GROWING POTATOES ON MARS

Stefania De Pascale, docente Orticoltura e Floricoltura Università "Federico II" di Napoli, autrice di Piantare patate su Marte (Aboca)

Giovanni Caprara, saggista ed editorialista scientifico "Corriere della Sera"

Space agriculture is one of the most fascinating frontiers of contemporary research: growing plants beyond Earth is not only a prerequisite for the survival of future missions to the Moon and Mars, but also a challenge that opens new perspectives on sustainability here on our planet. Stefania De Pascale, one of the world’s leading experts in the field, explores the crucial role of plants as “regenerators” of life: from producing oxygen to managing the water cycle, from nitrogen fixation to closing biological loops in extreme environments. This journey shows how space research can provide powerful tools to tackle today’s environmental crises, pointing to bio-regenerative agriculture as a key to humanity’s future—both within and beyond Earth’s atmosphere.