Light intensity and production parameters of phytocenoses cultivated on soil-like substrate under controled environment conditions

Abstract

To increase the degree of closure of biological life support systems of a new generation, we used vermicomposting to involve inedible phytomass in the intra-system mass exchange. The resulting product was a soil-like substrate, which was quite suitable for growing plants (Manukovsky et al. 1996, 1997). However, the soil like substrate can be regarded as a candidate for inclusion in a system only after a comprehensive examination of its physical, chemical, and other characteristics. An important criterion is the ability of the soil-like substrate to supply the necessary mineral elements to the photosynthesizing component under the chosen cultivation conditions. Thus, the purpose of this work was to study the feasibility of enhancing the production activity of wheat and radish crops by varying the intensity of photosynthetically active radiation, without decreasing the harvest index. The increase of light intensity from 920 to 1150 μmol·m −2·s −1 decreased the intensity of apparent photosynthesis of the wheat crops and slightly increased the apparent photosynthesis of the radish crops The maximum total and grain productivity (kg/m −2) of the wheat crops was attained at the irradiance of 920 μmol·m −2·s −1. Light intensity of 1150 μmol·m −2·s −1 decreased the productivity of wheat plants and had no significant effect on the productivity of the radish crops (kg/m 2) as compared to 920 μmol·m −2·s −1. The qualitative and quantitative composition of microflora of the watering solution and substrate was determined by the condition of plants, developmental phase and light intensity. By the end of wheat growth under 1150 μmol·m −2·s −1 the numbers of bacteria of the coliform family and phytopathogenic bacteria in the watering solution and substrate were an order of magnitude larger than under other illumination conditions. The obtained data suggest that the cultivation of plants in a life support system on soil-like substrate from composts has a number of advantages over the cultivation on neutral substrates, which require continual replenishment of the plant nutrient solution from the system's store to complement the macro- and micro-elements. Yet, a number of problems arise, including those related to the controlling of the production activity of the plants by the intensity of photosynthetically active radiation. It is essential to understand why the intensity of production processes is limited at higher irradiation levels and to overcome the factors responsible for this, so that the soil-like substrate could have an even better chance in the competition for the best plant cultivation technology to be used in biological life support systems.