The prospect of cultivating cereal crops on Mars represents a critical component of long-term extraterrestrial colonization and bioregenerative life support systems. This review synthesizes current evidence on the feasibility of cereal production under Mars-like conditions, focusing on key abiotic constraints including nutrient-deficient regolith, perchlorate toxicity, high salinity, water scarcity, and atmospheric composition dominated by CO₂. Studies using Martian regolith simulants (e.g., JSC-Mars-1A, MMS-1, MGS-1) consistently demonstrate that unamended substrates are incapable of supporting plant growth. In contrast, chemical and biological amendments, such as incorporating organic matter, adjusting pH, and introducing plant growth-promoting microorganisms, significantly improve outcomes. Perchlorate contamination remains a major unresolved barrier due to its persistence and phytotoxicity. Water treatment technologies, including desalination via cyanobacteria and plasma-activated water, show promise in enhancing plant performance. Although certain cereals, such as rye and wheat, have demonstrated partial growth success in amended simulants, no study has yet achieved full life-cycle cereal production under integrated Mars-like environmental conditions. The review highlights critical knowledge gaps, particularly regarding germination under low-oxygen, high-CO₂ atmospheres and the combined effects of multiple stressors, and outlines future research directions necessary for sustainable Martian agriculture.
