Soybean cultivar selection for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) – Hydroponic cultivation

Four soybean cultivars (‘Atlantic’, ‘Cresir’, ‘Pr91m10’ and ‘Regir’), selected through a theoretical procedure as suitable for cultivation in BLSS, were evaluated in terms of growth and production. Germination percentage and Mean Germination Time (MGT) were measured. Plants were cultivated in a growth chamber equipped with a recirculating hydroponic system (Nutrient Film Technique). Cultivation was performed under controlled environmental conditions (12 h photoperiod, light intensity 350 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, temperature regime 26/20 °C light/dark, relative humidity 65–75%). Fertigation was performed with a standard Hoagland solution, modified for soybean specific requirements, and EC and pH were kept at 2.0 dS m⁻¹ and 5.5 respectively.     

Soybean cultivation for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs): The effect of hydroponic system and nitrogen source

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the plant species selected within the European Space Agency (ESA) Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) project for hydroponic cultivation in Biological Life Support Systems (BLSSs), because of the high nutritional value of seeds. Root symbiosis of soybean with Bradirhizobium japonicum contributes to plant nutrition in soil, providing ammonium through the bacterial fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two hydroponic systems, Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and cultivation on rockwool, and two nitrogen sources in the nutrient solution, nitrate (as Ca(NO₃)₂ and KNO₃) and urea (CO(NH₂)₂), on root symbiosis, plant growth and seeds production of soybean. Plants of cultivar ‘OT8914’, inoculated with B. japonicum strain BUS-2, were grown in a growth chamber, under controlled environmental conditions.     

Instability of entropy waves in cosmic plasma

A dispersion equation is derived for small disturbances of the magnetohydrodynamic type in optically transparent plasma with cosmic abundance of elements. The electron heat conductivity along the magnetic field and proton heat conductivity across the field are taken into account. It is shown that entropy waves increase exponentially in wide ranges of temperatures and densities of the cosmic plasma. Manifestations of instability of the entropy waves in the cosmic plasma are discussed.