Is it possible to grow plants in the dark without the presence of the sun?

Life as we know it is dependent on photosynthesis. Plants need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide for them to flourish. However, scientists are breaking away from the bounds of photosynthesis by attempting to grow plants with solar panels

How is energy generated with solar panels?

When the sun's rays hit the solar panels, they transform the energy received into electricity. This is done by photovoltaic cells, which are composed of semiconductor materials.These installations, in turn, require a solar panel support structure to secure them to a roof or the ground.
Electricity produced by solar panels can be used to grow crops, apparently, without the need for sunlight. Recent discoveries noted throughout the article reveal that solar energy could be even more efficient than photosynthesis itself. 

BRITAIN-LIFESTYLE-AGRICULTURE-RHUBARB-OFFBEAT
(Photo : OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Forced rhubarb is illuminated by candlelight as it is harvested by Farmer Robert Tomlinson on his farm in Pudsey, near Leeds in northern England on January 13, 2022

Poor Efficiency of Photosynthesis

Professor Robert Jinkerson of the University of California, Riverside, noticed an engineering issue when he saw the poor efficiency of photosynthesis.

If more energy can be extracted from each square inch of sunlight, less land will need to be used for food production in general. According to Jinkerson in a statement with Wired, the ultimate goal is to change how humans think about cultivating crops and practicing agriculture.

According to Wired, solar panels are way more effective than plants at converting sunlight into energy, which then can be used to produce crops in the dark using electricity. 

Jinkerson and his team said that utilizing solar panels can power electrocatalysis - a process that generates a liquid used by plants, yeast, and algae as a substitute for sunshine, in a newly-published scientific study posted in the journal Nature Food. 

Read also: IKEA to Sell Solar Panels in the US - Here's How to Get One 

Growing Plants in the Dark

The scientists used a solar-powered device that creates acetate, a chemical that can be diluted in water and fed to plants. The research team used this mixture together with mushrooms, algae, and yeast to grow a variety of commonly produced plants such as rice, tomato, and many more. 

According to Wired, it is not particularly surprising that the algae and yeast both thrived on the acetate combination because researchers are already aware that these organisms can consume acetate.  

However, what was fascinating about the study was that the crop ate the acetate and continued to grow in spite of being placed in total darkness. 

Does that mean we can all just grow plants in the dark now? Well, not exactly.

After the plants had grown for a little while, Jinkerson and his colleagues dissected and examined them to see if they held any carbon molecules from acetate. It was only then that they discovered that the plants were consuming the acetate. 

Although plants can theoretically grow on acetate, they hardly flourish on it, and in the worst case, it can be toxic to them.

This means it will be long before any typical commercial crops can be grown in the dark. However, Wired noted that this approach might be useful for vertical farms, which currently incur high electricity costs for the LED lights that fuel their plants' photosynthesis.  

Jinkerson said that it would be more energy-efficient for vertical farms to use electricity o produce acetate rather than lighting if scientists could figure out how to develop plants that can survive on acetate. 

Related Article: Australian Scientists Test Printed Solar Panels to Power Tesla Electric Car 

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

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