Researchers develop electronic soil that enhances crop growth

Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate. In a study published in the journal PNAS, researchers from Linköping University have developed an electrically conductive "soil" for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics.

"The world population is increasing, and we also have climate change. So it's clear that we won't be able to cover the food demands of the planet with only the already existing agricultural methods. But with hydroponics we can grow food also in urban environments in very controlled settings," says Eleni Stavrinidou, associate professor at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Linköping University, and leader of the Electronic Plants group.

Her research group has now developed an electrically conductive cultivation substrate, tailored to hydroponic cultivation, that they call eSoil. The Linköping University researchers have shown that barley seedlings grown in the conductive "soil" grew up to 50% more in 15 days when their roots were stimulated electrically.

"In this way, we can get seedlings to grow faster with less resources. We don't yet know how it actually works, which biological mechanisms that are involved. What we have found is that seedlings process nitrogen more effectively, but it's not clear yet how the electrical stimulation impacts this process," says Starvrinidou.

Image source: Thor Balkhed.