Enhanced Plant Growth on Simulated Martian Regolith via Water Chemistry Optimisation: The Role of RONS and Nano/Micro-Bubbles.

ABSTRACT: Development of sustainable agriculture on Mars is a critical step towards its colonisation. However, Martian regolith is coarse-grained, and its mineral profile differs significantly from that of terrestrial arable soil, resulting in poor seed germination success and stunted plant development. This study investigates whether germination success and plant growth can be improved by exposing seeds and plants to water enriched with either i) biochemically active reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by atmospheric pressure plasma (PAW) or (ii) nano-/micro-bubbles and minerals such as potassium and calcium extracted from Aquapulse^® feldspar (APW), a type of rock that is readily available on Mars, at different stages of the crop lifecycle. As a crop model, microgreen crops of

SUBMITTER: Sasi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12428210 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature