The land magnetism, telluric currents, the electricity of the floating air and that carried by the clouds, the sun, the wind, the rain, and even by the frost, forces which are captured and transformed into energetic electricity by this apparatus which carries them to the soil in a feeble and continuous matter, and which renders it free from microbes which attack the seeds and plants.1
In recent years, regenerative agriculture has gained significant attention as growers seek innovative methods to increase crop yields while minimizing environmental impact. One such technique is electroculture. Electroculture is a technique that uses electrical currents and electromagnetic fields to stimulate plant growth. Although it was left to history, electroculture has recently had a revival seen when scrolling on social media. But, what exactly is electroculture, and can we unlock its full potential to grow more with less?
What is Electroculture?
Electroculture is the practice of applying electrical energy to soil or plants to enhance growth and productivity. This method leverages atmospheric energy to influence biological processes in plants.
A Brief History
1700s
Experiments of Jean-Antoine Nollet’s showing that electricity produces measurable physiological responses in living organisms.
In 1780, Luigi Galvani studies animal electricity and discovers that muscles of a dead frogs’ legs twitch when struck by an electrical spark.
1800s
In 1800, Alessandro Volta invents the first continuous electrical source, the Voltaic Pile. This makes it possible for researchers to apply low continuous electrical currents to study electricity’s effect on plant growth.
Geophysicist Karl Selim Lemström studies the effect of aurora borealis on plants. He experiments with overhead wires while growing crops, publishing his findings in Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, 1904.
1900s
Justin Christofleau coins the term “electroculture”. He develops many patented devices that claim a significant yield increase, leading to widespread adoption by some farmers.
1920s: The UK’s Ministry of Agriculture form a committee supporting experimental trials through agricultural stations, universities, and government-backed studies.
Georges Lakhovsky invents the Multiple Wave Oscillator device. He also builds plant antennae to channel natural atmospheric energy to stimulate plant growth, boost vitality, improve yields, and enhance pest resistance. His book, The Secret of Life: Cosmic Rays and Radiations of Living Beings, in 1929, lays the groundwork for understanding bio-electromagnetics.
1950s: The development of industrialized fertilizers and mechanical agriculture replace experimental electrical methods.
2020s
A modern resurgence driven by social media and interest in natural gardening revives interest.
How Does Electroculture Work?
Plants naturally generate and respond to electrical signals. Electroculture devices typically emit low-voltage electrical currents or electromagnetic fields that interact with plant cells and soil microorganisms. These interactions can:
- Improve nutrient uptake by root
- Enhance seed germination rates
- Stimulate beneficial microbial activity in the soil
- Increase photosynthesis efficiency
By optimizing these biological functions, electroculture can lead to healthier plants and higher yields without the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Why Electroculture Fell Out of Favor
The Rise of Synthetic Fertilizers and Mechanized Agriculture
During World War II, the US government embarked on a large-scale construction of ammonia plants due to the demand for explosives, the first one being completed in 1941.2
As the war came to an end, these factories were repurposed for producing fertilizer. By the early 1950s, the growing consumption of animal foods and diffusion of hybrid corn in the US, a high-yielding grain cultivar that is greatly dependent on higher fertilizer applications lead to an exponential growth of ammonia synthesis.3 The traditional sources for soil fertility, like bone meals and manure, were replaced with superphosphates and synthetic nitrogen. This helped farmers grow a lot more food and has made Big-Ag what it is today. This has also caused some unforeseen environmental problems, like runoff causing lake eutrophication leading to fish die-off and harmful algal blooms.
Enriching streams, lakes, ponds, bays, and estuaries with what is normally a photosynthesis-limiting nutrient promotes the growth of algae. Their decomposition can deoxygenate water and hence seriously affect or kill aquatic species, particularly the bottom dwellers (shellfish, molluscs). Algal blooms may also cause problems with water filtration and produce harmful toxins. Nitrogen-induced eutrophication threatens above all shallow lakes and coastal waters that receive high inflows of the nutrients from the land.4
Nature’s Way vs. Man’s Synthesis
As synthetic fertilizers and mechanized farming spread in the early 20th century, agricultural research and funding shifted toward methods that produced consistent, scalable results.
