Radish Productivity Under Inclusion of Plant Inedible Biomass in Mass Exchange Processes of a Biological-Technical Life Support System

Abstract

Use of the soil-like substrate (SLS) as a root-inhabited substrate is one of the most perspective ways of plants cultivation in biological-technical life support systems (BTLSS). Inclusion of plant inedible biomass seems to be necessary for closure increase of mass exchange processes of a long-functioning BTLSS. The work presents estimation data of three ways of processing wheat and radish inedible biomass introduced into the SLS: a ‘biological’ method, a physical-technical way and a combined one. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) “Mokhovsky” variety was a test culture. The ‘biological’ method represented the SLS used as a bioreactor in which dry wheat and radish inedible biomass was introduced. The physical-technical method consisted of ‘wet’ oxidation of wheat and radish inedible biomass by hydrogen peroxide in alternating current with further introduction of the solution obtained into the solution for plants irrigation. The combined method included physical-chemical mineralization of wheat straw and radish inedible biomass introduced directly into the SLS. The combined method consisted of the physical-chemical oxidation of wheat straw and the ‘biological’ processing of radish inedible biomass appeared to be the most optimal way from all methods under study

Keywords

• biological-technical life support systems
• soil-like substrate
• utilization of plant wastes
• production characteristics of radish plants