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Sometimes, art can imitate life---and also vice-versa. In 'The Martian', a book by Andy Weir that was made into a hit sci-fi movie with an astronaut enacted by Matt Damon, it was shown that the hero knows Botany and grows potatoes on Mars!

So can scientists do it? Mars has got a tough, rocky and poor soil, so it is possible to farm it? Researchers from the American Society of Agronomy are eager to check, according to natureworldnews.

"The theories behind what [The Martian author] Andy Weir wrote in his book are sound," Jim Bell, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University, said in a press release. "A good soil for growing crops will have structure to hold the plant up, and provide the nutrients needed for growth. This is where Watney was headed in his 'soil recipe.' Of course, he had to use only the resources with him on the planet."

Before he grew potatoes on Mars, Watney blended freeze-dried feces with Mars soil, because his feces contained some nutrients not available on Mars. His body could also fight any harmful bacteria in his own feces, so that did not pose a problem for him.

"In theory, Watney's waste would provide nutrients for growing plants. In reality, the Mars 'soil mixture' he made doesn't have the complex food web of microbes that we have on Earth," Mary Stromberger, a soil microbiologist from Colorado State University, explained in the release. "So, there might be some issues with the recycling of nutrients between soil and plants and atmosphere. And, we don't know if the fecal bacteria could thrive on Mars, even in a controlled environment....On the other hand, he had to use what was there, and this is a sci-fi movie!"

Watney also created water and carbon dioxide for his plants through some elaborate chemistry. Carbon dioxide was exhaled by himself, and he grew his plants in a hothouse of sorts, in the Hab---the temporary artificial habitat on Mars.

Watney also rotated and fertilized his crops when he stayed on Mars for three years.

"The soil science community has defined soils to exist only on planet Earth, because the presence of life is critical," Harold van Es, from Cornell University, added.

What is important is the composition of the soil in Mars, which Bell will discuss in subsequent meetings.