The Effects of Electroculture on Plants - Electro-Horticulture - page 88

By and all, these proteins account for the essentials that plants need to not only function,
but to survive and thrive as well. Since all of these proteins (and other structures affected
by genetics) can potentially be affected by electric fields, amazing changes and effects can
be realized.
Let's move on to cover the other aspects of plant physiology that are affected.
Metabolism
By correlating the interactions between electric fields and their influence over gene
expression, scientists have made interesting discoveries. For instance, in one paper 3 , the
authors surmise that when plants are subjected to an electric field, genes are activated
that promote an increase in metabolic activity. While the increase is most likely due to
the action potential cycle covered in the previous chapter, there can be other contributing
factors as well. The acceleration of a plant's metabolic rate can be observed in two main
ways:
1)Monitoringtheplant'srespirationand transpiration rates.2)Observingtherateofproton
(H+) release from plant roots 4 .
Measuring Respiration
As covered previously, increases in metabolism are correlated with similar increases in
respiration rate. The breathing cycle is used in the generation of ATP or cellular energy. At
the same time, ATP enables the acceleration of metabolic activity through the powering of
protein pumps embedded in the cell membranes. This adds energy to the system, keeping
thingsgoingbyincreasing theamountofioniccurrentflowintothecell. Sincethisprocess
results in the creation of action potentials, it acts like a positive feedback loop that has
the potential of continuing on and on for long periods of time. From my studies of others'
experiments as well as my own, I've seen that only minute amounts of stimulation are
required to keep the process going for extended periods.
These acceleration effects commonly occur in nature. For instance, after a lightning storm,
long after the high-voltage electric fields have dissipated, plants tend to retain their “glow”
for a long period of time, making plants seem more vibrant and green. The formation of
APs can take a long time to eventually recede, thus being capable of causing subsequent
responsesandadditionalAPcycles.Thispositivefeedbackloopisprobablythemechanism
that sustains the initial acceleration effects until long after the stimulation has subsided.