacteria used in the study—Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus megaterium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens—were found to be particularly effective. By making the lunar soil more fertile, these bacteria could help sustain human crews on the moon by providing a source of food and oxygen.

Xia explains, “Our technique applies microbial improvement to the lunar soil, making it more fertile and suitable for plant cultivation. This method requires much less carrying capacity on rockets compared to other plans, making it a more cost-effective solution.”

With this breakthrough, the possibility of establishing long-term human settlements on the moon has taken a significant step forward. By turning inhospitable lunar soil into fertile ground, scientists are bringing us one step closer to making life on the moon a reality.