WHEAT GROWTH ON NEUTRAL AND SOIL-LIKE SUBSTRATES: CARBON DIOXIDE EXCHANGE AND MICROFLORA

The soil-like substrate (SLS), which is a potential candidate for employment in closed ecological systems, has been tested. СО2 exchange, composition and numbers of soil microflora have been examined in “wheat-SLS” system.
The results produced have been compared to analogous characteristics of “wheat-neutral substrate” system.
A hydroponic method was used under wheat growing on the neutral substrate (expanded clay aggregate). Plants for both studies were grown in closed environment from seed to physiological maturity.
In the “wheat-SLS” system, the net photosynthetic rate of canopy was positive in the course of 6–55 days after planting.
The net photosynthetic rate of canopy in “wheat-neutral substrate” system was positive in the entire course of vegetation.
According to calculations in the course of vegetation, photosynthesis has withdrawn 3.28 kg m^-2 СО₂ from the “wheat-SLS” system and 3.40 kg m^-2 СО₂ from the “wheat-neutral substrate” system.
On the SLS dominant among bacteria were the spore-forming bacteria from Bacillus genus, among fungi – from Trichoderma genus.
In the hydroponic cultivation on neutral substrate dominant were bacteria from Pseudomonas genus, most commonly found fungi were species from Fusarium and Botrytis genera.

International Symposium on Growing Media and Hydroponics

J.-B. Gros, C. Lasseur, A.A. Tikhomirov, N.S. Manukovsky, S.A. Ushakova, I.G. Zolotukhin, L.S. Tirranen, E.V. Borodina, V.S. Kovalev

closed ecological system, carbon dioxide

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.644.33