Colonization In Mars - A Possibility?
Earthworms are actually vital for the survival of a garden ecosystem. The scientists at Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands, successfully grew earthworms in a Mars soil simulant. This could be a major step towards colonization of the Red Planet and good news for aspiring Martian farmers. Wieger Wamelink of Wageningen University and Research stated the earthworms were active in the Mars soil simulant. The experiment consisted of growing rucola plants in a manure mix composed of pig slurry added to the Martian soil simulant. Martian soil simulant is a really important tool for researching Mars missions. It was developed by NASA based on data obtained by the Mars rovers and the orbiters. This composition is as close to the material on Mars. Earthworms thrive on the dead organic matter such as the old plant remains, which they eat and mix with the soil. These worms improve the very structure of the soil by reprocessing the organic matter through their waste cycle and b...