Biogeosystem Technique

51-65

Authors: Alla A. Okolelova, Ksenia G. Tutarashvili, Veronika N. Kaplya, Galina S. Egorova, Abbas Yousif Abdul Abbas, Elena E. Nefed’eva, Sergey L. Belopuhov

The study was aimed to develop a technology for effective and safe cleaning and phytoremediation of heavily rocky oil-contaminated soil. The use of mechanical cleaning technology seemed rational, since it did not require special costs for soil removal and its transportation. Surfactants and other substances are used to clean soil from oil contamination. It was proposed to use surfactants intended for widespread use in industry because they sufficiently studied and available. Sokolan surfactant and defoamer AF 5503 were the least toxic for further soil remediation. The technology for cleaning of oil-contaminated soil involves their introduction into the apparatus for more efficient separation of oil components from contaminated soil. The preparations will not contribute to the toxicity of wastewater and washed soil during further remediation of the fertile soil layer. The use of green manure can improve the condition of soils and create prerequisites for the development of microflora involved in the transformation of oil products in the soil. Oil has a detrimental effect on the growth dynamics of sunflower cotyledons and stems. Mustard seeds showed the best germination. In addition, wheat, amaranth, oats and barley survived in oil-contaminated soil, and they can be used for phytoremediation. Mustard and oats are better adapted to the conditions of heavily stony, oil-contaminated soil. It is recommended to simultaneously sow oats and white mustard into the straw. It is necessary to carry out pre-sowing treatment of seeds with the solution of Lignohumate brand B potassium, consumption rate is 0.5 l/t, working solution consumption is 10-15 l/t. The seed material treatment will significantly enhance the growth and development of the plant root system in the first stages of ontogenesis. It is not recommended to apply mineral fertilizers before sowing, but fertilizing with mineral fertilizers can be carried out during the growing season. It is possible to use the solid fraction of municipal wastewater as organomineral fertilizers.

74-80

Authors: Lenar. R. Valiullin

The prevalence of microscopic fungi and their metabolites in food raw materials and agricultural products poses a great threat to the population. Many mycotoxins are highly toxic and resistant to various environmental factors. The drugs available on the market do not completely neutralize these toxins. The residues of toxins can pose a threat to farm animals, causing a violation in hematological, biochemical, reproductive indicators, a decrease in weight gain, a deterioration in the sanitary quality of meat, milk and eggs. The comparative studies of the T-2 toxin effect on the biological objects – protozoa and primary cell culture (Stylonychia mytilus and bull spermatozoa) indicate a selective toxic activity of this type mycotoxin. When protozoa exposed to T-2 toxin in a dose of 0.5 mcg/ml, cell death was 19 %. The corresponding figure for a germ cell culture was 34 %. The protective effect of exposure to T-2 toxin on biological models was observed with the use of all studied protective drugs. When using bentonite from the Apastovo deposit of RT, the decrease in the death of protozoa against the background of the influence of T-2 toxin was 15 % higher compared to the control. When using strains of microorganisms B. Subtilis and L. Plantarum together with T-2 toxin, the death of protozoa was 10 % higher than the control. The use of the drug KMBI-3 containing bentonite and strains of microorganisms B. Subtilis and L. Plantarum significantly reduced the toxic effects of T-2 toxin, both on protozoan cells and on primary germ cells. The drug KMBI-3 is a dry powder that has the potential to reduce phytopathogen toxins in food raw materials.

3-11

Authors: Pavel O. Kazakov, Svetlana V. Akimova, Ivan V. Nechiporenko, Zafarjon A. Jabbarov, Peter Kováčik, Shovkat M. o’g’li Kholdorov, Zeynep Demir, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska, Nikolay N. Sibulko

