How do electromagnetic fields of overhead power lines affect people, animals and plants. Plants under voltage The effect of electricity on fruit and berry plants

Plants respond not only to sound waves of music, but also to electromagnetic waves from the earth, the moon, planets, space and many artificial devices. All that remains is to accurately determine which waves are beneficial and which are harmful.

One evening in the late 1720s, French writer and astronomer Jean-Jacques Dertous de Mairan was watering indoor mimosas Mimosa pudica in his Paris studio. Suddenly he was surprised to discover that after sunset the sensitive plant folded its leaves in exactly the same way as if they had been touched by hand. Meran had an inquisitive mind and earned the respect of such prominent contemporaries as Voltaire. He did not jump to the conclusion that his plants simply “go to sleep” after dark. Instead, after waiting for the sun to rise, Meran placed two mimosas in a completely dark closet. At noon, the scientist saw that the mimosa leaves in the pantry had fully opened, but after sunset they folded just as quickly as the mimosa leaves in his studio. Then he concluded that plants must “feel” the sun even in complete darkness.

Meran was interested in everything - from the movement of the moon in orbit and physical properties the northern lights to the reasons for the glow of phosphorus and the features of the number 9, but he could not explain the phenomenon with mimosa. In his report to the French Academy of Sciences, he timidly suggested that his plants were probably affected by some unknown force. Meran here drew parallels with hospital patients who experience extreme loss of strength at certain times of the day: maybe they too feel this strength?

Two and a half centuries later Dr John John Ott, Director, Impact Research Institute environment and light radiation on human health in Sarasota, Florida, was stunned by Meran's observations. Ott repeated his experiments and wondered whether this “unknown energy” could penetrate the huge thickness of the earth - the only known barrier capable of blocking the so-called “cosmic radiation”.

At noon, Ott lowered six mimosa plants into the shaft to a depth of 220 meters. But unlike Meran's mimosas, which were placed in a dark pantry, Ott's mimosas immediately closed their leaves without waiting for the sun to set. Moreover, they covered the leaves even when the mine was illuminated by bright light from electric lamps. Ott related this phenomenon to electromagnetism, about which little was known in Meran's time. However, in other respects, Ott was as at a loss as his French predecessor, who lived in the 17th century.

Meran's contemporaries knew about electricity only what they inherited from the ancient Hellenes. The ancient Greeks knew the unusual properties of amber (or, as they called it, electron) which, if rubbed well, attracted a feather or straw to itself. Even before Aristotle, it was known that the magnet, black iron oxide, also had the inexplicable ability to attract iron filings. In one of the regions of Asia Minor, called Magnesia, rich deposits of this mineral were discovered, so it was dubbed magnes lithos, or magnesian stone. Then in Latin this name was shortened to magnes, and in English and other languages to magnet.

The scientist William Gilbert, who lived in the 16th century, was the first to connect the phenomena of electricity and magnetism. Thanks to his deep knowledge of medicine and philosophy, Gilbert became the personal physician of Queen Elizabeth I. He argued that the planet is nothing more than a spherical magnet, and therefore the lodestone, which is part of the animate Mother Earth, also has a “soul”. Gilbert also discovered that in addition to amber, there are other materials that, if rubbed, can attract light objects. He called them “electricians” and also coined the term “electric force.”

For centuries, people believed that the reason for the attractive powers of amber and magnets was the “pervasive ethereal fluids” emitted by these materials. True, few could explain what it was. Even 50 years after Meran's experiments, Joseph Priestley, mainly known as the discoverer of oxygen, wrote in his popular textbook on electricity: “The earth and all bodies known to us without exception contain a certain amount of extremely elastic, subtle liquid - a fluid that philosophers called it "electrician". If the body contains more or less fluid than its natural norm, a remarkable phenomenon occurs. The body becomes electrified and is able to influence other bodies, which is associated with the effects of electricity.”

Another hundred years passed, but the nature of magnetism remained a mystery. As Professor Sylvanus Thompson said shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, " mysterious properties magnetism, which have fascinated all mankind for centuries, have remained unexplained. It is necessary to study this phenomenon, the origin of which is still unknown, on an experimental basis.” A paper published shortly after the end of World War II by the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry stated that man still does not know why the Earth is a magnet; how a material with attractive properties reacts to the influence of other magnets at a distance; why electric currents have a magnetic field around them; why the smallest atoms of matter occupy huge volumes of empty, energy-filled space.

In the three hundred and fifty years since the publication of Gilbert's famous work De Magnete, many theories have been created to explain the nature of geomagnetism, but none of them is exhaustive.

