Researchers in Sweden have developed a bioelectronic soil, or “eSoil,” that promises to accelerate plant growth by 50% in hydroponic systems.
Swedish researchers have just developed a new type of soil, bioelectronics, to accelerate plant growth. According to Eleni Stavrinidoustudy supervisor, nitrogen is a key nutrient for plant growth. Thanks to electrical stimulation, it was treated more effectively. Although it remains to be understood how stimulation affects this process, the research team plans to focus on this aspect in future studies. So far, the “eSoil” was mainly used for growing greens and some vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes.
The eSoil was designed to hydroponic farms, where plants grow without soil, primarily in humid environments. This innovation combines organic substances with a conductive polymer called PEDOT, used in devices such as sensors and OLED screens. When eSoil is integrated into seedling growth systems, sending electrical signals through the ground led increased plant growth by 50% on average.
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In Linköping University, Sweden, the study focused on barley seedlings. They were subjected to electrical stimulations for 15 days before harvesting for analysis. By applying a voltage as low as 0.5V on the eSoil, the researchers were able electrically stimulate the rootswhich led to a significant increase in size and the weight of these plants compared to unstimulated seedlings. The effect is described as “constant” And “transient“. We can therefore deduce that they maintained a uniform growth rate during the experiment. The second term, for its part, could indicate that the effect was of a temporary or changing nature, perhaps in response to short-term electrical stimulation or variables.
Beyond improving yields, implementing eSoil in hydroponic farms could make them more aware of their energy consumption. While traditional hydroponic farms use less water, they require more energy. Stavrinidou emphasized that eSoil consumes very little powerlying in the range of microwatts. But before this technology can be applied to large-scale agriculture, additional studies are needed to observe how electrical stimulation can impact thethe entire growth cycle of a plant.
Source: PNAS