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DO PERU’S POTATOES have the right stuff?
That’s the question scientists will be asking in Lima next month, when a selection of tubers will begin undergoing tests to determine whether they’re fit to grow on Mars.
NASA, the US space agency, is conducting the pioneering experiment together with Lima’s International Potato Center (CIP).
They will cultivate a hundred selected varieties already subjected to rigorous evaluation in extreme, Mars-like conditions that could eventually pave the way to building a dome on the Red Planet for farming the vegetable.
The selection was made from a total of 4,500 varieties registered at CIP, a nonprofit research facility that aims to reduce poverty and achieve food security.
Of the selected candidates, 40 are native to the Andes Mountains, conditioned to grow in different ecological zones, withstand sudden climate changes and reproduce in rocky, arid terrain.
The other 60 are genetically modified varieties able to survive with little water and salt. They are also immune to viruses.
Those that pass the tests must meet a final criterion — they must be able not only to grow well on Mars but also reproduce in large quantities.
“We’re almost 100% certain that many of the selected potatoes will past the tests,” said Julio Valdivia Silva, a Peruvian NASA astrobiologist who is taking part in the ambitious project.
The scientists hope the experiment will also help address the earthly scourges of hunger and malnutrition by identifying varieties suited to growing in harsh conditions.
“We must be prepared for the future,” said virologist Jan Kreuze, a scientist at CIP.
To respond to desertification, rising temperature and high salt content in the soil.
Vegetable of the future
The soil in La Joya Pampas, a sector of the Atacama Desert in southern Peru that’s considered one of the driest places on earth, is very similar to that found on the Red Planet.
The scientists plan to transport 100kg of it to a CIP laboratory in Lima that will simulate the complex Martian atmosphere — which contains mostly carbon dioxide — and expose it to extreme ultraviolet radiation.
“We’ll have more concrete results in one or two years,” Valdivia said, adding that it will take more than five years to launch an unmanned mission to Mars.
The potential future space crop is also one of the oldest.
Records of potato cultivation date back to 2500 BC, when the indigenous Aymara Indians farmed it in modern-day Peru and Bolivia.
If the varieties selected for next month’s experiment don’t adapt to the desert soil, the researchers will introduce nutrients and subject them to radiation.
“If that doesn’t work,” Valdivia said, “we’ll administer a new method the CIP is using called aeroponics.”
The technique, used for cultivating plants without soil, would expose roots inside a sphere or cube that is sprayed with nutrients and contains a system for removing toxins.
In future years, NASA plans to build a Mars research center in the Peruvian desert.
It would create a perfect replica of the Martian landscape and atmosphere for future research into space farming that could serve manned missions to Mars and other planets in the solar system.
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Moral of the story? Do a crime and jump into your car and drive fast. You have an 80% chance of getting away with it.
@Ben Fede: or turn on yr lights and siren,drive over the speed limit,crash and suffer the consequences like every motorist.
@Dave Barrett: Gardaí are exempt speed limits while driving on duty.
@SF Ankle Tapper: wrong
Absolute farce.
Something seriously wrong that we’re not investing in our emergency personnel.
Nurses, guards, firefighters, army, (I’m going to include teachers), all deserve more investment and higher salaries.
@sequoia: Teachers arent emergency services! They’re a valued part of Public Service (not as valued as the should be!) but not an emergency service!
@sequoia: all treated like muck
@sequoia: I love how you replaced paramedics with teachers ha!
The brother just finished training as a paramedic. The problem is the serious lack of instructors (who are mostly retired Garda personnel). They agreed to become instructors under the assumption that it was a part time endeavour so they could enjoy retirement as well, but enough instructors weren’t hired, so it ended up becoming a full time, 45 hour a week job every week of the year.
Eventually over the last couple of months most have just quit, so now there’s just one ( yes ONE) full time qualified instructor in Dublin to train every paramedic / Garda in the country. For paramedics they’re finishing their training but there’s a 3 month waiting list for the driving qualification, so most newly trained paramedics can’t drive under sirens either.
@Chris Forde: the gardaí have two driving schools with full-time staff who are all serving members; the problem is that there’s not enough of them.
@Chris Forde: National Ambulance Services own fault they outsource the driving training to a company in Galway called I.A.T.I who then sub contracted it to a retired guard who doesn’t have a clue. They need their own dedicated NAS instructors.
@Chris Forde: It’s not just sirens they can’t drive full stop without the driving course. Which in turn means they can’t work on an ambulance as crews rotate between calls between attending and driving
@Joe Bloggs: your source for this ?
