Title: Enhancing Crop Growth with Electronic Soil

Scientists at Linköping University have made a breakthrough in agriculture by developing an electrically conductive “soil” for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics. This innovative cultivation substrate, called eSoil, has been shown to stimulate the growth of barley seedlings by up to 50% in just 15 days.

Hydroponic cultivation is a method of growing plants without soil, using only water, nutrients, and a substrate for the roots to attach to. This closed system allows for water recirculation, ensuring that each seedling receives the exact nutrients it needs. As a result, very little water is required, and all nutrients remain within the system, unlike traditional cultivation methods.

The advantage of hydroponics is that it enables vertical cultivation in large towers, maximizing space efficiency. Crops such as lettuce, herbs, and some vegetables are already being cultivated in this manner. However, grains have not typically been grown in hydroponics, except for their use as fodder. In this study, the researchers demonstrate that barley seedlings can be cultivated using hydroponics and that they have a better growth rate due to electrical stimulation.

The eSoil is made of cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, mixed with a conductive polymer called PEDOT. This combination has not been used for plant cultivation before, but it has been used to create an interface for plants. Previous research has used high voltage to stimulate the roots, but the advantage of the eSoil is that it has very low energy consumption and no high voltage danger.

The researchers believe that this new study will open the pathway for further research in hydroponic cultivation. While they are not yet sure how the electrical stimulation impacts the processing of nitrogen, they have found that seedlings process nitrogen more effectively when using the eSoil.

The development of the eSoil could help address food security issues, particularly in areas with limited arable land and harsh environmental conditions. Although hydroponics cannot solve all food security problems, it can certainly contribute to addressing them, especially in regions where traditional agricultural methods are not sufficient.