International Journal of Pharma Medicine and Biological Sciences Vol. 10, No.

4, October 2021

The Effect of Constant Direct Current Exposure

on the Growth of a Vigna Radiata Species
Jaewon Chang and Seyoung Kwon
International School Manila, Taguig, Philippines
Email: {changjaewon0315, sallylovesy}@gmail.com

Abstract—Electric currents have been utilised to stimulate plants grown atop soil [3]. The study discovers a threshold
growth within plants to a great extent. This technique, known for electricity exposure within plants, that when surpassed
as electroculture, often involves action potentials on soil- resulted in higher mortality rates. However, with the
based plant systems. Studies that investigate this growing limit in cultivable soil, hydroponics serves as a
phenomenon are plenty, however minimal research has been
done to investigate electroculture on a hydroponic based
viable alternative to traditional soil based plant systems [4].
system. Furthermore, a constant application of electricity on Plants in hydroponic systems have also experienced higher
hydroponics has not been tested before. In this paper, we growth rates than conventional soil based systems [5].
explore the relationship between the growth of a Vigna Additionally, there have been only a few studies testing
Radiata species and the constant application of electricity (5 the effect of electrical stimulation on a hydroponic system.
minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes) under a hydroponic based Conventional methods of electroculture involve the usage
system. To monitor the development of the species, we of action potentials (electrical impulses induced by
employed three main growth parameters: Visibility of polarity changes) or man-made electric fields in the
germination, circumference of stem, and length of shoot ambiance [6]. As such, this study explores a hydroponic
system. Daily growth rates were computed using the lengths
of the shoot system of a single day and the day before. Results
system involving a constant application of electricity -
indicate an inversely proportional relationship between unlike previous studies which involved action potentials.
direct current application and growth. During primary Although methods of creating an electroculture
stages of the experiment, group 5 and group 10 species environment varies, the application of electricity has
experienced the highest peak growth rates at values of 139.13% generally shown to enhance the growth of plants [7]. This
and 113.79% respectively, followed by a sharp decline in experiment utilises the Vigna Radiata species due to the
subsequent days. Alongside, the control group had a peak presence of phloem cells, which allow for electrical
growth rate of 64.17% with a gradual decline. However, the
group 15 species presented a mortality rate of 100% and signalling [8]. We hypothesized that the Vigna Radiata
measurements were unable to be obtained, due to a lack of species exposed to electricity would experience greater
germination. Overtime, species receiving less exposure to growth compared to the controlled species.
electricity showed longer lengths of the shoot system near the To test our hypothesis, we designed an experiment in
end of the experiment. Based on the results presented, which the independent variable was the duration of
hydroponic electroculture systems have shown to experience electricity application, and the dependent variables were
peak growth rates near earlier stages of their development.
the visibility of germination, length of shoot system, and
This however, fails to hold after a certain limit, in which
plants fail to germinate due to excessive exposure to diameter of the stem. This study aims to explore the
electricity. Further research conducted in this field may scientific relationship between constant electricity
possibly encourage the usage of electroculture systems in application on a hydroponic based plant system.
agriculture. Following our experiment, we discovered the growth rates
of group 5 and group 10 species initially peaked, but
Index Terms—lectroculture, hydroponics, vigna radiata, eventually had a shoot system of shorter length compared
direct current, action potential to the controlled group. Additionally, we found a threshold
for electricity exposure to the Vigna Radiata species, as
the plants pertaining to group 15 presented a mortality rate
I. INTRODUCTION of 100%.
There have been various methods of accelerating the
process of a plant’s growth, one of which is electroculture II. METHOD AND MATERIALS
[1]. When applied, electricity can trigger a response within
the phloem cell to stimulate growth within plants [2]. A. Selection of Vigna Radiata Seeds
Possibly applications of this technique include We selected mung bean seeds (vernacular for vigna
enhancements in crop yield. Previous studies have radiata species) for our experiment due to its relatively
suggested that electroculture has enhanced the growth of short growth period in comparison to other plants [9].
plants when cultivated under charged electrodes - based on Furthermore, the short germination period of 4 to 5 days
would allow us to effectively evaluate the suitability of the
Manuscript received June 11, 2021; revised August 27, 2021.

