The DOI matches its Crossref record; 37 of the 37 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 7 of the 37 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants
Open accessAbstract
When humans will settle on the moon or Mars they will have to eat there. Food may be flown in. An alternative could be to cultivate plants at the site itself, preferably in native soils. We report on the first large-scale controlled experiment to investigate the possibility of growing plants in Mars and moon soil simulants. The results show that plants are able to germinate and grow on both Martian and moon soil simulant for a period of 50 days without any addition of nutrients. Growth and flowering on Mars regolith simulant was much better than on moon regolith simulant and even slightly better than on our control nutrient poor river soil. Reflexed stonecrop (a wild plant); the crops tomato, wheat, and cress; and the green manure species field mustard performed particularly well. The latter three flowered, and cress and field mustard also produced seeds. Our results show that in principle it is possible to grow crops and other plant species in Martian and Lunar soil simulants. However, many questions remain about the simulants' water carrying capacity and other physical characteristics and also whether the simulants are representative of the real soils.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
In a 50-day glasshouse experiment, plants germinated and grew on Mars and moon regolith simulants without added nutrients, with Mars simulant generally outperforming moon simulant and even the nutrient-poor Earth control soil. The authors conclude it is in principle possible to grow crops and other species in these simulants, but many questions remain about simulant representativeness and physical properties.
Key findings
- Except for Common vetch on moon simulant, all species germinated in some proportion on all three soils; Mars simulant generally had the highest germination and moon simulant the lowest.
- Biomass at the end of the 50-day experiment was significantly higher for 11 of 14 species on Mars simulant compared with both other soils; for nine species, Earth soil biomass was significantly higher than on moon simulant.
- Only Field mustard, Rye, and Cress reached flowering; Field mustard (only on Mars) and Cress (on Mars and Earth) also produced seeds.
- Many germinated plants on moon simulant died or stayed very small, which the authors suggest may relate to high soil pH, water-holding capacity, and/or free aluminium.
Methods
- The experiment used 840 pots: 3 soil types (Mars simulant, moon simulant, nutrient-poor River Rhine control soil) × 14 species × 20 replicate pots, with 5 seeds per pot (100 seeds per species–soil combination).
- Pots were kept in a glasshouse for 50 days starting 8 April 2013, at about 20°C (mean 21.1 ± 3.02°C), 65.0 ± 15.5% humidity, 16-hour days, and watered with demineralized water.
- Germination, leaf formation, flowering, seed setting, and survival were analysed with logistic regression; total, aboveground, and belowground biomass were analysed with ANOVA on log-transformed values, with pairwise tests among soil types.
Limitations
- The paper states that it is unknown whether the simulants are representative of real Mars and moon soils, and that more research is needed on their water-holding capacity and other physical characteristics.
- The authors note the experiment was in pots, not full soil, and was conducted on Earth with Earth-like light and atmospheric conditions, so gravity and other extraterrestrial conditions were not tested.
- The paper states that reactive nitrogen availability, nutrient balance, and possible organic carbon in the Mars simulant remain unresolved; it also did not inoculate or test nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Evident from the text: the study lasted only 50 days, and biomass analyses excluded units with no biomass.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
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Cites
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Verification
Claims the paper makes
7 of 37 cited sources checked · 1 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
The cited sources that could be checked couldn’t confirm or dispute this claim.
In the paper
“The major source of reactive nitrogen on Earth is the mineralisation of organic matter [1].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Could not verifycites [1] CJ Stevens, 2011, Ecosystem responses to reduced and oxidised nitrogen inputs in European terrestrial habitats, Environmental Pollution sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Introduction (p. 2) lists ways reactive nitrogen naturally enters ecosystems, but does not identify the largest source of reactive nitrogen on Earth. Section 3.2 (p. 5) discusses mineralisation as a soil process without making that global comparison. Searches for mineralisation as the major or largest global source found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.73)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Could not verify
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Nitrogen in reactive form (NO3, NH4) is one of the essential minerals necessary for almost all plant growth [1].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [1] CJ Stevens, 2011, Ecosystem responses to reduced and oxidised nitrogen inputs in European terrestrial habitats, Environmental Pollution source
The Introduction (p. 2) says nitrogen is essential for life and distinguishes reactive nitrogen from atmospheric N₂. Section 4.1 (p. 6) identifies NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ as forms of nitrogen taken up by plants, supporting the claim's substance. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Supported
The cited sources that could be checked couldn’t confirm or dispute this claim.