The same applies to modern physicists, who simply replaced the theory of “ethereal fluids” with wave “electromagnetic radiation”. Its spectrum varies from enormous macropulsations lasting several hundred thousand years with wavelengths of millions of kilometers to ultrashort pulsations of energy with a frequency of 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 cycles per second and with an infinitesimal length of one ten-billionth of a centimeter. The first type of pulsation is observed during phenomena such as a change magnetic field Earth, and the second - during the collision of atoms, usually helium and hydrogen, moving at enormous speed. In this case, radiation is released, which is given the name “ cosmic rays" Between these two extremes there are an infinite number of other waves, including gamma rays, which originate in the nucleus of the atom; X-rays emanating from the shells of atoms; a series of rays visible to the eye, called light; waves used in radio, television, radar and other fields - from space exploration to microwave cooking.

Electromagnetic waves differ from sound waves in that they can travel not only through matter, but also through nothing. They move at a tremendous speed of 300 million kilometers per second through the vast expanses of space, filled, as was previously thought, with ether, and now with almost absolute vacuum. But no one has yet really explained how these waves propagate. One eminent physicist complained that “we just can’t explain the mechanism of this damn magnetism.”

In 1747, a German physicist from Wittenberg told the French abbot and physics teacher of the Dauphin, Jean Antoine Nollet, about an interesting phenomenon: if you pump water into a very thin tube and let it flow freely, it will flow out of the tube slowly, drop by drop. But if the tube is electrified, then the water will flow out immediately, in a continuous stream. After repeating the German's experiments and performing a number of his own, Nolle "began to believe that the properties of electricity, if properly used, can have a remarkable effect on structured bodies, which in a sense can be considered as hydraulic machines created by nature itself." Nolle placed several plants in metal pots next to the conductor and was excited to notice that the plants began to evaporate moisture faster. Nolle then conducted many experiments in which he carefully weighed not only daffodils, but also sparrows, pigeons and cats. As a result, he discovered that electrified plants and animals lose weight faster.

Nolle decided to test how the phenomenon of electricity affects seeds. He planted several dozen mustard seeds in two tin boxes and electrified one of them from 7 to 10 in the morning and from 3 to 8 in the evening for seven days in a row. By the end of the week, all the seeds in the electrified container had sprouted and reached an average height of 3.5 cm. In the non-electrified container, only three seeds sprouted, growing only to 0.5 cm. Although Nolle could not explain the reasons for the observed phenomenon, In his voluminous report to the French Academy of Sciences, he noted that electricity has a huge influence on the growth of living beings.

Nollet made his conclusion several years before the new sensation that swept across Europe. Benjamin Franklin was able to catch a charge of electricity from a lightning strike using a kite that he flew during a thunderstorm. When lightning struck the metal tip of the kite's frame, the charge traveled down the wet string and into a Leyden jar that stored electricity. This device was developed at the University of Leiden and was used to store electrical charge in aquatic environment; discharge occurred in the form of a single electric spark. Until now, it was believed that only static electricity produced by a static electricity generator could be stored in a Leyden jar.

While Franklin was collecting electricity from the clouds, the brilliant astronomer Pierre Charles Lemonnier, who was admitted to the French Academy of Sciences at the age of 21 and later made a sensational discovery about the inclination of the ecliptic, determined that there was constant electrical activity in the Earth's atmosphere even at sunny cloudless weather. But exactly how this ubiquitous electricity interacts with plants remains a mystery.

The next attempt to use atmospheric electricity to increase plant fruiting was made in Italy. In 1770, Professor Gardini strung several wires over the garden of a monastery in Turin. Soon many plants began to wither and die. But as soon as the monks removed the wires over their garden, the plants immediately came to life. Gardini suggested that either the plants no longer received the dose of electricity required for growth, or the dose of electricity received was excessive. One day Gardini learned that in France the brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier had built a huge ball filled with warm air, and sent him on an air journey over Paris with two passengers on board. Then the ball flew a distance of 10 km in 25 minutes. Gardini proposed using this new invention in gardening. To do this, you need to attach a long wire to the ball, through which electricity will flow from a height down to the ground, to the garden plants.

Scientists of that time did not pay any attention to the events in Italy and France: even then they were more interested in the influence of electricity on inanimate objects than on living organisms. Scientists were also not interested in the work of Abbot Bertholon, who in 1783 wrote a voluminous treatise “Electricity of Plants” (De l "Electricite des Vegetaux). Bertholon was a professor of experimental physics at French and Spanish universities and fully supported Nollet’s idea that that by changing the viscosity, or hydraulic resistance, of the fluid medium in a living organism, electricity thereby affects

On the process of its growth. He also referred to a report by Italian physicist Giuseppe Toaldo, who described the effect of electricity on plants. Toaldo noticed that in the planted row of jasmine bushes, two of them were next to the lightning rod. These two bushes grew 10 meters in height, while the rest of the bushes were only 1.5 meters.

