Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A couple of studies from the Philippines found what they called “electrogenic” stimulation
to have resulted in “a significant influence on plant height at maturity, number of pods per
plant and, length and weight of pods per plant,” demonstrating electricity's effectiveness
A University of Maryland study, mentioned in a 1984 edition of
Mother Earth News
,
showed that a sizable increase in plant growth could be obtained by applying an electric
field to plant roots. One of the tests involved 26
salvia
plants. Of these, 14 were electrified
using the current from a solar cell, while the remaining 12in the control groupwere grown
normally. After four weeks, the average height of the electrified group was 10.5 inches
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that experimenters from within the Electric Fertilizer
community have been sharing their own results… Ranging from Russ who is currently
working on replicating some experiments he ran in the 80s, using high-voltage electric
fields to stimulate corn growth, to Weber & Lang, a father & son team who are obsessed
with electroculture and its effect on tomatoes.
Results of One of Weber & Lang's Experimental Trials
For instance, in one of their trials (results shown above), they obtained an increase in yield
of approximately 40 percent by weight (left image). The following growing season, they
achieved gains of 50 percent by weight while also increasing the speed of growth such that
they were able to harvest fruit almost a month earlier than the control group plants.
Summary
For a long time people have had great success experimenting with the application of
electricity to plants. Using direct current (DC), a form of electricity that's easy to generate,
a whole range of beneficial results has been produced. Seed and soil fertility has been
increased. Yields and fruit size have been increased. Even fungal infections have been
thwarted. The implications of this research are quite vast. From the individual looking
