Defying drought: eSoil, the sustainable innovation that will change agriculture
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At the forefront of sustainable agriculture, scientists develop a revolutionary electric hydroponic system, stimulating plant growth from the roots.
Spain is facing greater challenges of drought and desertification every year, prompting farmers to adopt innovative technologies to counteract climate change. A pioneering study led by Eleni Stavrinidou, associate professor at Linköping University, introduces eSoil, a hydroponic system that revolutionizes plant growth by applying electricity to the roots.
In the context of Spain affected by extreme weather conditions, farmers are looking for solutions to optimize production with less use of resources. eSoil emerges as a promising breakthrough by achieving a 50% increase in the growth of barley seedlings in just 15 days, thanks to electrical stimulation of the roots. Although it is not declared to be the ultimate solution for food security, this method shows its usefulness, especially in regions with limited arable land and adverse environmental conditions.
The eSoil technology is based on sustainable bioelectric soil, developed with cellulose and the conductive polymer PEDOT, providing electrical stimuli to the roots in an innovative way. Unlike conventional hydroponic substrates made with non-biodegradable materials, eSoil seeks sustainability by using cellulose, the most abundant polymer.
The results reveal significant and sustained growth in electrically stimulated plants, highlighting improvements in both roots and shoots. This advance goes beyond providing an immediate effect; it triggers processes that positively affect the future development of the plant. Although the study focuses on the early stages, it suggests a transformative potential for agriculture in front of the growing threats of climate change. With eSoil, Spain and other affected regions could have a key tool to cope with the scarcity of arable land and the intensification of adverse environmental conditions.
References
Electronic “soil” enhances crop growth | Linköping University. Retrieved December 27th, 2023 from: https://liu.se/en/news-item/elektronisk-jord-okar-tillvaxten-hos-grodor
eSoil: a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth | PNAS. Retrieved December 26th, 2023 from: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2304135120
El invento que cambiará la agricultura: ahorra agua y dispara un 50% la cosecha usando electricidad | El Español-Omicrono. Retrieved January 17th, 2024 from: https://www.elespanol.com/omicrono/tecnologia/20240117/invento-cambiara-agricultura-ahorra-agua-dispara-cosecha-usando-electricidad/823417986_0.html
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