Dynamics of Microbiological Community Properties in the Root Zone of Chineese Cabbage Grown on Hydrophilic Porous Membranes Combined With a Fiber Ion-Exchange Artificial Soil

Abstract

One of the methods to deliver nutrients to roots in microgravity is to grow plants on a fiber ion-exchange salted artificial soil (AS) and control the watering potential by a tensiometer made of porous metals. Five experiments with Chinese cabbage crops raised on AS BIONA-V3 laid upon titanic porous membranes provided insight into dynamics of size and composition of a microbial community in the root zone and on roots. It was found that the root zone and roots of healthy crops were populated by bacteria Bacillaceae and Pseudomonadaceae, and micromycetes Mucor sp. Analysis of changes in the number of microorganisms in root zone showed that an increase in micromycetes was parallel to a decrease in Pseudomonadaceae, and conversely. The data infer that these groups of microorganisms are in competitive and/or antagonistic relations. The experiments did not establish a strong dependence between the size of Bacillaceae and Pseudomonadaceae populations which means they do not depress each other.