Bertolon, who was known almost as a sorcerer, asked the gardener to stand on something that did not conduct electricity before watering the plants with an electrified watering can. He reported that his salads had grown to incredible sizes. He also invented the so-called "electrovegetometer" to collect atmospheric electricity using an antenna and pass it through plants growing in the fields. “This tool,” he wrote, “influences the process of growth and development of plants; it can be used in any conditions, in any weather. Only cowardly and cowardly people can doubt its effectiveness and benefits, who, hiding behind the mask of prudence, are panicky afraid of everything new.” In conclusion, the abbot directly stated that in the future best fertilizers in the form of electricity will be delivered free of charge to plants “straight from heaven.”

The remarkable idea that electricity interacts with all living things and even penetrates them was developed in November 1780. The wife of a scientist from Bologna, Luigi Galvani, accidentally noticed that a static electricity generator caused convulsive contractions in the severed leg of a frog. When she told her husband about this, he was very surprised and immediately assumed that electricity was of animal origin. On Christmas Eve, he decided that this was exactly the case, and wrote in his work diary: “Most likely electricity is the causative agent of neuromuscular activity.”

Over the next six years, Galvani studied the effect of electricity on muscle function, and one day accidentally discovered that frog legs twitched just as well without the use of electricity when a copper wire with suspended legs touched an iron rod when the wind blew. It became obvious to Galvani that in this closed electrical circuit the source of electricity could be either metals or frogs. Believing that electricity has an animal nature, he concluded that the observed phenomenon is associated with animal tissue and this reaction is a consequence of the circulation of the vital fluid (energy) of the bodies of frogs. Galvani dubbed this fluid “animal electricity.”

Galvani's discovery was initially supported by his compatriot Alessandro Volta, a physicist at the University of Pavia in the Duchy of Milan. But by repeating Galvani's experiments, Volta was able to produce the effect of electricity using only two types of metals. He wrote to Abbot Tommaselli that apparently the electricity did not come from the frog's legs, but was simply "the result of the use of two metals with different properties." Having delved into the study of the electrical properties of metals, in 1800 Volta created the first electric battery. It consisted of a stack of alternating zinc and copper disks with pieces wet paper between them. It was instantly charged and could be used as a source of current countless times, and not just once, like the Leyden jar. Thus, for the first time, researchers stopped depending on static and natural electricity. As a result of the invention of this ancestor of the modern battery, artificial dynamic, or kinetic, electricity was discovered. Galvani's idea of the existence of a special vital energy in the tissues of living organisms was almost forgotten.

Volta initially supported Galvani's discoveries, but later he wrote: “Galvani's experiments are certainly spectacular. But if we discard his beautiful ideas and assume that animal organs are devoid of their own electrical activity, then they can be considered just the latest super-sensitive electrometers.” Shortly before his death, Galvani made a prophetic statement that one day the analysis of all the necessary physiological aspects of his experiments "will help to better understand the nature vitality and their differences depending on gender, age, temperament, diseases and even the composition of atmospheres.” But scientists treated him with distrust and considered his ideas untenable.

A few years earlier, the Hungarian Jesuit Maximilian Hell, who was unfamiliar with Galvani, picked up Gilbert's ideas about the animate nature of the magnet, transmitting this quality to other metal-containing materials. Armed with this idea, he made a unusual device, with the help of which he was cured of chronic rheumatism. Hell's success in healing sick people greatly impressed his friend, the Viennese physician Franz Anton Mesmer, who became interested in magnetism after reading the works of Paracelsus. Then Mesmer began experimentally testing Hell’s work and became convinced that living matter was indeed influenced by “terrestrial and celestial magnetic forces.” In 1779, he called these forces “animal magnetism” and dedicated his doctoral dissertation “The Influence of the Planets on the Human Body” to them. One day Mesmer learned about the Swiss priest J. Gassner, who healed his patients by laying on of hands. Mesmer successfully adopted Gassner's technique and explained the effectiveness of this method of healing by the fact that some people, including himself, are endowed with greater “magnetic” power than others.

It would seem that such amazing discoveries of bioelectrical and biomagnetic energy could herald a new era of research combining physics, medicine and physiology. But the new era had to wait at least another hundred years. Mesmer's successes in healing against the backdrop of the failure of everyone else aroused black envy among his Viennese colleagues. They called Mesmer a sorcerer possessed by the devil and organized a commission to investigate his claims. The commission's conclusion was not in his favor, and then Mesmer was expelled from the teaching staff of the Faculty of Medicine and was forbidden to treat people.

