Space agriculture for habitation on mars and sustainable civilization on earth

Abstract

Space agriculture regenerates food, oxygen and water from metabolic waste. Since materials recycle is driven by limited resources available on extraterrestrial bodies, it can be an extreme model of terrestrial agriculture facing the growth limit at yet increasing population. Choice of food materials to meet nutritional requirements and foods cultural acceptability for space agriculture is the basis of its design. From Asian background, we selected rice, soybean, sweet potato, and green-yellow vegetables. In order to supplement fatty acids and certain vitamins, animal origin foods are required in diet. Among many candidate animals to breed, insects are of great interest since they have a number of advantages over mammals. We propose several insect species, such as the silkworm (Bombyx mori), the drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum), and the termite, (Macrotermes subhyalinus). These insects do not compete with crop production, but convert inedible biomass or waste into an edible form. Tri-culture of rice, water fern (Azolla), and loach fish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in rice paddies is another proposal for space, and sustainable agriculture on Earth. In addition, we discuss symbiosis and biological interaction, allelopathy.