Chickpeas successfully grown, harvested in simulated moon dirt

(Web Desk) - Scientists are closer to being able to grow crops on the moon after successfully cultivating chickpeas in simulated lunar soil, according to a new study.

Researchers were able to accomplish the feat by treating the simulated regolith, as lunar soil is known, with both a symbiotic fungi and worm-produced compost, according to a paper published Thursday in Scientific Reports. The fungi and compost significantly improved the likelihood of reproduction of the chickpea plants, the study found.

But scientists took inspiration from Earth's plants, over 80% of which have symbiosis with the fungi known arbuscular mycorrhizae, which is "one of the oldest symbioses on Earth," Atkin said, adding that "it essentially is what enabled plants to be able to inhabit land and develop roots."

Chickpeas aren't the typical plants chosen for space crop production, but Atkin selected them because they are stress tolerant, high in protein, and because they send out signals to actively recruit the microorganisms that help them survive, she said.

"Generally, things like leafy greens, lettuce, tomatoes, things that are high in anthocyanins and can help protect from radiation are studied," Atkin said.

In the simulated lunar soil that featured higher concentrations of regolith, there was less reproduction and fewer less chickpea seeds, according to Atkin, who also said that the seeds were all about the same size, so it didn't alter their quality.

The seeds are currently being tested for their nutrition, protein and metal accumulation, according to the study.