Published: 1:00am, 16 Sep, 2018 Updated: 7:51pm, 17 Sep, 2018
The world's largest experiment on the effect of electric techniques for plant growth, conducted by the Chinese government, has produced findings that could have a profound impact on the future of farming. The study, carried out over more than three decades, found that growing vegetables in greenhouses under high-frequency bare copper wires placed three metres overhead increased growth output by between 20% and 30%, 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 doing no harm to the plants.