Intercropping on Mars: A promising system to optimise fresh food production in future martian colonies

Future colonists on Mars will need to produce fresh food locally to acquire key nutrients lost in food dehydration, the primary technique for sending food to space. In this study we aimed to test the viability and prospect of applying an intercropping system as a method for soil-based food production in Martian colonies.

This novel approach to Martian agriculture adds valuable insight into how we can optimise resource use and enhance colony self-sustainability, since Martian colonies will operate under very limited space, energy, and Earth supplies.

A likely early Martian agricultural setting was simulated using small pots, a controlled greenhouse environment, and species compliant with space mission requirements.