©2021 Int. J. Pharm. Med. Biol. Sci. 163

doi: 10.18178/ijpmbs.10.4.163-167
 International Journal of Pharma Medicine and Biological Sciences Vol. 10, No. 4, October 2021

environment in which the experiment is being conducted water in the container. An artificial light source was
and adjust if necessary [10]. We obtained 70 mung bean utilised as a substitute for natural sunlight for 6 hours each
seeds and measured their weights, utilising 20 mung beans day.
that were most similar in mass and size. We then
D. Process of Electroculture
categorized mung beans into 4 groups, establishing a
control group, a group receiving 5 minutes of electricity, a In order to observe the effect of applying a man-made
group receiving 10 minutes of electricity and a group electricity source on the development of a plant, we
receiving 15 minutes of electricity. Each group consisted constructed a basic circuit. As shown in Fig. 2, a copper
of 5 mung beans. rod was placed in an opening of the hydroponic box, to be
in contact with the water. Electricity was then applied for
B. Preparation of the Electroculture System the desired amount each day (5 minutes for group 5, 10
Prior to the experiment, we created a basic circuit minutes for group 10, 15 minutes for group 15). After the
consisting of a power supply, 4 alligator clips, a voltmeter, application of electricity, the length of the shoot system
a power supply and a copper rod. As shown in Fig. 1, the was recorded each day. In the case where germination was
power supply was connected to the copper rod, which was not visible, the length of the shoot system was not obtained.
then placed in an opening to the water. The voltage was
kept constant, according to a value reported by the
voltmeter (3.3V). The voltmeter was connected in parallel,
since the voltage across a parallel circuit stays constant.
Therefore the recorded value of 3.3 volts is the same
amount being travelled across the copper rod. Furthermore,
copper is one of the best conductors of electricity among
metals [11]. Having a high electrical conductivity value
indicates a low resistance value, meaning electricity loss
is minimal across the rod [12]. The electroculture system
utilises a man-made direct current electricity source.
Figure 2. Diagram showing general process of electroculture. Copper
rod is assumed to be connected to a power supply.

E. Growth Parameters
To monitor and evaluate the growth of the mung beans,
we established three main growth parameters: the
circumference of the stem (the longest circumference), the
length of the shoot system, and the visibility of
germination [13]. Germination is a universal indicator
utilised to determine the suitability of conditions for the
plant. It is a stage experienced by seedlings when they
begin to grow. However, in the case that all the plants were
to germinate, we established another parameter to
differentiate the growth of plants: the length of the shoot
system. The length of the shoot system portrays the
development of a plant, and can be employed to evaluate
the growth experienced after germination [14]. The shoot
system serves as a useful indicator because a plant grows
upwards only when a stable base is present. Therefore, a
larger value in the length of the shoot system implies the
base is stable, and hence a larger growth experienced.
Figure 1. Basic circuit consisting of a power supply, voltmeter, copper Furthermore, a secondary vascular tissue develops after a
rod and alligator clips. plant’s primary growth, leading to an increase in thickness
of the stem [15]. This led us to formulate our final growth
C. Preparation of Hydroponic Environment parameter: the circumference of the stem. We believed
We utilised hydroponic planting boxes, which required that the circumference of the stem would be a useful
water set at a temperature of 20°C. Each box was checked indicator along with the length of the shoot system to
on a daily basis to ensure the temperature would stay differentiate mung beans that have experienced
constant. The planting boxes were also placed in an area germination.
concealed from sunlight to achieve a similar environment
for each of the groups. Prior to the experimentation, mung F. Qualitative Observations
beans were soaked in water for 3 hours, and the planting We took note of qualitative observations on a daily
sponges were soaked in water for 2 hours to stabilize. A basis during the experiment. We observed key features of
buoy was used as an indicator to represent the amount of the mung bean, such as the presence of leafs, size of leafs,