In the paper
“The pH of the moon regolith is that high that it may be problematic for many plant species, especially for crops [30].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Materials and Methods > Regoliths
What the sources say
- Could not verifycites [30] GWW Wamelink, 2005, Plant species as predictors of soil pH: replacing expert judgement by measurements, Journal of vegetation Science sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The indexed copy contains a title and bibliographic material (labeled Abstract), but no substantive discussion of soil pH or plant tolerance. Searches for lunar regolith and for high-pH effects on crops returned no relevant passage, so this copy cannot verify the claim. (LLM, conf=0.70)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Could not verify
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“There is no organic matter on Mars [2]–[6], as far as we now, so this would make the Mars simulant we used less suitable for experiments to investigate the potential of Mars soil, unless the experiment has as goal to test the potential of the soil after adding organic matter.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [2] E Palomba, 2009, Evidence for Mg-rich carbonates on Mars from a 3.9 lm absorption feature, Icarus source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [3] Muller O (1974) Solar wind nitrogen and indigenous nitrogen in Apollo 17 lunar samples. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 5th, Vol. 2, 1907–1918. Pergamon Press. source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [4] J Parnell, 2005, Extraction of organic signatures from carbonates and evaporites: from mineral deposits to Mars, Proceedings of the Geologists Association source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [5] A Brack, 1998, Life on Mars: chemical arguments and clues from Martian meteorites, Extremophilest source
- Partly supportedcites [6] LA Leshin, 2013, Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of Martian fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover, Science sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Organic Matter conclusion (p. 1238937-5) says Martian organic matter was not definitively detected, which supports the narrower point that this analysis did not establish its presence. It does not support the categorical claim that there is no organic matter on Mars: the Organic Matter discussion says traces of Martian or exogenous organic carbon in the Rocknest sample cannot be ruled out. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Reflexed stonecrop (a wild plant); the crops tomato, wheat, and cress; and the green manure species field mustard performed particularly well.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Abstract
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Rye, cress and field mustard flowered, the latter two also formed seeds.”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“Field mustard (only on Mars) and Cress (on Mars and Earth) also formed seeds.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Conclusions
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The results show that plants are able to germinate and grow on both Martian and moon soil simulant for a period of 50 days without any addition of nutrients.”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“We found germination and plant growth for both moon and Mars soil simulants.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Abstract
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Growth and flowering on Mars regolith simulant was much better than on moon regolith simulant and even slightly better than on our control nutrient poor river soil.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Abstract
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Growth and flowering on Mars regolith simulant was much better than on moon regolith simulant and even slightly better than on our control nutrient poor river soil.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Abstract
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Visual inspection of the Mars soil simulant did not reveal large quantities of organic matter.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes
- It may state two separate claims as one. 27
- Probably not a substantial claim. 11
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Reactive nitrogen may also arise as an effect of lightning or volcanic activity [8], [9] and both processes may occur on Mars.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [8] LL Golubyatnikov, 2013, Nitrogen cycle in the Earth climatic system and its modeling, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics source
- Partly supportedcites [9] PM Vitousek, 2013, Biological nitrogen fixation: rates, patterns and ecological controls in terrestrial ecosystems, Phil Trans R Soc B sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
In its discussion of terrestrial nitrogen inputs (indexed as Abstract; page unavailable), the paper identifies nitrogen fixed by lightning and deposited on land, supporting the lightning part of the cited statement. The available passages do not identify volcanic activity as a source of reactive nitrogen. The Mars clause follows the citations in the citing sentence and is not treated as attributed to this paper. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“However organic matter is absent on both Mars and moon although they do contain carbon [2]–[6].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [2] E Palomba, 2009, Evidence for Mg-rich carbonates on Mars from a 3.9 lm absorption feature, Icarus source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [3] Muller O (1974) Solar wind nitrogen and indigenous nitrogen in Apollo 17 lunar samples. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 5th, Vol. 2, 1907–1918. Pergamon Press. source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [4] J Parnell, 2005, Extraction of organic signatures from carbonates and evaporites: from mineral deposits to Mars, Proceedings of the Geologists Association source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [5] A Brack, 1998, Life on Mars: chemical arguments and clues from Martian meteorites, Extremophilest source
- Partly supportedcites [6] LA Leshin, 2013, Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of Martian fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover, Science sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Organic Matter section (p. 1238937-5) reports carbon-bearing CO₂ in Martian fines and says Martian organic matter was not definitively detected. That does not establish that organic matter is absent from Mars; the same section says traces of Martian organic carbon cannot be ruled out. The paper does not address whether the Moon contains carbon or organic matter. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The cited sources that could be checked couldn’t confirm or dispute this claim.
