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Space

Chickpeas grown in moon dust for the first time

With a little help from a fungus and earthworms, chickpeas have been grown in lunar soil. It is a step forward in figuring out how to make long-term stays on the moon sustainable

By Leah Crane

22 January 2024

A chickpea flower grown in 75 per cent moon dust

Picture supplied by Jessica Atkin at Texas A&M University

Chickpeas may be able to grow on the moon with the help of a fungus and some worms. Lunar soil is notoriously inhospitable to life, but the addition of a simple fungus and earthworms can allow chickpeas – and possibly other plants as well – to grow there.

Moon dust is pointy and clumpy, lacks several of the nutrients that plants need and is full of toxic contaminants that could kill off any greenery trying to grow there. at Texas…

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