This 'eSoil' Could Help Plants Achieve Faster Growth
Rahul Kalvapalle — December 29, 2023 — Tech
A team of scientists working out of Linkoping University over in Sweden have developed an electronic soil that is designed to be able to speed up the process by which plants grow.
Aptly dubbed 'eSoil,' this material is effectively a combination of plant-based cellulose that happens to be blended in with a special conductive polymer material. In tests, barley plants that were grown in the electronic soil and whose roots were subjected to low levels of electric stimulation grew as much as 50 percent more than plants that did not undergo the stimulation.
"What we have found is that seedlings process nitrogen more effectively, but it’s not clear yet how the electrical stimulation impacts this process," stated lead scientist Eleni Starvrinidou.
By managing to use electric conductivity in an eco-friendly manner, this technology could offer a lot of promise in being able to allow for faster cultivation of more plants in smaller spaces.
Image Credit: Thor Balkhed
Aptly dubbed 'eSoil,' this material is effectively a combination of plant-based cellulose that happens to be blended in with a special conductive polymer material. In tests, barley plants that were grown in the electronic soil and whose roots were subjected to low levels of electric stimulation grew as much as 50 percent more than plants that did not undergo the stimulation.
"What we have found is that seedlings process nitrogen more effectively, but it’s not clear yet how the electrical stimulation impacts this process," stated lead scientist Eleni Starvrinidou.
By managing to use electric conductivity in an eco-friendly manner, this technology could offer a lot of promise in being able to allow for faster cultivation of more plants in smaller spaces.
Image Credit: Thor Balkhed
Trend Themes
1. Electronic-soil Integration - The integration of electronic components into soil offers potential for speeding up plant growth through electrical stimulation.
2. Conductive Polymer Advancements - Advancements in conductive polymer materials have enabled the development of electronic soils that can enhance plant growth.
3. Eco-friendly Cultivation Methods - The use of electronic soils presents an eco-friendly approach to increasing plant cultivation in smaller spaces.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture - The agriculture industry can leverage electronic soils to optimize plant growth and increase productivity in limited space.
2. Material Science - Advancements in conductive polymer materials for electronic soils present opportunities for innovation and development within the material science industry.
3. Environmental Technology - Electronic soils contribute to eco-friendly cultivation methods, creating opportunities for the environmental technology industry to improve sustainability in agriculture.
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