How does it work

By integrating “electronic soil” into the structure in which seedlings grew, researchers discovered: Sending electrical signals through it made plants grow 50 percent faster on average. eSoil consists of organic materials mixed with a conductive polymer called PEDOT, which can be found in things like sensors and OLED displays.

Eleni Stavrinidou, head of the research, said that soil conductivity is necessary for the stimulation of plant roots. In this study, scientists examined the effects of signaling barley seedlings for 15 days before harvesting them for analysis. According to the scientist, applying a voltage of only 0.5 Volts to eToprak electrically stimulates the roots. This led to a record increase in the biomass of electrically stimulated plants compared to those that were not stimulated.

The effect on barley seedlings was described as “permanent” and “transient”. Nitrogen, one of the main nutrients involved in plant growth, is recycled more efficiently thanks to the stimulation, Stavrinidou said.

We have found that stimulated plants can process nutrients more efficiently, but we do not understand how stimulation affects this process.
– said the researcher, adding that the reason behind the growth process will be the focus of future research.

Although hydroponics is primarily used to grow leafy greens and some vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, eSoil can offer solutions to create new ways to increase crop yields, especially in commercial settings where environmental conditions affect plant growth.

The research emphasizes that this technology can minimize the use of fertilizers in agriculture and speed up harvesting, thus allowing more fruits to be collected in the same time.

In addition to increasing yields, applying eSoil to hydroponic farms can make them more energy efficient. Although traditional hydroponic farms use less water, they require more energy to operate. The new eSoil technology consumes very little power in the microwatt range.