Influence of microwave radiation on soil bacteria

Cultures of different soil bacteria were used in the experiment. Both the suppression and the stimulation of the growth were observed for different bacterial species under the impact of microwaves. Spore suspensions responded to microwave radiation upon a shorter time of exposure than suspensions of vegetative bacterial cells. The influence of microwave radiation on the biomass accumulation and the intensity of other physiological processes in different species of streptomycetes led to changes in the number and activity of these microorganisms in the soil microbial complex. Changes in the capacity of streptomycetes for assimilation of substrates under the impact of microwaves were identified by the method of multisubstrate testing.