Christopher,

Crops might be grown in a suitable environment that provides terrestrial conditions (STP, and sufficient water, sunlight, and nutrients)

The weaker gravity (probably) does not hinder germination or growth.

There are no known plants that can survive exposure to the bare martian regolith and ambient surface conditions.

Yes. From my quick readings and thinking:

The soil composition on Mars is suitable chemically, but would have to be seeded with micro-bacteria which would be imported. The plants would have to be grown in a greenhouse to conserve the oxygen made for human use. A problem might be in supplying oxygen to the plants and people at night. This would have to be manufactured. Another problem would be in getting water ice from the Poles or underground resources to be melted and delivered to the roots. This would need much infrastructure and consume much energy. Transpired water vapour would have to be collected to be recycled.

Pre-breeding would concentrate on growing short stock, as the gravity on Mars is about 1/3rd Earth's gravity. Pre-breeeding would also emphasize efficient use of the lower solar energy from the more distant Sun. Breeding to protect against insects and weed-killers would be unnecessary.

Could other ResearchGaters please supply references to research.

You can start here:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?&q=growing+food+on+mars+nasa

Interesting question.

Yes, from a geochemical standpoint, the martian soil has all the necessary components to enable some Earth plant species to grow. The main factors for plant growth on Mars other than the geochemistry of the soil are: sufficient sunlight, sufficient water, temperature, and pressure. The specific crop yields and the ability for the most sought after crops to grow depends on specific environmental factors:

• Sufficient sunlight – well, the sunlight would be a problem on Mars because the maximum solar irradiance on the Martian surface is ~590 W/m^2 compared to ~1000 W/m^2 at the Earth's surface.
• Sufficient water – water could be mined from the frozen Martian subsurface, and/or synthesized as a byproduct of fuel consumption by the first colonists.
• Temperature and pressure – would initially be artificially induced in an enclosed environment for crop growth, and eventually post-Terraforming would enable plants and a biosphere to take hold unconstrained. Humidity control would be another factor that I would group into temperature and pressure conditions.

Initially, crops on Mars would have to be grown in a greenhouse-like enclosure that would be utilizing the natural martian soil, while maintaining an artificial temperature, pressure, and artificial sunlight. Of course after terraforming efforts have commenced (~100 years or so past landing), exterior conditions would begin to allow colonists to experiment with growing in unconstrained and natural Martian environments.

There are no plants on the Earth that would be able to survive current conditions on the Martian surface (as James stated). The weaker gravity on Mars would likely promote plant growth. Tests of plant growth in low gravity on the ISS have shown that plants would grow taller in a Martian environment, and low gravity should not hinder plant reproduction.

If you're interested in Terraforming, please see my latest technical report and article on the topic:

Technical Report Terraforming of Terrestrial Earth-Sized Planetary Bodies

Article Planetary engineering theory and its application to future t...

Ancilliary thoughts: Mass mechanised farming methods of Earth are not the best example for modelling the initial farming on Mars. A better model is that of subsistence farming on Earth. Initially it will be very labour intensive, with the Martian colonists spending most of their time doing farming. So older breeding strains will be a better starting point. The initial diet of the colonists will be vegetarian, and adding poultry will be an important source of protein. This will imply the growing of corn etc. as feedstock for the chickens.

This is a very interesting question. I don't think it is possible to do that. That is why God (Allah) in His own wisdom put us here on the Earth, which is able to sustain life and all its activities.

You want to grow crop in Mars? What an adventure..... I dont know if your crops will grow.Go with tractors,harvesters and some milking machine for your cows.Thanks

The trouble is, unlike the US pioneers and the Voortrekkers etc., the Mars colonists will find no plains of grass growing on Mars for their cattle to graze on. Initially all fodder would have to be grown in greenhouses. Goats would a more viable prospect than cows.

I am don't know

Ian,

I imagine that the only animal sources of protein will be small and readily cultivated. Shrimp/algae systems are well-studied in closed life-support studies, as are insect-based protein systems. Both can be hatched from stored eggs, have short maturity durations, and have long shelf lives when unhatched.

Ruminants, indeed most mammals, aren't very efficient and, I imagine, take microgravity in-transit poorly.

First colonists will have primarily vegetarian diets.

Dickson,

I'm interested to hear your reasons why you think that such an endeavour is *not* possible.

Watch the movie The Martian to get a feel for the challenges. It is based on pretty good science.

I think not yet. The question is who would grow it and for whom.

Farming has to be inside a glasshouse (artificial climate) until mars develops a climate (wait for 100s of years). NASA has grown something in International Space Station already and martians have to eat the leaves till something new comes up.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/veggie-plant-growth-system-activated-on-international-space-station

Alternatively lab grown supermeat (https://www.supermeat.com) might grow in mars lab as well.

Recommended reading: https://theconversation.com/how-to-grow-crops-on-mars-if-we-are-to-live-on-the-red-planet-99943 and http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/9/7/348

Dear Mr. Christopher J. Smallwood , Science and technology continues to grow rapidly, and we don't know where it develops. I believe on Mars that life can be made there someday, if science has arrived at that stage, technology supports it and there is the right method to make it happen. perhaps the development of technology and science today, has not been able to answer that challenge (gardening on Mars).

There will be questions of nutrients...but also questions of the impact the the low gravity on Mars. Plants which grow in weightlessness on the ISS grow OK, but rarely produce a second generation, suggesting that low gravity may discourage viable seeds (or however the plant reproduces).

We do not yet know where the dividing line is for plant reproduction under low gravity.