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 International Journal of Pharma Medicine and Biological Sciences Vol. 10, No. 4, October 2021

visibility of germination, and thickness of stem. that of the control group (139.13% for group 5 and 113.79%
Throughout the experiment, the leaves were not present for group 10 compared to 64.17% for the control group).
and visible for most of the mung beans. Furthermore, the The average growth rate of mung beans in the control
mung beans pertaining to experimental group 15 were not group experienced a gradual decrease, having a growth
germinated throughout the duration. There was a rate value of 50.02% on day 8. On the other hand, the
noticeable increase in the thickness of the stem, increasing average growth rates of group 5 and group 10 species
throughout the duration of the experiment. experience a steep decline following the peak. After day 9
of the experiment, the growth rate values begin to
III. RESULTS approach 0 for all groups, as there is no noticeable growth.
The group 15 mung bean species did not experience a
We utilised three main growth parameters to evaluate
growth rate due to the lack of germination in all of its
the development of mung beans throughout the species. The growth rate of 20% experienced by group 15
experiment: the length of the shoot system, the species on day 14 of the experiment was the first presence
circumference around the root, and the visibility of
of a shoot system, however, the growth rate on day 14
germination. To effectively compare the lengths of the returns to 0% on day 15 as the only mung bean germinated
shoot system, we decided to compute growth rates for all withered. When comparing the growth rates of group 5 and
groups each day of the experiment. Growth rate was
group 10, plants pertaining to the group 10 system
calculated using the formula 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = experienced a growth rate starting from day 4 due to their
𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙−𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙
| | ∗ 100%, where the final measurement was late germination. The growth rate of the group 5 system
𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙
the value obtained on a single day, and the initial peaks at 139.13% on day 3, and the growth rate of the
measurement was the value measured on the day before. group 10 system peaks at 113.79% on day 4. The
This process was repeated for all days of the experiment germination percentage indicates the final number of
following germination when a shoot system was visible. seedlings that were able to germinate, without measuring
Growth rates were computed for every mung bean, and the the amount of time it took for germination to occur. Fig. 3
average growth rate was recorded for each group as shown presents a growth rate of 0% for group 10, which alludes
in Table I. These average values were then recorded in a to a later germination experienced by the seedlings.
line graph, presenting changes in growth rates. We
believed computing a growth rate for the circumference
around the root would be negligible (too small to compare),
thus we compared the length of the circumference on the
final day of the experiment. To apply germination as a
growth parameter, we computed a germination percentage
for every group, using the equation
𝑆𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠
𝐺𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 % = ∗ 100%
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠
Table II presents the germination percentage of each
group, indicating the percentage of seeds that successfully
germinated. Figure 3. The average growth rates for each experimental group
recorded for each day of the experiment.
TABLE I. GROWTH RATE VALUES OF EACH GROUP FOR DAYS 3, 4,
5, 14, 15 AND 16 WERE RECORDED
The lengths of the shoot system were measured on a
Average Growth Rate Values for Days 3, 4, 5, 14, 15, and 16 daily basis, and an average was computed. Near the
Control Group 5 Group 10 Group 15 beginning of the experiment, the group 5 mung bean
Day 3 43.40 139.13 0 0.00 species experience a longer shoot system length than the
Day 4 64.17 91.96 113.79 0.00
control group. This trend continues around time frames of
Day 5 43.16 74.90 86.72 0.00
Day 14 1.51 0.28 1.89 20.00
day 3 to day 13 of the experiment. Furthermore, the group
Day 15 1.42 3.30 1.19 0.00 10 mung bean species experiences a similar trend, in
Day 16 6.58 0.90 2.27 0.00 which the average length is greater than the control group.
This occurs from days 6-8. The control group experiences
TABLE II. THE VALUES FOR EACH GROUP WERE RECORDED IN THE a relatively steady increasing average length, while the
TABLE AS A PERCENTAGE group 5 and group 10 species experience a larger average
Germination Percentage length near the beginning of the experiment. Furthermore,
Control 100% the group 15 and group 10 species show minimal increase
Group 5 80% near the end of the experiment, while the control group
Group 10 80% portrays a constantly increasing line. When germination
Group 15 0% occurs for one seedling in group 15, the length is measured
and recorded on Fig. 4. The average value of the length
As shown in Fig. 3, the peak growth rates of mung was simply the value measured of the one seedling that
beans pertaining to group 5 and group 10 were higher than had successfully germinated.

