SHAPIRO: Mendoza recently presented his experiment and initial findings at the Entomological Society of America's 2023 conference. A plant cultivation system on the moon could help meet long-term food and oxygen requirements for human crews, Xia added. Plants produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, the biological process in which they turn sunlight into energy.

They make a full range of both mineral and organic origin, with a range of matching boosters and additives to boot. Not just for Soil Our Organic Growth Stimulant has been extracted from prehistoric plants and animal remains that have decomposed naturally over millions of years. As well as improved quality, flavours, and aromas from flowers, you can expect to see an increase in your yield, especially if you are hoping to grow fruits and vegetables. Our Organic Growth Stimulant is also a great food source for beneficial fungi and microorganisms. More exotic seeds have dormant periods that can last years. Or require unusual conditions to break their dormancy such as fire. MENDOZA: What can we do with Martian soil? What modifications, if any, can we make to the soil in the future to, you know, make it more habitable for terrestrial plant growth on a different planet? So I guess extraterrestrial plant growth. SHAPIRO: Mendoza mixed simulated Martian soil and frass in different ratios to see what best supported growing English pea plants.

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EMMANUEL MENDOZA: Howdy. My name is Emmanuel Mendoza. I'm a junior aerospace engineering major, minoring in mathematics and agricultural systems management at Texas A&M University. The first key factor is age. Seedlings need moisture and humidity. Their root systems are too small to draw up enough water if their leaves lose too much to the atmosphere. However, too much water/humidity can lead to damping off (pythium). So careful monitoring with a hygrometer (humidity monitor) and ventilation to keep the levels between 50-70% is desirable.

Plant magic (or Plant Magic Plus, to give them their full name) are a dyed-in-the-wool British nutrient manufacturer. There are a few reasons why, when growing seeds, germination and sprouting won’t occur. Most of them coming from human interference.CHANG: But he's not quite done with the project. Pea plants take about 10 to 12 weeks to fully mature, and Mendoza's are almost there. MENDOZA: All of the plants that are growing right now are exhibiting flowering. If they haven't already started growing pea pods, they are flowering, which is awesome. Seed coatings (Testa) often need soaking to soften or scratching (scarification) to help it to break open and germinate. In the wild this would happen with weathering or animal interference.

Plant Magic are particularly well known for their soil nutrients in both their A&B mineral version, and also their single bottle organic oldtimer nutrients. Both of these nutrients are the best soil nutrients that you can buy. Also, they also have a unique, innovative, and dedicated nutrient for the DWC (Deep Water Culture) method of growing. The Additives SHAPIRO: Soon he'll harvest the pods. And once he's done collecting that data, he says he'll compile his results into a paper. And thinking far into the future, Mendoza would jump at the opportunity to go to Mars himself. The study used simulated regolith rather than the real thing because genuine lunar soil, as one might imagine, is in short supply on Earth. The researchers used volcanic material from the Changbai mountains of China's Jilin Province to create soil with similar chemical and physical properties to lunar regolith.

Balance is key

MENDOZA: To maybe not be Mark Watney - I'd prefer not to get stranded on Mars - but to be an archetype, inspiring people to learn more, and you really do a lot with available resources. Whether it's a silicion additive or a PK booster, Plant Magic produce a range of additives to go along with their mineral nutrients. They also produce a "Bio" range of additives to go alongside their organic oldtimer nutrients. You will get fantastic results whichever range you decide to go with.