Electricity Set to Supercharge Growth in Hydroponic Crops

The Next Agricultural Revolution

Farming is as old as human civilization. And for the longest time, it has been done without controlling most factors, like rainfall, temperature, soil composition, insect attacks, fungal diseases, etc.

Modern farming and the “Green Revolution” have partially changed that, with fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation, greenhouses, and even GMO seeds. Still, open-air cultivation is far from a perfectly controlled environment.

This is why efforts are made toward making commercially viable hydroponic farming and vertical farming, something we discussed in our articles “A Deep Dive into Vertical Farming and its Global Impact”, “Can Robotic Pollinators Play a Role in Vertical Farming?” and “5 Best Vertical Farming Companies”.

Electrifying Vertical Farming

Indoor and hydroponic farming could have further advantages than just a controlled environment and lower fertilizer and water consumption. New methods to boost plant growth could be implemented by providing direct control over the growth medium.

One such nascent idea is exposing the plants to a small electric current—something that would be impossible in a field but easier to apply in vertical farms and hydroponic cultivation.

Researchers have previously shown this to stimulate plant growth, but it requires high voltage, making it unlikely to be economical, safe, or green. Researchers at the Linköping University in Sweden, under the direction of Eleni Stavrinidou, might have found how to improve this idea.

Low Voltage – High Growth

The researchers of the “Electronic Plants group” have used a substrate made of cellulose (the main component of paper) mixed with a conductive polymer called PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)) to produce an “eSoil”.

Source: PNAS

This stimulates plant growth with safe, low voltage, and very low energy consumption.

“…barley seedlings grown in the conductive “soil” grew up to 50% more in 15 days when their roots were stimulated electrically” – Linköping University

The exact mechanism by which electric currents stimulate growth is still unknown. So, there is likely still some time before we can optimize such a procedure for commercial vertical farming. One potential reason could be improved nutrient intake by converting nitrite into biomass more efficiently.

More research needs to be conducted on the effect of electric current on large plants instead of just seedlings.

A Massive Potential

The experiment was conducted on barley and could potentially be a way to make grain crops more viable in a hydroponic setting, which has been mostly used so far for growing cannabis, leafy greens, tomatoes, and berries.

It is also possible that other species of plants, or specific varieties, are more sensitive to electric current stimulation, making the process even more interesting in these cases.

Varying intensity and frequency of electric current, or conductive hydroponic substrate, could also help improve the stimulation effects.

In any case, this demonstrates that hydroponic farming has much more potential than just saving space or water and could create entirely new and non-chemical-based methods for stimulating plant growth.

Related Stocks

Were “electric cultivation” to become a standard procedure in hydroponic farming, we can assume that the existing leaders in providing hydroponic systems would be among the top providers of eSoil and electric systems.

1. GrowGeneration Corp.

GrowGeneration Corp. (GRWG +2.77%)

GrowGeneration is the largest hydroponic products retailer in the US. It sells for both home growing and commercial scale facilities. It also has a large and recognized education resource center for hydroponic cultivation.

Its product offer is adapted to all scales of cultivation, from hobbyist to industrial-scale facilities.

Source: Grow Generation

2. Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc.

Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc. (HYFM -0.47%)

Hydrofarm is the leading manufacturer of hydroponic cultivation systems. The company owns outright 70 brands and also distributes 80 others.

It sells through many retailers and distribution channels, including online and offline, B2B and B2C (including GrowGeneration mentioned above).

Source: HydroFarm

3. Urban-gro, Inc.

urban-gro, Inc. (UGRO -2.09%)

The company offers turnkey solutions for indoor cultivation and vertical farming.

Integrating vertically all the various jobs and licensing required for construction can improve the process efficiency and speed.

Source: Urban-gro

4. Agrify Corporation

Agrify Corporation (AGFY +2.7%)

With a market cap of $2.647 million, Agrify Corporation (NASDAQ: AGFY) offers vertical farming units as well as the Agrify Insights Software-as-a-Service software.

The company also sells LED grow lights and purifiers targeting the cannabis space.