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UDC 631.466.3:631.6

MICROALGAE AS INNOVATIVE OBJECT IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Stifeev A.I., Doctor of Agricultural Science Luk'yanov V.A., Post-graduate Student Bessonova E.A., Doctor of Economics

Kursk State Agricultural Academy, Kursk, Russia

E-mail: lukyanov27@mail.ru ABSTRACT Microalgae are one of the most important objects in modern biotechnology. Intensive cultivation allows getting biomass with a high content of proteins, a number of vitamins, mineral substances, which are in organic form and are used by more than 90%. Due to its high biological activity, they can improve soil fertility naturally, enhance its microbiological activity, increase crop yield, reduce the time of ripening and get ecological safe output. KEY WORDS Organic agriculture; Microalgae; Chlorella;Cultivation.

XXI century is characterized by the cruelest attitude towards the nature. Nowadays aiming to minimize costs and maximize profits people don’t care about the consequences of their activity. It leads to a decrease in soil fertility, nonobservance of science-based crop rotation as they use lots of pesticides and fertilizers. Consequences are as follows: soil degradation, a decrease in quality of both crop and livestock production, therefore, food. The role of biological factors in increase of soil fertility and its revegetation is becoming more and more important [4]. Organic agriculture can be a reasonable way out of the current situation as organic agriculture means farming without use of pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, various synthetic plant growth regulators, as well as genetically modified seeds [3, 6]. This increase of humus in farming, the main component of soil fertility, is due to crop rotation, application of organic forms of fertilizer, tillage to 10 cm, which prevents disturbance of soil microorganisms, as well as the use of biological methods to control weeds and pests.

Autotrophic microalgae (Chlorella in particular) have joined the ranks of basic organic fertilizers (composts, green manure crops, biological agents) used in organic agriculture. The name Chlorella, taken from the Greek “chloros”, meaning green, and the Latin diminutive suffix “ella”, meaning small, is a genus of single-cell green algae [1]. It is usually found in freshwater ponds, where having a large supply of chlorophyll and a set of rarest nutrients is involved in the process of photosynthesis. Chlorella takes up carbon dioxide and oxygenizes the air. It is a active producer of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and usually dry biomass of chlorella contains 40-55 % protein, 35 % carbohydrates, 5-10 % of lipids and 10% minerals. The protein of chlorella contains more than 40 amino acids, including all essential. The chemical composition depends on the composition of nutrient medium. It is proved empirically [5] that if you change mineral nutrition, temperature and light conditions, you can get necessary nutrients with the specified value. It is of great importance.

Macro- and microelement composition of Chlorella suspension contains calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, sulfur, zinc, cobalt, manganese, zirconium, rubidium, and other trace elements. Judging by richness of vitamins Chlorella exceeds many plant feeds and crops of agricultural production. Organic matter of algae decomposes faster than plant a residue, that’s why it is more available to other inhabitants of the ecological community. The nutritional value of chlorella is 2 times higher than of soy protein - 1 kg of chlorella is nutritionally equal to 4-5 kg of soybean. By adding 5-7 kg of chlorella to 1 ton of grain, its value increases 1.5-2 times [2]. According to protein content Chlorella algae harvest from 1 hectare is equal to harvest of wheat from 25 hectares and one of potato from 10 hectares. It’s important to state that yield of Chlorella has no wastes: no roots, straw, leaves, the whole body is a nutritional product.

It is noted that adding chlorella to soil increases organic substances in soil, stimulates the growth of useful soil microorganisms, enhances the enzymatic activity of soil, utilizes heavy metals, pesticides, and decreases the plants’ sickness rate, accelerates ripening, etc.

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To determine the effectiveness of a Chlorella suspension we conducted a laboratory experiment on sprouting barley seeds, where we examined the dynamics of changes in key indicators. The seeds were germinated according to the standard technique. The barley seeds were tested by having them in a controlled environment some were soaked in distilled water and others were in a chlorella suspension.

Table 1 Impact of Chlorella on the growth and development of barley seeds, 2012

Variants of the experiment Length of seedlings Germination energy Germination of seeds 1.Control (distilled water) 13 11 95 2. Chlorella suspension 32 40 100

ESD05 1,5 5,4 2,8

The table shows that the length of the barley seeds processed by chlorella increases 2.5 times, germination energy increases 4 times, and germination rate is 100%. Judging by the results, microalgae have a positive impact on length, germination energy and germination rate of barley seeds. The next stage is field experiment on dark grey soil in forests which helps us to determine efficiency of algae suspension. Cultivar “Suzdalec” is sown, background without chemical fertilizers, herbicides are not used. Table 2 presents data on the structure of forming barley productivity.

Table 2 Elements of the structure of barley biological yield, 2012

Variant of experiment

Total number of plants per м

2

Number of grains per ear

Length of ear, cm

Length of stem, cm

Weight of 1000 seeds,

g

Biological yield, c / ha

1.Control 297 22,2 8,3 48,3 33 22,8 2.Soaking in SMH 349 22,6 8,8 52,7 35 31,7 3. Adding SMH to

the soil 425 22,2 8,0 49,6 34 33,0

4. Spraying SMH during earing phase

360 22,2 8,7 54,8 33 26,0

5. Soaking + adding to soil + spraying

464 22,7 8,3 52,2 38 45,6

The table shows that the best results are achieved by processing seeds with

chlorella, adding to soil and spraying. The total number is 464 per m2 which is 167 more than in the control variant. Number of grains per ear and length of ear differ slightly; weight of 1000 seeds is the heaviest in the last variant and is 38 g. The maximum biological yield is 45.6 t / ha in the last variant and is the highest. Thus, a new approach to the use of microalgae in soil and plant sciences has a huge potential and requires further research.

REFERENCES

1. Bogdanov N. I. Chlorella is a valuable fodder crop / N.I. Bogdanov // Tajikistan

Agriculture. -1981. - № 12.- P. 41 -43. 2. Bolyshev N. N. Algae and their role in the soil formation.-M. 1968. – 83 p. 3. Grinev A. M. Fundamentals of technology for environmentally friendly crop production

(student’s book) / A.M.Grinev , I.Ya.Pigorev. - Kursk: 2009.- 140p. 4. Kulbida V.V. Borodkov V.A. Alternative agriculture: its abilities and potentials. -

Zemledelie. -1994 . - №5. 5. Nekrasova K.A. Place of algae in the system of fertilization - soil - plant and their role as

indicators / / Urgent problems of modern algology: Proc . Reports, the All-Union conference I. (Cherkassy , September 23-25, 1987.) - Kiev: 1987. - p.171.

6. Rozenov Sh. Prospects of organic farming in the SIC. - Agrarian science. -1994 . - № 5.