Lunar Farming Needs Earth Compost

A controlled experiment using lunar regolith simulant plus vermicompost (about 5% by mix) produced edible potato tubers, though the plants showed stress‑gene activation and accumulated higher copper and zinc than Earth‑grown controls. That mix was necessary to supply organic matter and nutrients missing from raw regolith, and the resulting heavy‑metal uptake raises food‑safety concerns for human consumption. — This reframes early lunar settlement planning: crop feasibility depends on organic‑matter supply or in‑situ biomanufacturing, and regulators must confront food‑safety, waste‑recycling, and planetary‑protection tradeoffs now.