Peruvian Scientists Grow 'Super Potato' In Mars-Like Hostile Conditions

Imagining life on an alien planet sounds like a facy idea but can it ever take the shape of reality?

Scientists in Peruvian capital of Lima are trying really hard to prove that.

After experimenting in the Andean nation's dry, desert soil, scientists have successfully grown a 'super-potato' in frigid, high carbon-dioxide surrounding-- almost like the harsh conditions found on Mars.

An AFP report says that the investigator at the International Potato Center believe that depending on the initial results, potatoes might one day be harvested on the neighbouring planet.

The experiment that found its inspiration from sci-fi movie The Martian, started in 2016.

Peruvian scientists built a simulator akin to a Mars-in-a-box: Frosty below-zero temperatures, high carbon monoxide concentrations, the air pressure found at 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) altitude, the report detailed. Even a system of lights imitating the Martian was put in place.

Researchers have been devising survival strategies on the Red planet for a while now. Few similar experiments in the past have also been conducted trawling a mere hint of life. 

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is studying the performance of crop species grown in a simulated 'Martian garden' — a proving ground for a potential future farm on the Red Planet.

The Red Planet has very hostile conditions as far as vegetation is concerned. It is covered with regolith: crushed volcanic rock containing nothing organic. But it does contain some toxic chemicals, adding to the complexity of the challenge at hand.