Netherland: Crops grown in soil similar to that on Mars are found without any dangerous levels of heavy metals and are safe to eat, reveals dutch scientists.
Radishes, peas, rye and tomatoes which are all grown on Earth soil are designed to copy that of the red planet , with no harmful chemicals, said the team of scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
"These remarkable results are very promising," said senior ecologist Wieger Wamelink.
"We can actually eat the radishes, peas, rye and tomatoes, and I am very curious what they will taste like."
Those who wish to settle in Mars are suppose to carry these food supplies with them and then plant crops in order to survive.
So using soil developed by NASA to resemble that of the red planet, the university has been experimenting since 2013 and has managed to raise 10 crops.
But uncertainty remains about whether they would absorb the high levels of heavy metals such cadmium, copper and lead, present in Mars soil.
Further tests are now needed on the remaining six crops, including potatoes, in research which is being backed by a crowd-funding campaign.
NASA plans a manned trip to Mars within the next 10 to 15 years or so, and similar projects are also being pursued by US billionaire Elon Musk and the Dutch company Mars One, tentatively aiming to set up human colonies on the Red Planet.
"It's important to test as many crops as possible, to make sure that settlers on Mars have access to a broad variety of different food sources," said Wamelink.
(With Agency inputs)
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