By the mid-century, the collective mindset was focused on industrial expansion and mechanization of farm work.
Electroculture trials often produced modest or variable gains. The trials only worked in some climates and failed cost-benefit analysis at scale. After performing experiments in which an electrified wire net was run above fields growing crops for two consecutive seasons, Lemstrom comments that the electrical current is different during the day and night: during the day, high potential and great resistance; during the night, low potential and little resistance. He goes on to note that “we take normal conditions for granted”, meaning clear days and nights because moist weather creates a low potential.5
There is also difficulty in measuring an energy current that we know very little about. When conducting experiments on mountain tops in the Arctic during the Finnish International Polar Expedition, Lemstrom confirms the existence of electrical currents in the atmosphere that produce auroras by measuring the electromagnetic force producing these currents, which are always existing either passing upwards or downwards. The actual current has been investigated very little. And the method has been to measure the potential or the electrical tension in a point of the air.6
Chemical fertilizers did not disprove electroculture. They were just cheaper at scale, produced consistent results, and fit into the mechanized systems being developed at the time.
A Modern Revival Inspired by the Past
We are looking for a new way. We have seen the shadow side of chemical agriculture and the idea of electroculture is now being reconsidered by natural farming enthusiasts all over the world.
If you follow any natural farms on social media or have browsed garden shops on Etsy, you are probably familiar with the revival of electroculture that is taking place. The idea that we can take the atmospheric electricity that is in the air and channel it to plants has been around for some time. There are so many that have come before us that have constructed machines and experimented with this idea.
One example is Justin Christofleau. He created a device that claims to gather the positive electrical energy of the atmosphere and transmit it into the earth, which is negatively charged, through a galvanized wire. This feeble current is said to destroy harmful insects and parasites from crops and forms chemical transformations in the soil that provide plants with nitrogenous products needed for development.7
Another consideration when exploring if electroculture works is the fertility of soil. The more fertile the soil and the more vigorous the vegetation, the more stimulating the effect of the electric current prove.8 Electroculture may have more success when applied to small-scale regenerative soils than acres of land treated with chemical fertilizers for decades. Perhaps this is why we’ve seen the recent interest mainly among small intensive gardens that focus greatly on the microbiome within the soil.
Electrical energy can help life flourish. “Electricity must be numbered among the principal factors in plant life.”9 Lemstrom also measured things like tree rings alongside data from periods of abundant sunspots and high auroral activity. He concluded that the greater the yearly number of sun spots and auroras, the more abundant is the harvest of seeds, roots, and grass.10
Wrapping Up with Key Insights
In this concluding paragraph, summarize the key takeaways from your article, reinforcing the most important ideas discussed. Encourage readers to reflect on the insights shared, or offer actionable advice they can apply in their own lives. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression, so make sure your closing thoughts are impactful and memorable. A strong conclusion not only ties the article together but also inspires readers to engage further.
- Justin Christofleau, Electroculture, (Sydney: Boys’ Home, 1921), 5. ↩︎
- Vaclav Smil, Enriching the Earth, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001), 115. ↩︎
- Smil, Enriching the Earth, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001), 116 ↩︎
- Smil, Enriching the Earth, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001), 192.) ↩︎
- Professor S. Lemstrom, Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, (London: Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 1904), 32. ↩︎
- Lemstrom, Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, (London: Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 1904), 7. ↩︎
- Christofleau, Electroculture, (Sydney: Boys’ Home, 1921), 9. ↩︎
- Lemstrom, Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, (London: Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 1904), 16. ↩︎
- Lemstrom, Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, (London: Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 1904), 8. ↩︎
- Lemstrom, Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture, (London: Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 1904), 4. ↩︎