In hydroponic cultivation systems, the plants are grown in a nutrient solution with or without soilless substrates. The substrates mainly function as providing physical support to the roots. Recently, Vasileios Oikonomou, from Linköping University, Sweden, and colleagues have expanded the horizon of substrates with a bioelectronic soil or eSoil that acts both as a growth scaffold and as a stimulating electrode. The active material of eSoil is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor and the main structural component is cellulose. The team selected barley as the plant model to demonstrate the applicability of eSoil. They showed that without any electrical stimulation, the plants grown in eSoil and the commonly used substrate rockwool had no statistical difference in the dry weight or lengths of the plants, shoots, and main roots. After electrical stimulation via the eSoil, barley seedling growth was accelerated in comparison with the controls, with an average 50% increase in dry weight after 15 days of growth. The growth enhancement was shown on both roots and shoots during the growth period.
Incorporating innovative technologies could facilitate the continuous improvement of hydroponic farming practices for sustainable food production. Here, Oikonomou and colleagues have expanded the horizons of traditional hydroponics with material science-based approaches, demonstrating the growth enhancement effects of electrical stimulation via the eSoil. Although the study is based on barley seedlings, the system may have the potential to be integrated into future farming systems to maximize the outputs from crop cultivation.
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