Scientists have developed a groundbreaking method called "electro-agriculture," allowing crops to grow in near-total darkness. This innovation could address the growing threat of food insecurity affecting billions worldwide.
Adam Kovac disclosed this information, and it was posted on gizmodo.com on Thursday.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, explored the photosynthesis process, where plants convert sunlight into sugar.
They found that traditional photosynthesis is inefficient, struggling to meet the rising demand for food due to climate change and population growth.
Their findings, published in *Joule*, propose a new agricultural technique that could bypass conventional photosynthesis entirely.
Robert Jinkerson, an associate professor leading the research, stated, “If we don’t need sunlight to grow plants, we can decouple agriculture from the environment.” He emphasised the need for controlled indoor farming to enhance food production.
The challenge with photosynthesis is its low efficiency—plants convert only a small fraction of absorbed light into energy.
By artificially improving this process, farmers could significantly increase crop yields without additional resources or greenhouse gas emissions.
While electro-agriculture isn't new, past attempts faced challenges. Some increased ethylene production, a growth hormone that doesn't enhance energy efficiency. To overcome this, researchers focused on using acetate, produced from carbon dioxide and water, as a growth catalyst. This method could be powered by solar panels installed on large indoor hydroponic farms filled with genetically engineered crops.
“The goal is to boost the efficiency of photosynthesis,” said Feng Jiao, an electrochemist involved in the study. Current methods achieve around 4% efficiency—four times better than natural photosynthesis—resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.
This system requires minimal light, making it feasible to grow crops in complete darkness.
The researchers reported “preliminary success” with crops like lettuce, rice, canola, pepper, and tomato.
In the U.S., about 14 million households faced food insecurity in 2023, according to the USDA, while the World Health Organisation estimates 2.33 billion globally.
If growing food in the dark can alleviate these issues, perhaps being kept in the dark isn’t so bad after all.
