Sähkö on valmis tehostamaan kasvua hydroponisissa viljoissa

Seuraava maatalousvallankumous

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 “Syväluotaus pystysuoraan viljelyyn ja sen globaaliin vaikutukseen”, “Voivatko robottipölyttäjät vaikuttaa pystysuoraan viljelyyn?” and “5 parasta pystysuoran viljelyn yritystä”.

Sähköistämällä pystysuora viljely

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 Linköpingin yliopistossa Ruotsissa, Eleni Stavrinidoun johdolla, might have found how to improve this idea.

Alhainen jännite – korkea kasvu

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”.

Lähde: PNAS

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

“…ohra-imenet, jotka kasvatettiin johtavassa “maassa”, kasvoivat jopa 50% enemmän 15 päivän aikana, kun niiden juuria stimuloitiin sähköisesti” – 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.

Massiivinen potentiaali

Koe tehtiin ohralla, ja se voisi mahdollisesti olla tapa tehdä viljelykasveista käyttökelpoisempia hydroponisessa ympäristössä, jota tähän mennessä on käytetty enimmäkseen kannabiksen, lehtivihannesten, tomaattien ja marjojen viljelyyn.

On myös mahdollista, että muut kasvilajit tai tietyt lajikkeet ovat herkempiä sähkövirran stimulaatiolle, mikä tekee prosessista entistä mielenkiintoisemman näissä tapauksissa.

Sähkövirran intensiteetin ja taajuuden vaihtelu tai johtava hydroponinen alusta voisi myös auttaa parantamaan stimulaatioefektejä.

Joka tapauksessa tämä osoittaa, että hydroponinen viljelyssä on paljon enemmän potentiaalia kuin pelkkä tilan tai veden säästäminen, ja se voisi luoda täysin uusia, kemikaaleihin perustumattomia menetelmiä kasvien kasvun stimuloimiseksi.

Aiheeseen liittyvät osakkeet

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.

(GRWG )

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.

Lähde: Grow Generation

2. Hydrofarm Holdings Group, Inc.

(HYFM )

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).

Lähde: HydroFarm

3. Urban-gro, Inc.

(UGRO )

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.

Lähde: Urban-gro

4. Agrify Corporation

(AGFY )

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.