Benefits and Applications - Electro-Horticulture - page 105

• Increased shoot development
• Increased budding
• Earlier flowering While some claim that the differences come from earlier
flowering 16 , I prefer the research from Christofleau and his clients from the
early 1920s who suggested that yield increases in trees may be due to increased
shoot production. Takamura and others have found that lateral root formation is
improved; this may be a similar effect, except being above-ground. Improvements
in shoot development are related to having an increased number of bud sites.
Taste of Fruits and Vegetables
Some historical accounts have made references to electrically-treated fruit and vegetable
plants as being not only larger in size, but better tasting, too! A physiological explanation
for this effect may be due to gibberellic acid's effect on inducing seedless
fruits[^FootSeedless]. When fruits are induced into growing in this manner, they not only
demonstratehigheryields,buttheirsugarcontenthasbeenknowntosignificantlyincrease.
This would explain the better taste that people have experienced.
As an example, it has also been found that the application of electric fields to barley
plants results in increases in sugar formation. Additional barley experiments reviewed in
the magazine, Applied Electrical Phenonema 17 revealed that the greatest effect was on the
formation of sucrose compared to the other sugars that were found to be present.
My own thoughts on the matter have to do with how plant leaves become greener than
normal. If through the deepening of plant and stem pigmentation occurs, then
photosynthetic efficiency increases as well. This will cause the conversion of greater
amounts of absorbed light-energy into sugars, used not only for maintaining an increased
metabolism (amongst other enhanced physiological processes), but also for putting into
additional stores inside fruiting bodies. Perhaps through the careful modulation of the
electric field that deliberately sweeter-tasting fruits and vegetables can be developed???
Nutritional Value
Since ion uptake is improved via the accelerated intake of water and nutrients, it follows
that the general nutritional value of the plant's fruiting bodies (e.g. fruits, vegetables and
nuts) will also be improved. Another reason behind the improvement in nutrition comes
fromthewaythatsoilionsaremademorereadilyavailable,boththroughtheelectrokinetic
transport of nutrients from a wider area around the plant as well as through improvements
nutrient conversion efficiency.