In the paper
“In symbioses with bacteria [12], [13] these nitrogen fixers are able to bind nitrogen from the air and transform it into nitrates, a process which requires nitrogen in the atmosphere.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Could not verifycites [12] P Mylona, 1995, Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation, Plant Cell sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The indexed copy shows the article title and a reference list, but says the article's full text is available as a PDF; it does not include the article body (article listing, pp. 869–885). Searches for atmospheric nitrogen and conversion to nitrates found no passage in the available copy that addresses the claimed product of fixation, so the decisive text may be missing. (LLM, conf=0.76)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [13] Foy CD (1984) Physiological Effects of Hydrogen, Aluminum, and Manganese Toxicities in Acid Soil. In: Adams F, editor. Soil Acidity and Liming. pp. 57–97. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America. source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Could not verify
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Rye, cress and field mustard flowered, the latter two also formed seeds.”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“Only three species reach these stages, Field mustard, Rye and Cress (the last two being crops).”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Conclusions
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The analysis revealed that the moon regolith simulant is truly nutrient poor, though it contains a small amount of nitrates and ammonium.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Materials and Methods > Regoliths
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Field mustard (only on Mars) and Cress (on Mars and Earth) also formed seeds.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The Mars soil simulant gave the highest biomass production, the moon soil simulant the lowest.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Conclusions
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Leaf forming occurred most on Martian soil simulant and least on moon soil simulant.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The biomass for earth and moon soil simulant is often quite similar (Fig. 4), although for nine species the biomass increment on Earth soil was significantly higher than on moon soil simulant.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The Mars regolith simulant also contains traces of nitrates of ammonium, and also a significant amount of carbon (Table 2).”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Materials and Methods > Regoliths
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In general the germination percentage on Martian soil simulant is highest and lowest on the moon soil simulant (Fig. 3).”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Also for the percentage plants still alive after 50 days, Martian soil simulant performed best and moon soil simulant worst.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The presence of a high C-elementary content in the Mars soil simulant is surprising.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Both soils are rather imbalanced for nutrients; where the artificial moon soil lacks nitrates, the artificial soil lacks of phosphate.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These experiments indicated that there were no toxic effects of moon soil on short term plant growth [18], for an overview see Ferl and Paul [19].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [18] PS Baur, 1974, VE Uptake and translocation of elements from Apollo 11 lunar material by lettuce seedlings, Phyton
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [19] RJ Ferl, 2010, Lunar Plant Biology—A Review of the Apollo Era, Astrobiology source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“These studies revealed that these plants were able to grow with and without the addition of bacteria [20], [21], and that plants were able to blossom [20].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Reactive nitrogen is part of the material in our solar system and is part of solar wind, a source of reactive nitrogen on the moon and Mars [3], [7].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [3] Muller O (1974) Solar wind nitrogen and indigenous nitrogen in Apollo 17 lunar samples. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 5th, Vol. 2, 1907–1918. Pergamon Press. source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [7] RL Mancinelli, 1996, The search for nitrogen compounds on the surface, Adv Space Res source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Aluminium is known to disturb plant growth and even lead to plant death [14].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] N Garg, 2007, Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume nodules: process and signalling, Agron Sustain Dev source
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All chosen nitrogen fixers may perform this function; however Common vetch did not perform very well on Martian soil simulant, which may indicate that inoculation with nitrogen fixing bacteria may be necessary.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The high pH may also explain the lagging growth on the moon soil simulant and also on the Earth soil.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Experiments with bacteria on Mars soil simulant revealed that growth is possible, including nitrogen fixing bacteria [22].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [22] TA Kral, 2004, Growth of methanogens on a mars soil simulant, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Apparently, in general, plants were able to develop at the same rate on Martian and Earth soil simulants, but biomass increment was much higher on Mars simulant.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This may be due to the high soil pH, the moist holding capacity and or the free aluminium in the simulant.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Conclusions
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The nitrogen fixers may also play a role in detoxifying soils polluted with metals [35].”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [35] CD Foy, 1978, The physiology of metal toxicity in plants, Ann Rev Plant Physiol source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The pots were placed in a glasshouse in a completely randomized block design where each block constitutes a replicate (Fig. 1).”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Materials and Methods > Experimental design and observations
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Only species with relatively small seeds were chosen so that the nutrient stock in the seeds would be quickly depleted and the plant becomes totally dependent on what is available in the soils for its growth.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Materials and Methods > Species selection
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Our results are in line with earlier research on Arabidopsis thaliana and Tagetes patula [19]–[21] on moon regolith simulant and moon rock simulant, though our results appear to be less promising.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [19] RJ Ferl, 2010, Lunar Plant Biology—A Review of the Apollo Era, Astrobiology source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [20] NO Kozyrovska, 2006, Growing pioneer plants for a lunar base, Advances in Space Research source
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [21] I Zaets, 2011, Bioaugmentation in growing plants for lunar bases, Advances in Space Research source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Moist conditions will then be different and may give rise to different results between pots and full soil.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The larger water holding capacity of Martian soil simulant may explain its better performance and, partly, the underperformance of moon soil simulant.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We did not inoculate the soil simulants with nitrogen fixing bacteria in this experiment, although we did not sterilise the simulants nor the seeds.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It may also partly explain why the Mars soil was able to hold water best, as organic matter is more capable of holding water than bare sand.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The standard procedure includes backing the soil at 550°C. The problem is that part of the oxides, especially the iron oxides, evaporates as well, clearly yielding wrong results.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There is no organic matter on Mars [2]–[6], as far as we now, so this would make the Mars simulant we used less suitable for experiments to investigate the potential of Mars soil, unless the experiment has as goal to test the potential of the soil after adding organic matter.”
§ Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The authors state this as an assumption.
Plant cultivation will be carried out in closed surroundings with Earth-like light and atmospheric conditions.
“Moreover, we assumed that plant cultivation will be carried out in closed surroundings with Earth like light and atmospheric conditions.”
The paper relies on this without support.
All essential minerals for plant growth are present in sufficient quantities in both Mars and moon soils, probably with the exception of reactive nitrogen.
“All essential minerals for the growth of plants appear to be present in sufficient quantities in both soils probably with the exception of reactive nitrogen.”
The paper relies on this without support.
There is no atmosphere on the moon, and on Mars it is only minimally present and contains traces of nitrogen.
“However, there is no atmosphere on the moon, and on Mars it is only minimally present and contains traces of nitrogen.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Important for plant growth is not only the presence of nutrients, but also the balance between them.
“Important for plant growth is not only the presence of nutrients, but also the balance between them.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The seeds of the crops Carrot, Cress and Tomato are controlled and have a high quality.
“The seeds of the crops Carrot, Cress and Tomato are controlled and have a high quality.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source doesn’t support the claim as written.
In the citing paper
“In addition, both lunar and Martian regolith lack water-carrying capacity (Wamelink et al., 2014).”
From Spirulina supported plant growth in regolith simulants and elevated levels of CO2 (2025) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Previously, Wamelink et al. [20] showed germination and plant growth using simulant JSC-Mars-1A, including nitrogen fixing plants; however, perchlorate was not included in the experiments.”
From Perchlorate and Agriculture on Mars (2021) · cites this paper as [20]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Works dealing with cultivation on Mars simulants in mix with organic amendment, also to solve the disposal issue of organic effluents in future manned missions to Mars, are quite scarce (Gilrain et al. 1999;Mortley et al. 2000;Wamelink et al. 2014).”
From Green compost amendment improves potato plant performance on Mars regolith simulant as substrate for cultivation in space (2023) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“For extra-terrestrial farming, it is wellestablished that several simulant properties-such as an alkaline pH, a high availability of sodium, the predominance of macro-vs.micropores, and a scant water holding capacity-can influence plant growth, health, and vigor (Wamelink et al., 2014;Caporale et al., 2020).”
From The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview (2022) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Nevertheless, the Martian simulant outperformed the Lunar simulant in biomass production, as it had trace levels of ammonium nitrate and carbon and no stressors that could cause a higher pH or low water holding capacity.”
From The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview (2022) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The analysis revealed that the Moon regolith simulant is nutrient poor, though it contained small amounts of nitrate and ammonium.”
From Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants (2019) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“very few works have dealt with cultivation on Mars simulants”
From Mars Regolith Simulant Ameliorated by Compost as in situ Cultivation Substrate Improves Lettuce Growth and Nutritional Aspects (2020) · cites this paper as [36]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Studies report that the Martian and Lunar simulants have a pH above 6, and have alkaline properties in some cases (Gilrain et al., 1999;Zaets et al., 2011;Wamelink et al., 2014;Caporale et al., 2020;Eichler et al., 2021), suggesting low rates of mineral weathering and cation release.”
From The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview (2022) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Three species flowered, but only two produced seeds.”