The article considers the prerequisites for the formation of urbanized agro-production, notes its main advantages and development prospects. The main emphasis is made on intensive urban crop production, which is one of the most dynamically developing areas of city farming. A brief review of the most popular hydroponic systems presented, their specifics are described. We have identified the main vegetable, berry, green and ornamental crops, in the cultivation of which hydroponics technologies are actively used. An important factor in the development of intensive crop production is the introduction of new crops into production. Thus, one of the most perspective directions, in our opinion, is citrus crops. In addition to their highest nutritional value, citrus fruit processing products are widely used in the cosmetic and medical industries. Colossal volume of world production and consumption of citrus fruits has made this crop the most economically important fruit crop in the world. Thus, this article presents statistics on the volume of global production, exports and imports of citrus fruits for 2019. One of the most important consumers of citrus fruits in the world trade is the Russian Federation, but due to climatic conditions, its own production of citrus fruits using classical technologies of ground cultivation is very limited. In this article, the advantages of intensive hydroponics cultivation of citrus crops were hypothesized and a preliminary experiment was conducted. Observation of the experimental plants showed an increase in growth rate relative to their counterparts growing in soil in a winter greenhouse under similar temperature, humidity and light conditions. These preliminary results open wide possibilities for further experiments on selection of cultivars, grafting methods and obtaining productive plants.

32-48

Authors: Larisa L. Sviridova, Michail G. Baryshev, Michail A. Sevostyanov, Veronika M. Andreevskaya, Sofia V. Zhelezova, Elena V. Grishina, José L. Hernández Cáceres, Zafarjon Jabbarov, Urol Nomozov d, Shovkat Kholdorov, Daniel Asiamah Aboagye

The results of research in optimizing the composition of soil fillers are presented. The initial properties of raw material for the soil application often do not meet the agrochemical requirements and their introduction cannot guarantee the planned result in the soil environment. The study aims were: a searching for the original component soil filler data; the soil formation conditions; the declared plant community need for a growth support and a soil filler composition optimization by additional components introduction. The article presents the studies on compiled samples of soil mixtures using natural components and recycled industrial waste. The objects of research are samples intended for the growing of different plant species; reference soil samples on the market; humus-containing preparations of scientific and research and production organizations; sapropel deposits of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain; tested crop varieties; stressor and pathogen microorganism strains from the Center for Collective Use “State Collection of Phytopathogenic Microorganisms and Identifier Varieties (Differentiators) of Pathogenic Strains of Microorganisms” of the All-Russian Phytopathology Research Institute.

62-76

Authors: Tatiana T. Glazko, Galina V. Glazko, Gleb Yu. Kosovsky, Boris L. Zybaylov, Valery I. Glazko

How the nuclear architectonic is influencing gene expression programs is a fast developing area of research. In this review we track the accumulated data about interphase nucleus architectonic and how it is changing in various cellular populations of eukaryotes. We also discuss in details how major structural components of chromosomes – centromeres and telomeres – are organized. They consist of tandem repeats and transposons, closely related with each other. Mobile genetic elements play a key role in creating ectopic chromosomal contacts and laminal attachments of genomic elements. We note that retrotransposons autonomous long repeats LINE and non-autonomous short repeats SINE are localized differently over chromosomes. LINEs are preferably located in heterochromatin while SINEs are associated with euchromatin. They are involved in nuclear architectonic dynamic while gene expression programs are changing. We also consider the data about retrotransposons’ high evolutionary rate and their involvement into decreasing reproduction of inter-species hybrids. The relationship between genomic ‘resistance’ toward retrotransposition and the success insertion rate of several viruses is also discussed. The relationship between the variability of retrotranspositions, morphogenesis and speciation, as well as resistance to natural selection is a big question in contemporary medicine and biology given recent pandemic.

91-100

Authors: Astghik Sukiasyan, Arsen Simonyan, Samvel Kroyan, Alik Hovhannisyan, Vahram Vardanyan, Alla Okolelova, Armen Kirakosyan

