Researchers at Sweden’s Linköping University have developed a “bioelectronic soil” that can accelerate the growth of plants in hydroponic spaces, or farms where soilless plants are grown in an environment dominated by water and root attachment. After integrating engineered “eSoil” into the framework of seedling growth, researchers found that sending electrical signals through the soil increased plant growth by 50% on average.
eSoil is made from a mixture of organic substances and a conductive polymer called PEDOT, which is commonly used in products such as sensors and OLED displays.Eleni Stavrinidou, the study’s director, told Engadget that the electrical conductivity of the soil is necessary to stimulate plant roots.. In this particular study, the researchers examined the effects of sending signals to barley seedlings 15 days before they were harvested for analysis. Stavrinidou explains that applying voltages as small as 0.5V to the eSoil produces electrical stimulation of the roots. This in turn resulted in a recordable increase in the biomass of electrically stimulated plants compared to unstimulated seeds.
The effects of stimulation on barley seedlings were described as “stable” and “short-lived”. Stavrinidou told Engadget that nitrogen, one of the main nutrients for plant growth, can be processed more efficiently through stimulation. "We found that stimulated plants process nutrients more efficiently, but we didn’t understand how stimulation affected this process. ” explains Stavlindu, adding that the reasons behind the growth process will be the focus of future research.
While hydroponics is primarily used to grow leafy greens and some vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes, eSoil can provide a solution that creates new ways to increase crop yields in commercial settings, especially where environmental conditions impact plant growth . Research highlights that this technology can minimize the use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture.
The USDA says that given that the number of U.S. farms has been steadily declining since 1982, the opportunity for agricultural technology innovation is enormous. Last year, the number of U.S. farms reached 2 million, down from 2.2 million in 2007. Not only are the number of farms declining, but the U.S. is losing acres of land to farmers for a host of reasons, including climate change and a worsening economic outlook, due to inflation, making farming in controlled environments more desirable.
But in addition to increasing crop yields, implementing eSoil on hydroponic farms can also make them more energy-conscious. While traditional hydroponic farms use less water, they require more energy to operate. “The eSoil consumes very little power, in the microwatt range,” Stavrinidou said. Before this technology can be used in large-scale agriculture and other types of crops, more research is needed to see how electrical stimulation affects the entire growth cycle of the plant throughout its life cycle, not just in the early stages of seedling maturity. Stafrinidu also said her team plans to study how the technology affects the growth of other plant species.
This article was originally published on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/swedish-researchers-develop-electronic-soil-that-speeds-up-plant-growth-205630538.html?src=rss
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