Search

The search for life on other planets is one of the most important scientific challenges of this century, centered mainly on Mars. The Atacama Desert is one of the places on the planet with an environment similar to the red planet, with a hyper-arid core that constitutes an extreme environment and scarce life, due to environmental factors. At the moment it has not been possible to confirm the existence of life in this planet, but it is planned to take the life to this planet by means of potato crop. Also has been research the application of microorganisms for the recovery of desert soils, with high salinity or low fertility, through the interaction of microorganisms and plants. The present review describes the similarities between the La Joya desert in Atacama and Mars, showing its importance for the search for life on that planet. Show the recent advances in the investigation of potato crops for its development on Mars or in similar conditions, in addition to the importance of the application of microorganisms that facilitate the growth and adaptability of this crop to inhospitable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]