Bioelectronic plant growth scaffolds

Research question

Hydroponic agriculture is the plant cultivation in a controlled environment without soil either directly in liquid growth medium or supported by a substrate (growth scaffold). The scaffolds used so far provide support to the root system without any stimulating effect on plant growth and development. The aim is to develop a sustainable bioelectronic platform for enhancing plant growth in hydroponics and generate vital new knowledge on the physical and biological mechanisms involved.

Sustainability aspects

The project relates to the following SDGs: SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG15: Life on land. Urban agriculture is an important step towards sustainable cities as food is produced within the cities, next the consumers, but also important for global food security due to higher productivity with less resources such as land, water and fertilizers. The project proposes the development of a bioelectronic technology that can be used to enhance the plant growth, in hydroponics. This can result in decreasing the use of fertilizers but also to accelerate the plant growth and therefore reducing the energy cost.