Anyone else seen The Martian yet? I have a question about his potato crop (spoiler alert)

[NickB79]

We just saw it last night, and it was excellent.

My one question, though, was why he wasn't able to re-start his potato crop after he resealed the wrecked airlock. I caught something about "all the bacteria in the soil froze", which I assume was a reference to the beneficial bacteria needed to create a viable soil for plants to grow in.

However, any bacteria present would have been from the poop he added from his crewmates, right? And if so, he'd have an internal reservoir of bacteria in his own colon to re-inoculate the next time he used the toilet.

Otherwise, I'd think he must have at least a few potatoes left in the habitat from the last harvest that he could replant with.

It would be a serious setback, but it would get the farm rolling again.

What did I miss?

[drm604]

1. Maybe the exposure to the cold and vacuum made the remaining potatoes non-viable?

They would still be edible, but maybe they'd be unable to sprout.

That's just a guess on my part. I think the book explained it but I don't remember exactly how.

[magical thyme]

2. I've never seen it, but bacteria freeze every winter and spring back to life when they thaw

they'd have to really be dessicated -- like freeze-dry in repeat cycles -- for all of them to die. But if the potatoes got too warm and sprouted too soon, they eventually would run out of food or rot if they weren't planted in time. And if they got too cold or froze, they would lose their viability.

[HeiressofBickworth]

3. The real reason? (SPOILER)

A plot device. If he had been able to re-start his garden, there would be no pressing need for others to break rules and take personal chances to rescue him. He would have had the resources to wait for a safer escape.

Hey, it was just a movie, not a documentary. The potato crop didn't survive because it would have ruined the movie.