title: Hydroponic potato production on nutrients derived from anaerobically-processed potato plant residues.
abstract: Bioregenerative methods are being developed for recycling plant minerals from harvested inedible biomass as part of NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) research. Anaerobic processing produces secondary metabolites, a food source for yeast production, while providing a source of water soluble nutrients for plant growth. Since NH4-N is the nitrogen product, processing the effluent through a nitrification reactor was used to convert this to NO3-N, a more acceptable form for plants. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Norland plants were used to test the effects of anaerobically-produced effluent after processing through a yeast reactor or nitrification reactor. These treatments were compared to a mixed-N treatment (75:25, NO3:NH4) or a NO3-N control, both containing only reagent-grade salts. Plant growth and tuber yields were greatest in the NO3-N control and yeast reactor effluent treatments, which is noteworthy, considering the yeast reactor treatment had high organic loading in the nutrient solution and concomitant microbial activity.
authors.affiliation: Dynamac Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mackowiak
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Stutte
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ruffe
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D003470:Culture Media; D018527:Hydroponics; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018505:Waste Management; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009566:Nitrates; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D009584:Nitrogen