Capsicum annuum Seed Germination and Symbiotic Relationship with PGP Rhizobacteria in Martian Soil Simulant

Rhizosphere is the region of soil where roots of a plant grow. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria are present in the rhizosphere where they form a symbiotic association with plants – surviving using nutrients produced by the plants, and in-turn performing functions (e.g. Nitrogen-fixation) that help gather raw materials for the plants to use and grow [1]. Mars is the 4th planet in our solar system, out of which its properties are closest to that of planet earth. However, it still has harsh environmental conditions, most notably the soil analogue. Mars ‘regolith’ has acidic pH and is mainly composed of metal oxides, making it hard for seeds to germinate and bacteria to survive [2]. Precision Medicine Lab has composed a Martian Soil Simulant by the name of ‘KP-Mars-1’ that is 65% similar to that of Mars regolith. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect, on germination of chile pepper seeds [3], and survival of PGP Rhizobacteria in KP-Mars-1 (Simulated Mars conditions).