Abstract

Soil fertility is a challenge to overcome since the beginning of time. Soil fertility is one of the main constraints that limits agricultural food production by smallholder farmers and astronauts. The value of soil chemical measurements using as indicators Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus availability and pH are often-suggested chemical parameters.

Fertility problems cannot be treated in isolation and must include rotations, fallow practices, use of crop residues and use of nutrient inputs. Soil fertility is fundamental for food security. It is ultimately determined by the geology in the area, but also greatly affected by soil management and nutrient input.

Soon, it will be necessary to develop food sources for future astronauts living and operating deep space. It is fundamental to plant growth researchers working to unlock agricultural innovations that could help us understand how plants might overcome stressful conditions in food-scarce areas here on Earth and eventually apply it to complex conditions like lunar surface environment.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.