Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
can think of this as causing additional amounts of suction upon the root structure, forcing
more water into the plant. While this will initially force great amounts of water through
the plant's existing root structure, over time, through the effects described above, it will be
easier for water to enter the plant because of its electrically-expanded root structure.
Therefore, in the presence of electric fields, it is to be expected that a greater than normal
water usage will be needed.
Butwhatifyou'regrowingunderconditionswherewaterresourcesaremorescarce?Other
physiological changes and an improved response to water stress will help. Read on….
Improved Water Retention
Incontrast toanincrease inrespiration andtranspiration undernormalgrowingconditions,
depending upon the particulars of each plant's genetics and physiological makeup, it's
possible that a plant will respond differently under osmotic stress, i.e. stress from
water-scarcity. In the following paragraphs we'll cover modern research that suggests
that plants grown under the influence of electric fields can change their innate cellular
characteristics, adapting on-the-fly to better handle dry or drought-like conditions.
Normally, cell walls freely let water-soluble substances in and out. Yet under
electro-stimulation, the portions of the cell that are normally open can then be closed,
helping to prevent any evaporative losses from occurring. This can be a huge benefit for
the many growers who experience regular periods of drought!
Let's look at how this may work. We previously covered how cellular calcium levels have
a role in the regulation of membrane permeability. When calcium levels are lacking on a
cellular level, a phenomenon called ion leakage tends to occur, causing cells and tissues to
release significant amounts of water-based molecules and other
metabolites
.
On the other hand, when an abundance of calcium is present, as shown to be the case when
cellsandtissuesareexposedtoelectricfields(andassumingthatenoughcalciumispresent
in the surrounding extracellular fluid), the structure of the cellular membrane tends to be
upheld, keeping its innards intact. There's more to it, though. As we covered earlier, high
levels of calcium are part of a positive-feedback effect due to its inter-relationship with
action potentials. This increase in activity causes greater amounts of hormonal changes to
occur, specifically, the synthesis of auxins. Besides being the first plant hormone that was
ever discovered, auxins are known for their effects upon cell walls. Having the ability to
increase the plasticity or flexibility of cell walls allows for greater amounts of water to
