EARTHWORMS BORN IN MARS SOIL, FARMING IS MORE OF A REALITY ON MARS!

Living on Mars just became a bit more realistic after a research team was able to produce two healthy earthworms in simulated Martian Soil, Space.com reported on Monday.
A biology lab led by Wieger Weamelink in the Netherlands' Wageningen University and Research Center made the birth announcement last week has been attempting to grow plants in the mock Martian soil for a few years; Weamelink decided to throw in a couple adult earthworms to see if they reproduced – and they did, for the first time ever. 

The soil is a hybrid of NASA produced soil "simulants" that are composed mostly of volcanic terrestrial rocks along with a dash of pig manure. The success of the earthworms birth is an important milestone for potential Martian exploration, as farming will be of utmost importance for survival. Earthworms are key to the agricultural process, as they – along with bacteria – break the organic material down and release them into the soil, which then gets processed as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium or plats to absorb and thrive. And earthworms' natural tunnelling behaviour helps aerate the soil, allowing for better absorption.

The lab launches a crowdfunding initiative, Worms for Mars, to continue researching earthworm birth and livelihoods on Martian soil.