Note that the article says "A nutrient solution was added daily". The linked paper mentions "MS nutrient solution", meaning <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muras

Note that the article says "A nutrient solution was added daily". The linked paper mentions "MS nutrient solution", meaning <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murashige_and_Skoog_medium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murashige_and_Skoog_medium>. In other words, the regolith served as a challenging substrate, as long as all the necessary nutrients were added. Without those additions, definitely not.