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 International Journal of Pharma Medicine and Biological Sciences Vol. 10, No. 4, October 2021

growth of plants [17]. When utilising this information with

the group 10 growth rate information, we can approach a
consensus that the threshold of electricity application on
mung beans exists somewhere between 10 to 15 minutes.
This is only applicable when the voltage applied is 3.3V.
Also, long exposure to the electricity might cause
Variation Potentials (VP), which are unique electrical
signals occurring in the plants - arising as a result of
damaging effects that can potentially be fatal. VP severely
reduces the rate of photosynthesis in plants, thereby
reducing their productivity. [18]
Additionally, as shown in Fig. 4, the average lengths of
the shoot system for groups 5 and 10 were computed to be
Figure 4. The average lengths of Vigna Radiata Shoot System were larger in certain timeframes of the experiment. This further
recorded for each day of the experiment.
supports the claim that electricity application is helpful in
Table III shows the lengths of the circumference the early stages of development, however ultimately
pertaining to each group that were recorded on the final proves to be detrimental, as the average length of the shoot
day of the experiment. Due to none of the mung beans of system for the control group is larger. Furthermore, the
group 15 having a visible stem, a measurement was unable group 5 and group 10 mung systems experience minimal
to be obtained. The control group had the greatest average growth near day 16 of the experiment, which presents
circumference of the stem, followed by the circumferences electricity as a detriment to the development of a plant.
of group 5, group 10 and group 15. The data suggests an Ultimately, on day 16 of the experiment, the length of the
inverse relationship between electricity exposure to the shoot system presents the control group having the largest
length of the circumference. value, followed by group 5, group 10 and group 15.
Although the application of a man-made direct current can
TABLE III. THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE THICKEST PART OF THE accelerate the growth of a plant near its primary stages of
STEM OF EACH SPECIES ON THE LAST DAY OF THE EXPERIMENT development, the final trend indicates that an exposure to
Average Circumference of Stem electric currents is detrimental in the long run.
Control 1.3 The lengths of the circumference have an inverse
Group 5 0.7 relationship with electricity exposure. As presented in
Group 10 0.5 Table III, less exposure to electric currents resulted in
Group 15 0 longer circumference lengths. Longer circumference
lengths are often a result of a secondary vascular tissue
being developed within the organism. Therefore, the
IV. DISCUSSION
longer circumference present within groups receiving less
The peak growth rate experienced by mung beans in electricity indicates that the plant has experienced more
group 5 and group 10 were higher than that of the control growth.
group, which is indicative of a positive response in growth When comparing the results in this paper to that of
rate when a direct current is applied. This is further previous studies, similar findings can be observed. Though
supported by the steep decline following the peak in optimal environments vary for different species, electricity
growth rates, alluding to electricity triggering plant growth exposure has generally accelerated the growth of plants
only in the short term. The sharp decrease in growth rates [19]. For the Festuca Arundinacea species in specific,
of the group 5 and group 10 systems justify the longer electroculture systems have shown to be beneficial
shoot system length of the control group near the end of throughout their development [20]. This stands in stark
the experiment. As shown in Fig. 3, a higher peak is contrast to the electroculture system constructed in this
experienced by group 5 (139.13%) than the peak study, as stimulated species ultimately developed less than
experienced by group 10 (113.79%). This suggests that a
the controlled species.
threshold is slowly being approached, since the peak
In the electroculture field of study, this research defines
growth rate is lower for group 10 which had received more
a clear relationship between electrically stimulated Vigna
electricity. This may be due to electric current fostering a
Radiata species and non-stimulated species under a
release of auxin, a plant hormone that promotes cell
hydroponic environment.
elongation [16]. In contrast to the growth rates of the
former groups, the group 15 growth rate remains constant
V. CONCLUSION
at 0%, except for the sudden peak experienced on day 14
of the experiment. Following this however, the growth rate From the results obtained in this paper, further research
returns back to 0% due to the withering of the only mung can be conducted to explore the effect of alternating
bean that had germinated. The 100% mortality rate serves currents on the development of a Vigna Radiata species.
as a useful indicator that exposure to electricity for more Doing so can allow one to compare the effectiveness of a
than 15 minutes is fatal. Long exposure to direct current direct current versus an alternating current in stimulating
causes corona discharges from the tips, hindering the plant growth.

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 International Journal of Pharma Medicine and Biological Sciences Vol. 10, No. 4, October 2021

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©2021 Int. J. Pharm. Med. Biol. Sci. 167