Search

The law of microbial growth in soil following a bell-shaped experimental curve has, until now, had no widely accepted justification. An equation was deduced relating microbial growth dynamics in soils to the initial concentration of the leading component of substrate in the framework of a nonstationary nonequilibrium approach. This equation becomes identical with the equation published by the authors earlier when the initial concentration of the leading substrate component is invariable. This equation is helpful in the identification and discrimination of microbial growth phases and stages of response to chemical action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model of macrokinetics of microbial populations in soil was deducted based on the assumption that the resulting indicator of productivity is the consequence of simultaneously occurring but oppositely directed processes of growth and death, which are proportional to biomass and inversely proportional to time (for growth to the time raised to the power whose indicator is greater than one). The adequacy of the model for the experiment has been confirmed by comparison with reliable data in the literature on the study of microbial growth in soil in laboratory conditions. The model's application indicated eight intervals on the curve of microbial growth, each of which characterizes the unique combination of the status of three kinetic characteristics: the biomass index, and the rate of its growth and acceleration. The intervals are strictly defined and conform to the notion of qualitatively different growth phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]