Scientists have managed to harvest chickpeas grown in simulated Moon soil, marking a step toward producing fresh food for future lunar missions as NASA prepares for Artemis II.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, working with Texas A&M University, reported the first time chickpeas were grown and harvested to seed in a lunar regolith simulant.
The findings were published in Scientific Reports. The work tests whether regolith, the dusty material that covers the Moon, can be turned into a workable growing medium.
Lunar regolith does not behave like Earth soil. It has no organic matter and no natural microbiome to help plants. It contains minerals plants need, but it can also include metals that may harm growth. Its structure can also limit water movement and gas exchange, creating added stress for roots.
Turning Moon soil into a growing medium
To run the experiment, the team used simulated moon dirt produced by Exolith Labs, designed to match the composition of lunar samples returned by Apollo astronauts.
They mixed the simulant with vermicompost, a nutrient-rich material made through the action of red wiggler earthworms. The compost adds both nutrients and microbes and could come from recycled organic waste generated during missions.
Scientists harvest chickpeas grown in Moon soil during a new study, offering insight into future food production for long-term lunar missions. pic.twitter.com/FnimjFmTne
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) March 5, 2026
The researchers also treated some chickpea seeds with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or AMF, which form a partnership with plant roots. In the study, this relationship helped plants cope with harsh conditions and supported growth in higher simulant levels.
Chickpeas seeded successfully across all treatments. But as the simulant share increased, plants showed more stress, including stunted growth, reduced leaf area, less branching, and more yellowing. Mixtures containing up to 75% simulant produced harvestable chickpeas when seeds were inoculated with AMF.
Scientists harvest chickpeas grown in Moon soil
Higher concentrations caused severe problems, and plants grown in 100% simulant died before flowering. Even there, AMF extended average survival by about two weeks compared with plants grown without the fungi.
Seed production dropped as simulant levels rose, but seed size stayed largely steady. The study also found AMF colonized roots in every inoculated treatment, including 100% simulant, suggesting it could establish in extreme conditions without repeated introductions.
Sara Santos, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and study lead, said the goal is to understand whether crops can grow on the Moon and what processes could help convert regolith into a usable substrate.
Jessica Atkin, PhD student at Texas A&M University and study’s first author, said the next steps include checking the nutritional profile and confirming metals did not accumulate in the edible seeds, since safety remains unresolved.
Researchers also reported improved particle aggregation in AMF treatments, indicating biological inputs may strengthen the simulant structure over a single plant generation.
For future missions, scientists said more work is needed to reduce plant stress and refine regolith conditioning for long-term food production.
