Researchers are figuring out what plants will grow best on Mars. Is it potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, or something else? Well, sauce manufacturer Heinz, introduced a tomato sauce that is claimed to have a Mars taste.
Astrobiologists at the Aldrin Space Institute in Florida Tech, United States, managed to grow tomato seeds for Heinz, specifically in soil whose simulated conditions are very similar to those of Mars.
Quoted from Universe Today, Friday (11/12/2021) the results of the experiment to grow the seeds for two years, are claimed to be quite promising for astronauts to be able to grow vegetables and have spices on Mars.
"Previously, most attempts to grow plants in simulated Mars conditions were short-term plant growth studies," said biologist Andrew Palmer, who led the research.
"But what this project has done is a long-term food harvest. Achieving quality yields into Heinz tomato sauce is a dream result, and we achieved it," he continued.
The result of the collaboration with Heinz, according to him, also represents a technique to increase future food production in anticipating challenging conditions on Earth.
"One of the biggest challenges we face is how crops grow in less than ideal soil conditions, and this project can help us find ways to address this issue," said Gary King, head of agriculture at Kraft Heinz.
The team managed to produce a harvest of Heinz tomatoes, from tomato seeds, of the right quality that passed stringent standards in terms of quality and taste to become an iconic tomato sauce.
Biologist Andrew Palmer holds tomatoes grown in the Red House. Photo: Florida Tech
Palmer works with a team of more than a dozen students, scientists, and technicians in a greenhouse, known as the Red House at Florida Tech. The Red House was designed to mimic the conditions humans would encounter when farming on Mars.
They used LED lighting that simulates sunlight on Mars, and used about 3,538 kg of analogue Martian regolite, soil from the Mojave Desert that has characteristics of Martian soil. The Red House neighborhood also has strict temperature control and regular irrigation.
After the initial pilot project was successful in growing 30 tomato plants, the team moved on to a larger project by growing about 450 tomato plants in each bucket, in collaboration with Heinz.
This project not only succeeded in growing tomatoes, but also carried out experiments to make a prototype of the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Marz Edition bottle. This bottle of tomato sauce was sent into space at an altitude of 37 thousand km for photo shoots. The team said the ketchup and bottle could withstand extreme temperatures before returning to Earth.
Unfortunately, because this project is still in the experimental stage, the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Marz Edition can only be sampled by a few lucky people who are testers.
