ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF USING SULFUR-CONTAINING BIOPREPARATIONS IN MODERN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Abstract

Purpose: to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the economic and environmental aspects of using sulphurcontaining biological products in agricultural production, and to assess their impact on soil bioremediation and the development of new sources of dietary protein. Methods. The study was conducted based on the analysis of domestic and foreign scientific publications devoted to the development of sulfur-containing biopreparations for use in agricultural production. The bioremediation potential was examined through an analysis of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of interaction between the studied microorganisms and contaminated soils, as well as their effect on the stress tolerance of agricultural crops under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. The synergistic effect of sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms in combination with nitrogen fertilizers was evaluated from the perspective of optimizing nutrient uptake in plants. The innovative direction of the study involved the analysis of scientific and technical prospects for the use of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as a biotechnological basis for the production of alternative food protein, taking into account current data on the efficiency of the corresponding biotechnological processes. Results. Chemolithoautotrophic sulphur-oxidising bacteria are attracting increasing attention from investors and researchers as potential industrial producers of single-cell protein (SCP). These microorganisms are capable of utilising reduced sulphur from industrial waste as an energy source and continuously assimilating CO₂ in large bioreactors. This creates a closed production cycle: industrial carbon dioxide emissions are utilised, whilst bacterial biomass with a high content of the essential amino acid methionine is synthesised in return. The protein obtained is a valuable feed supplement for livestock and poultry farming, which helps to significantly reduce the pressure on agricultural land. Conclusions. Although the energy efficiency and economic viability of this approach are currently somewhat inferior to traditional technologies for producing protein biomass based on heterotrophic bacteria and microalgae, its prospects for development remain considerable. Improvements to metabolic processes and optimisation of bioreactor design have the potential to radically change the situation, transforming sulphur-oxidising microorganisms into a key element of the alternative protein industry in the coming decades.