From The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview (2022) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“The results indicated that neither simulant was an adequate source of plant nutrients.”
From The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview (2022) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“After the successful growth of 14 different plant species on Mars soil simulant and to a lesser extent on Moon soil simulant (Wamelink et al. 2014)”
From Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants (2019) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“The Mars regolith also contained traces of nitrates and ammonium, but also a significant amount of carbon.”
From Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants (2019) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“The pH of the Moon regolith simulant is so high (9.6,Wamelink et al. 2014)”
From Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants (2019) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
The check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“The use of regolith simulants amended with organic matrixes, as well as their contribution to the disposal of organic streams in space colonies, has been scarcely investigated (Gilrain et al., 1999; Mortley et al., 2000; Wamelink et al., 2014).”
From Fava bean plant performance and fertility dynamics in Mars regolith simulant-based substrates for space farming (2025) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al., 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“Compared to our earlier research (Wamelink et al. 2014), the biomass production was significantly higher, and crops such as tomato, rye, pea and radish formed fruit and viable seeds.”
From Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants (2019) · cites this paper as Wamelink et al. 2014
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Abstract says wheat flowered, but results say rye
MinorThe abstract names wheat among the particularly well-performing crops and says the latter three species flowered. The results instead identify rye, cress and field mustard as the three species that reached flowering; wheat is not listed among the selected species.
“Reflexed stonecrop (a wild plant); the crops tomato, wheat, and cress; and the green manure species field mustard performed particularly well. The latter three flowered, and cress and field mustard also produced seeds.”
“Only three species reach these stages, Field mustard, Rye and Cress (the last two being crops).”
Citations
Cites
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McCullagh, P., & Nelder, J. A. (1989) · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-3242-6 · Cited by 16,836
The physiology of metal toxicity in plants
Foy, C. D., Chaney, R. L., & White, M. C. (1978) · Annual Review of Plant Physiology · doi:10.1146/annurev.pp.29.060178.002455 · Cited by 2,170
Wu, S., Cao, Z., Li, Z. G., Cheung, K. C., & Wong, M. H. (2004) · Geoderma · doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.07.003 · Cited by 901
A unifying framework for dinitrogen fixation in the terrestrial biosphere
Houlton, B. Z., Wang, Y., Vitousek, P. M., & Field, C. B. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature07028 · Cited by 820
Biological nitrogen fixation: rates, patterns and ecological controls in terrestrial ecosystems
Vitousek, P. M., Menge, D. N. L., Reed, S. C., & Cleveland, C. C. (2013) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0119 · Cited by 800
Cadotte, M. W., Cavender-Bares, J. M., Tilman, D. G., & Oakley, T. H. (2009) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005695 · Cited by 747
Mylona, P., Pawlowski, K., & Bisseling, T. (1995) · The Plant Cell · doi:10.1105/tpc.7.7.869 · Cited by 692
Physiological Effects of Hydrogen, Aluminum, and Manganese Toxicities in Acid Soil
Foy, C. D. (1984) · Agronomy Monographs · doi:10.2134/agronmonogr12.2ed.c2 · Cited by 652
Pearson, R. W., & Adams, F. (1984) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 478
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- PS Baur, 1974, VE Uptake and translocation of elements from Apollo 11 lunar material by lettuce seedlings, Phyton, 32, 133
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–201 of 201
Evidence of potential organo-mineral interactions during the first stage of mars terraforming
Giannetta, B., Caporale, A. G., Olivera de Souza, D., Adamo, P., & Zaccone, C. (2023) · Soil Systems · doi:10.3390/soilsystems7040092 · Cited by 4
Metadata
- Authors
- Wamelink, G. W. W., Frissel, J. Y., Krijnen, W. H. J., Verwoert, M. R., & Goedhart, P. W.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Wamelink, G. W. Wieger
- Venue
- PLoS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2014-08-27
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- e103138
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4146463
- OpenAlex
- W2033351297
- Cited by
- 201
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 1.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Plant Growth and Agriculture Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Space Exploration and Technology
- Keywords
- Martian regolith, lunar regolith, plant growth in space, in-situ resource utilization, plant germination, flowering, seed production, tomato, wheat, cress, Brassica rapa, green manure, low-fertility soils, water resources carrying capacity
- MeSH terms
- Extraterrestrial Environment, Humans, Mustard Plant, Soil, Triticum, Moon, Ecological Systems, Closed, Mars, Solanum lycopersicum, Crops, Agricultural, Space Simulation, Brassicaceae
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-11-03, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-11-03 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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