UK scientists grow tea in moon soil, for an out of this world brew
Researchers in Britain have begun an experiment to see whether Camellia sinensis, the plant that produces tea leaves, can survive in simulated lunar and Martian soils.
The study, launched under the European Europlanet research programme, is part of the growing field known as space agriculture — a branch of research focused on how humans might one day grow food not just in orbit but on the surfaces of other worlds.
'We joke about the British bringing tea everywhere, but this is the first effort to look at whether you might actually grow it in these kinds of conditions,' Professor Nigel Mason, of the University of Kent, said.
Similar trials have shown some promise. In Germany, scientists have discovered that worms can survive and even reproduce in simulated Martian soil, raising hopes they might help to aerate and enrich otherwise barren ground. In Japan, the space agency is experimenting with growing cherry blossom trees in simulated lunar conditions. In Hungary, it's paprika. In Britain, perhaps inevitably, it is black tea.
The experiments may have implications closer to home. Understanding how to transform sterile, lifeless soils into viable growing media may offer lessons on how to reclaim desertified land on Earth, where soil quality is rapidly declining due to climate change and over-farming.
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The tea plants come from Dartmoor Estate Tea in Devon, home to one of Britain's small number of tea gardens. Mason's team have started planting these saplings into specially prepared soils that mimic the harsh, nutrient-poor regolith found on the surface of the moon and Mars.
Over two 30-day growth cycles this summer, he and his colleagues will compare the performance of the plants in four different environments: fertile Devon soil (as a control), sandy Earth soil (to mimic arid climates), simulated Martian regolith, and lunar regolith from one of the moon's 'highland' regions. The results are expected in September.
While hydroponic systems on the International Space Station have been used to grow lettuce and other crops, growing plants in what passes for soil on the moon or Mars will be much tougher. It will be necessary to add organic matter, with the astronaut's own waste being an obvious but limited resource.
The Martian surface contains toxic perchlorates, compounds that could be dangerous if they enter the food chain.
The researchers plan to test not just whether the tea plants grow, but whether any harmful substances make their way into the leaves. 'We'll be doing a chemical analysis after harvesting to see if anything nasty has made its way into the tea,' Mason said.
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'People do ask whether tea will really be a priority in space,' he added. 'But when you're isolated for months at a time, growing and tending to plants can boost morale and mental health.'
And what could be a better boost than if one of those plants makes a decent cuppa?
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