Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1: Introduction
Did you know there is a technology capable of helping plants grow more than twice as fast
as usual? Capable of more than doubling the yields of crops? That can cure, in minutes,
diseases normally considered incurable?
Is this science fiction? A brand new technology? No. These results are very possible and
very real. The technology exists and, in fact, isn't new technology at all.
For centuries, enterprising farmers have looked for ways to make plants grow better and
faster. Most research has been plant-based and focused on nutrients and farming methods,
ranging from land-based methods, like crop rotation and the use of specialized synthetic
fertilizers, to more specialized methods like hydroponics and aeroponics. Another
technology, though, has been around for more than 200 years and has been very successful
in helping plants grow faster, with higher yields, better health, stronger disease resistance
and more.
This technology is simply the use of pure electricity, the same stuff that powers your cell
phones and mp3 players!
Growth Using Electricity?
Electricity is a Normal Part of Growth & Development
Most people know that the human body has electrical components within the nervous
system, but did you know that electricity can be found nearly everywhere? Many kinds of
electricalsignalsexistinanimalsandplantstoo.Inanimalsandhumans,electricityregulates
neural signals that control bodily functions like heart rate, muscle movement and brain
activity. Plants, like animals, are also electric organisms. In plants, neural signals known as
action potentials are present in stimulus-response mechanisms, like that of the Venus Fly
Trap. When triggered by its sense of touch, electrochemical messages are transmitted that
cause the plant to trap its insect prey. Other types of electrical response mechanisms that
are present in both plants and animals are via the electrochemical movement of atoms and
complex molecules into and out-of cells. These building-blocks, both simple and complex,
often have an electrical charge associated with them, and thus can be transported into
