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eSoil : A low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth

Oikonomou, Vasileios K. ; Huerta, Miriam ; Sandéhn, Alexandra ; Dreier, Till LU orcid ; Daguerre, Yohann ; Lim, Hyungwoo ; Berggren, Magnus ; Pavlopoulou, Eleni ; Nãsholm, Torgny and Bech, Martin LU orcid , et al. (2024) In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 121(2).
Abstract

Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is... (More)

Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is evident both on root and shoot development and occurs during the growth period after the stimulation. The stimulated plants reduce and assimilate NO-3more efficiently than controls, a finding that may have implications on minimizing fertilizer use. However, more studies are required to provide a mechanistic understanding of the physical and biological processes involved. eSoil opens the pathway for the development of active hydroponic scaffolds that may increase crop yield in a sustainable manner.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bioelectronics, electrical stimulation, plant growth
in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
volume
121
issue
2
article number
e2304135120
publisher
National Academy of Sciences
external identifiers
  • pmid:38147542
  • scopus:85180868118
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2304135120
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
55182c11-a7de-449c-9173-1e548f0a33e9
date added to LUP
2024-02-07 13:18:38
date last changed
2024-04-23 20:09:59
@article{55182c11-a7de-449c-9173-1e548f0a33e9,
  abstract     = {{<p>Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is evident both on root and shoot development and occurs during the growth period after the stimulation. The stimulated plants reduce and assimilate NO<sup>-</sup><sub>3</sub>more efficiently than controls, a finding that may have implications on minimizing fertilizer use. However, more studies are required to provide a mechanistic understanding of the physical and biological processes involved. eSoil opens the pathway for the development of active hydroponic scaffolds that may increase crop yield in a sustainable manner.</p>}},
  author       = {{Oikonomou, Vasileios K. and Huerta, Miriam and Sandéhn, Alexandra and Dreier, Till and Daguerre, Yohann and Lim, Hyungwoo and Berggren, Magnus and Pavlopoulou, Eleni and Nãsholm, Torgny and Bech, Martin and Stavrinidou, Eleni}},
  issn         = {{0027-8424}},
  keywords     = {{bioelectronics; electrical stimulation; plant growth}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{National Academy of Sciences}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}},
  title        = {{eSoil : A low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2304135120}},
  doi          = {{10.1073/pnas.2304135120}},
  volume       = {{121}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}