Environmental problems are the result of the disturbance of the natural balance through a combination of processes in the environment and their irreversible consequences. The latter causes specific environmental problems. This is particularly true for countries with limited land, water and plant resources. Factors such as soil fertility and protection against adverse effects, inactivating and demobilising chemical pollutants that penetrate the soil, etc. must be managed to ensure a stable ecosystem. Climatic factors (ambient temperature, rainfall, wind rose, etc.) also contribute to wasteful human activities. All these factors lead to soil degradation and desertification in the territory of the Republic. There are different forms of these phenomena. The extent and irreversible consequences of heavy metal contamination of biota are well documented. However, all discussions are reduced to quantitative comparisons of heavy metal concentrations in the environment with accepted maximum permissible concentrations, without focusing on the nature of what is happening. In this article, approaches with consideration of geo-ecological coefficients for assessment of multi-component impact of anthropogenic pollution on arable soils of the Republic of Armenia are considered. The anthropogenic zone of the city of Hrazdan and the surrounding arable soils are considered as an example of the approach to the estimation of the degree of environmental pollution. It contributes to the differentiation of abiotic and anthropogenic factors of heavy metal pollution in environmental studies. It helps to differentiate between the abiotic and the anthropogenic sources of heavy metals in studying them. This approach makes it possible to set limits on the use of natural resources. It also contributes to the development of environmental protection measures aimed at the safety of the biota as a whole.

3-14

Authors: Veronika N. Kaplya, Alla A. Okolelova, Elena E. Nefedieva, Zafarjon A. Jabbarov, Peter Kováčik, Astghik Sukiasyan, Yulduz Abdullaeva, Shovkat Kholdorov, Zeynep Demir, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska

The article presents the diagnosis of contamination of light chestnut soils of Volzhsky, Volgograd region with petroleum products and heavy metals using various bioindicators: earthworms of the genus Lumbricus rubbellus and fungus of the genus Botryitis cinerea. The following indicators of bioindication of soil pollution were identified: the survival rate of the earthworms Lumbricus rubbellus, the total microbial number of light chestnut and the mycelium mass of the fungus of the genus Botrytis cinerea. In clay and sandy light chestnut soils that are contaminated with oil and petroleum products, the mortality of earthworms of the genus Lumbricus rubellus was noted on day 7. After 7 days, the spores of the Botrytis cinerea fungus began to grow on the control and light chestnut sandy soil of gas station number 3, and after 14 days – on other soils. The survival rate of earthworms depends on the quality of petroleum products and does not depend on the granulometric composition of soils. The largest total microbial number of light chestnut soil, estimated by the Botrytis cinerea fungus, is observed in the sandy soil of gas station number 3 (133333 CFU/cm3 of water soil extract), and the smallest – in the clay soil of gas station number 1 (6773 CFU/cm3 of water soil extract).

49-59

Authors: Gantumur Sambuu, Galina V. Kharitonova, Alexey S. Stepanov, Xionghu Zhao, Zemfira Tyugai, Valeriya O. Krutikova

For balanced approach to Sustainable Development Goals, the physical and chemical degradation of soils in result of oil pollution were studied. The data on the particle-size distribution and the content of chemical components in the soils of the Tamtsagbulag and Zuunbayan oil-producing areas are presented. Due to arid and could climate and geographical location of inland and mid-latitude highlands the studied soils are characterized by similar physical and chemical properties: high content of physical sand (particle size > 0.01 mm) up to 86-91 %, alkaline reaction pH up to 8.7-8.8, density of the solid phase 2.63-2.64 g/cm3. However, the total carbon content is much higher in Tamtsagbulag soils (kastanozem soils of dry steppe zone) than in Zuunbayan soils (semi-desert brown soils) – 1.07 and 0.24 % respectively. The content of petroleum hydrocarbons (HC) in the Zuunbayan soils varies from 9 to 60 mg/kg, in the Tamtsagbulag soils – from 7 to 670 mg/kg with a maximum in the vicinity of the operating wells. According to the level of hydrocarbon pollution, Zuunbayan soils can be attributed to uncontaminated (“background” concentration of HC, less than 100 mg/kg), Tamtsagbulag soils – from “background” concentration of HC up to “moderate level” of pollution (locally, near the well). Despite the locality and “moderate level” of oil pollution of Tamtsagbulag soils, a study conducted using remote sensing methods showed that pollution has a certain effect on vegetation cover. The maximum vegetation index value is some but reliably lower in an oilfield (within a radius of 4 km) than adjacent territory. For sustainable solutions planning of the oil production, transportation, and pollution prevention the transcendental Biogeosystem Technique methodology will be helpful for Land Degradation Neutrality implementation.

