L.A. Somova

Plants-rhizospheric organisms interaction in a manmade system with and without biogenous element limitation

The effect has been studied of inoculation of seeds of wheat with two species of rhizospheric microorganisms--Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida--on young plant growth with complete and with nitrogen deficit mineral nutrition. With complete mineral medium, plants grown from seeds inoculated with bacteria of Pseudomonas genus (experiment plants) have been found to have better growth over plants not inoculated with these bacteria (control plants). The experiment plants had increased transpiration and their biomass had higher organic nitrogen content. With nitrogen deficit medium, the plants inoculated with bacteria and those without them, have not revealed changes in growth. Neither case demonstrated competition of microorganisms with plants for nitrogen sources.

A mathematical model of “plants-microorganisms” interaction on complete mineral medium and under nitrogen limitation☆

A mathematical model concerning the interaction of plants and rhizospheric microorganisms on complete mineral medium and under nitrogen limitation has been constructed. The model takes into account the closeness of plants and microorganisms in terms of the matter released by the plant and consumed by the microorganisms. The effect of rhizospheric microorganisms on plant growth with normal carbon dioxide and complete mineral medium has been demonstrated. Plants interacting with microorganisms have a greater biomass than plants growing without microorganisms. Wheat growth stimulation by metabolites of rhizospheric microorganisms under laboratory conditions on artificial soil has been experimentally demonstrated (Pechurkin, 1997). Under nitrogen limitation, the biomass of plants, with or without microorganisms, is identical, and is substantially reduced as compared with the medium with standard nitrogen.

Micro- and macroorganisms in life support systems (problem of coexistence)

Abstract Every life support system has an associated microflora that is not essential to functioning of the system. At the same time, the confined space of a closed system increases the significance of the associated microflora causing closer contact between components and enhancing the intensity of exchange between them. For any life support system that is functioning normally, there exists an optimum between the effort necessary to maintain the system in a healthy state and the damage the introduction of alien microflora can cause.

A new enzymatic technique to estimate the efficiency of microbial degradation of pollutants

Dynamics of active sludge microorganism activity in aerotanks under chemostat conditions has been studied. Dependence of microorganism catalase activity has been found to depend on residual substrate concentration in proportion to the biomass of microorganisms. Experimental data and field observations has formed the basis to develop a technique to evaluate in relative units the amount of the substrate consumed by biocenosis of the active sludge in the air tanks of purification facilities.

The health of biological life support systems

Abstract In developing different types of biological life support systems for use in space or extreme environments on Eart, researchers should pay attention to the long term health or functional state of such systems. The difficulty of the task is compounded by the complexity of the links and structure to be found in biological systems. To solve the problem, a hierarchical approach may be used to estimate and monitor the health of the system as a whole and its individual links. Three levels in a typical hierarchy have been considered: 1. a. the organismic. 2. b. populations and communities. 3. c. the ecosystem. Special attention has been given to the interactions between macro- and microorganisms. Microorganisms are considered the most suitable indicators of a systems health and its component links.