@Joe Bloggs: Those retired Garda have the best driving qualifications and experience in the country which they obtained both in Ireland and from the UK police. They are the only ones who are even remotely qualified to give blue light training in this country.
@Joe Bloggs: You seem to know a lot about this? Failed a driving test with the ambulance perhaps?
@Joe Bloggs: That’s not accurate. There are two levels.
The first one allows you to drive a patrol car but you have to maintain the speed limit and only use the lights to secure a scene.
@Austin Florish: source for what?
@Joe Bloggs: You may be confusing that with the was it used to be (at least in the UK) where there was only one test.
That’s since changed, there is level one and then the response driving which is level 2.
@Bob Earner: if you read back I’m referring to National Ambulance Service Paramedics not guards. The guards have a two level system alright but paramedics only have one level in which includes normal driving and response driving.
@Austin Florish: Joe completed a driver assessment but failed
@John Ryan: I’m assuming you were/are one of the retired guards that run the course so I apologize if I’ve hurt your feelings with fact but the course could be run a lot better.
I’ve done the course alright and passed it first time. I’ve been response driving for years!
@Joe Bloggs: & all NAS students as part of their first year in training undertake the 3 week driving module. This has been the way for a good few years so the information you posted earlier is incorrect.
@Chris Forde: ammm none of this is accurate. Gardai are not trained by the same instructors as paramedics. So saying one instructor is training paramedics and gardai is completely false. Gardai are trained for advanced driving in Garda HQ or Templemore depending on what region they are based in
@Bob Earner: he was talking about the ambulance service if u read the comment again
@Austin Florish: What exactly did I post that was incorrect? It’s a 3 week course alright that’s held in NAS HQ in Dublin which is run by a retired guard who is sub-contracted to do the job.
Most Paramedics will have done the course within their first year of training.
But I’m lost to see what I said that was incorrect???
@Anthony: it’s Ex Garda driving training instructors that train paramedics so technically it’s the same instructors but at different stages in their career.
All emergency services drivers have a similar advanced driving course to complete.
I’m open to correction from a guard but as far as I’m aware there is no specific course for pursuing vehicles?? It’s the same advanced course. Level 2.
I suspected that when yesterday I saw a cops car blaring it’s siren and nearly knocking me down on the luas tracks, just to park in front of the ombudsman office on the footpath and stroll into the coffee shop in front of it.
Farcical!! Training should be mandatory as part of the initial training in Templemore. No Garda should be allowed to “pass out” without the relevant level 2 driving skill.
@Karen Delaney: Then you’d have far fewer Guards on the beat.
And I don’t want some brand new Guard screaming about in a car, they’re still learning when just out of Templemore!
Said it last time when this news broke. They shouldn’t be garda if they can’t even drive or turn on as switch.
@TechBuzz Ireland: it’s not a question of knowing how to drive or turn on a switch, they need to be trained to drive the cars at high speed.
Couldn’t they just stick their heads out the window and make the siren noise.problem solved.
I’ve a friend in Glasgow that’s a police officer. They are a response driver but they confirmed that I already suspected; there are far more untrained response drivers on their shift then there are trained ones. (and other stations have even fewer)
Apparently it can take up to 4 years to get trained (more if you’re in a role that doesn’t require it)
This seems to be an issue in more than just Ireland.
@Bob Earner: 4 years isn’t too bad. Most guards are waiting up to 10 years to get the advanced driving course
@Anthony: That’s nothing. I waited just over 20 years to get on the Garda driving course….
Incredible, no money for training
but 1 million for michael
€5.4 billion to rescue Irish Nationwide, the bank where you didn’t need paperwork or ID for mega loans.
THE CHIEF executive of Irish Nationwide Building Society, Michael Fingleton, was paid a bonus of €1 million just weeks after the Government introduced the €440 billion guarantee to protect the entire banking system.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fingleton-was-paid-1m-bonus-weeks-after-guarantee-1.722092
With these figures, Tallaght needs to be moved to the north side!
About the same does seem to be able to count
According to the RSA and the Gardai themselves, an on duty untrained Garda in lane one not allowed to drive faster than a hogger on a motorway/dual carraigeway. Only in Ireland!
Woop-woop! That’s the sound of da police.
Doesn’t apply in Ireland!!!!!
Hahaha only in Ireland
@Johannes Baader: No, not only in Ireland actually. The UK has the same setup with response drivers being in the minority on most shifts.
It can take up to and more than 4 years to get the training to be a response driver (more if you’re job isn’t response based)
*your (d’oh!!)
That’s a garda management problem with regards to their training,
Going by the heading, is there no need for sirens outside the pale???
Trained to turn on a siren? FFS!
And on the mobile and textin at 1000mph..eejits
have your say