3-33

Authors: Anton O. Nigten

Mineralized nutrients from artificial fertilizers, and from animal dung and plant residuals, are the cornerstone of modern conventional and organic agriculture. But they form a very risky strategy for fertilizing crops. Mineralized nitrogen is not the only way in which plants can get their nitrogen. In addition to the uptake of inorganic nitrogen, there are five other ways in which plants get their nitrogen. Inorganic nitrogen is not a safe way for plants to get their nitrogen. Ammonia, urea, and nitrate disturb the physiological processes in the plants, and, in consequence, the plants are an easy prey for pests and diseases. Ammonia and nitrate reduce the biodiversity in the patsures and the fields within a few years. But on the other side, not all the organic nitrogen is good for plants. When the symbiotic microbes are put aside by putrefactive microbes, the latter produce a lot of rotting compounds and toxins which hinder and even block the growth of the plants. The cations in conventional and biological products are not in balance, and many trace elelements are missing, with the result that not all nitrogen and sulphur are converted into real proteins. In the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century farmers developed systems to transform animal dung and plant residuals in a healthy plant food by mixing it with earth, heather sods or ditch dredge. By doing this, they kept the nutrients in the mixture and prevented the evaporation and washout of them into the air or the water (ground water). Other farmers added sea minerals to the farmyard manure and the compost. In this way, they gave the crops the necessary sodium, magnesium and trace elements. Crops fed with these products grow well. Still others used dung worms to convert animal dung and compost into valuable fertilizers for the soil and the plants. This vermicompost is a much better fertilizer than animal dung or warm compost. In organic agriculture, the yields are lagging behind because the plants can’t get enough mineralized nitrogen and sulphur, and at the same time they are not able to get the organic nitrogen and sulphur compounds from the soil, because the symbiotic bacteria and fungi which can bring these organic nutrients directly into the plants, are not present, or blocked. The fertilizing systems in organic and conventional farming are based on the same system of mineralization before the uptake of the nutrients by the plants. For that reason, there are only minor differences in quality of the products from both systems. Inorganic nitrogen blocks the nitrogen fixation of leguminous and non leguminous plants, if the levels of it in the soil are too high. As they often are. Practical solutions were developed in the past by many farmers and some scientists. Most of them are forgotten, and must therefore be rediscovered. This article is part of a series in which I try to find out why the yields in organic farming are lagging behind in comparison to conventional farming, and why the quality of both product groups is comparable: not good enough. Lack of available (organic) nitrogen and sulphur seems to be the common key.

45-67

Authors: Anton O. Nigten

In organic agriculture the yields are roughly 25 % lower than in conventional agriculture. And the quality differences are only small, save for pesticide residuals which are in general lower in organic products. Some scientists think the lower yields are caused by the slow mineralization of organic nitrogen. But in this article is demonstrated that the quality of the animal dung and the warm compost hinders the uptake of organic nitrogen and other organic nutrients. The dung and the compost in organic agriculture today are not treated well and because of this the plants are hindered in their growth. Their symbionts in the soil can’t assist them in collecting the organically bound nutrients, because they are lacking or silenced. Above that the dung and the warm compost have lost lots of nutrients in the stables, during composting and while at the piles. Vermicomposts on the other side have less losses, better microbes and no growth limiting poisonous organic compounds. Compared to vermicompost, animal dung and warm compost give lower yields, inferior growth qualities and less resistance to pests and diseases. The adding of earth into the dung or the compost has comparable positive effects as vermicompost. The improperly treated dung and warm compost lead to crops which contain too much non protein nitrogen and probably also non protein sulphur. And the crops are not in balance for their other cations and anions. Just like the crops in conventional agriculture. Through this cows for instance don’t become old and they produce a poor quality urine and poop. And the milk is also of poorer quality. So there is a lot to improve. In organic agriculture and in conventional agriculture.