Published: 1:00am, 16 Sep, 2018 Updated: 7:51pm, 17 Sep, 2018
The world 's largest study on the effect of electric techniques for plant growth , funded by the Chinese government , has yielded findings that could have a profound impact on the future of farming . The study , carried out over more than two decades , found that growing vegetables in greenhouses under high - frequency bare copper wires placed three metres overhead increased electricity output by between 20 % and 40 % , while reducing the use of fertilisers by a similar amount and almost eliminating the use of pesticides . The electricity was found to kill bacteria and diseases in the air while causing no harm to the plants .