Critical to the success of establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars is the ability to economically grow crop plants. Several environmental factors make it difficult to fully rely on local resources for agriculture. These include nutrient sparse regolith, low and fluctuating temperatures, a high amount of ultraviolet radiation, and water trapped locally in the form of ice or metal oxides. While the 96% CO₂ martian atmosphere is ideal to support photosynthesis, high CO₂ concentrations inhibit germination. An added difficulty is the fact that a vast majority of crop plants require oxygen for germination. Here, we report the production of a polymer-based oxygen delivery system that supports the germination and growth of cress seeds (Lepidium sativum) in a martian regolith simulant under a martian atmosphere at 101 kPa. The oxygen-donating system is based on a low-density lightly cross-linked polyacrylate that is foamed and converted into a dry powder. It is lightweight, added in low amounts to regolith simulant, and efficiently donates enough oxygen throughout the volume of hydrated regolith simulant to fully support seed germination and plant growth. Germination rates, plant development, and plant mass are nearly identical for L. sativum grown in 100% CO₂ in the presence of the oxygen-donating lightly cross-linked polyacrylate compared with plants grown in air. The polymer system also serves to protect root structures and better anchors plants in the regolith simulant.

中文翻译：

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氧气输送聚合物可增强类似火星环境中种子的发芽。


人类在火星上成功建立可持续存在的关键是经济地种植农作物的能力。多种环境因素导致农业难以充分依赖当地资源。这些因素包括营养稀少的风化层、低温且波动的温度、大量的紫外线辐射以及以冰或金属氧化物形式局部滞留的水。虽然 96% CO ₂火星大气非常适合光合作用，但高 CO ₂浓度会抑制发芽。另一个困难是绝大多数农作物的发芽需要氧气。在这里，我们报告了一种基于聚合物的氧气输送系统的生产，该系统支持水芹种子 ( Lepidium sativum ) 在 101 kPa 的火星大气下的火星风化层模拟物中的发芽和生长。供氧系统基于低密度轻度交联聚丙烯酸酯，该聚丙烯酸酯发泡并转化为干粉。它重量轻，添加到风化层模拟物中的量很少，并且可以在水合风化层模拟物的整个体积中有效地提供足够的氧气，以完全支持种子发芽和植物生长。与在空气中生长的植物相比，在供氧轻度交联聚丙烯酸酯存在的情况下在100% CO ₂中生长的苜蓿的发芽率、植物发育和植物质量几乎相同。聚合物系统还可以保护根部结构并更好地将植物固定在风化层模拟物中。