In 1778, he moved to Paris, where, in his words, he met “people who were more enlightened and not so indifferent to new discoveries.” There Mesmer found a powerful supporter of his new methods, Charles d'Eslon, the first doctor at the court of Louis XVI's brother, who introduced Mesmer into influential circles. But soon everything happened again: now envy seized the French doctors, as well as Mesmer's Austrian colleagues in their time. They created such a fuss that the king was forced to appoint a royal commission of inquiry into Mesmer's claims, despite the fact that d'Eslon, at a meeting of the medical faculty of the University of Paris, called Mesmer's work "one of the greatest scientific achievements of modern times." The royal commission included the director of the French Academy of Sciences, who in 1772 solemnly proclaimed that meteorites did not exist; The chairman of the commission was the American Ambassador Benjamin Franklin. The commission concluded that “animal magnetism does not exist and has no healing effect.” Mesmer was exposed to public ridicule, and his enormous popularity began to fade. He left for Switzerland and in 1815, a year before his death, completed his most important work: “Mesmerism or a system of mutual influences; or the theory and practice of animal magnetism."

In 1820, Danish scientist Hans Christian Oersted discovered that if a compass is placed next to a live wire, the needle will always be perpendicular to the wire. When the direction of current changes, the arrow rotates 180°. From this it followed that there was a magnetic field around the live wire. This led to the most profitable invention in the history of science. Michael Faraday in England and Joseph Henry in the USA independently came to the conclusion that the opposite phenomenon must also exist: when a wire moves through a magnetic field, an electric current arises in the wire. Thus, the “generator” was invented, and with it the entire army of electrical appliances.

Today there are a huge number of books about what a person can do with the help of electricity. In the US Library of Congress, books on this topic occupy seventeen thirty-meter shelves. But the essence of electricity and the principles of its operation remain the same mystery as in the time of Priestley. Modern scientists, who still have no idea about the composition electromagnetic waves, cleverly adapted them for use in radios, radars, televisions and toasters.

With such a one-sided interest only in mechanical properties electromagnetism, very few have paid attention to its effects on living beings. Baron Karl von Reichenbach from the German city of Tubingen was one of the few alternative-minded scientists. In 1845, he invented various wood tar-based substances, including creosote, used to protect above-ground fencing and underwater wood structures from rotting. According to Reichenbach's observations, especially gifted people, whom he called “psychics,” could personally see strange energy emanating from all living organisms and even from the ends of a magnet. He called this energy Odile or Od. Reichenbach's works - “Researches into the Forces of Magnetism, Electricity, Heat and Light in Relation to the Force of Life” - were translated into English language the outstanding physician William Gregory, appointed in 1844 professor of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. Despite this, all of Reichenbach’s attempts to prove the existence of odes to his contemporaries, physiologists in England and Europe, were a fiasco from the very beginning.

Reichenbach named the reason for such a contemptuous attitude towards his “odic power”: “As soon as I touch this subject, I immediately feel that I am touching a nerve among scientists. They equate one and psychic abilities to the so-called “animal magnetism” and “mesmerism”. As soon as this happens, all sympathy immediately evaporates.” According to Reichenbach, the identification of odes with animal magnetism is completely unfounded, and although the mysterious odic force is somewhat reminiscent of animal magnetism, it exists completely independently of the latter.

Later, Wilhelm Reich argued that “the ancient Greeks and their contemporaries, starting with Gilbert, were dealing with a completely different type of energy than they had studied since the times of Volta and Faraday. The second type of energy was obtained by moving wires through magnetic fields; this energy differs from the first type not only in the method of production, but also in its nature.”

Reich believed that the ancient Greeks, using the principle of friction, discovered a mysterious energy, which he gave the name "orgone." Very similar to Reichenbach's ode and the ether of the ancients. Reich argued that orgone fills all space and is the medium in which light, electromagnetic waves and gravity propagate. Orgone fills the entire space, although not evenly everywhere, and is present even in a vacuum. Reich considered orgone as the main link connecting inorganic and organic matter. By the 1960s, shortly after the death of the Reich, too many arguments had accumulated in favor of the idea that living organisms are electrical in nature. D. S. Halasi, in his book on orthodox science, put it very simply: “The flow of electrons is the basis of almost all life processes.”

In the period between Reichenbach and Reich, scientists, instead of studying natural phenomena in their entirety, began to disassemble them into small components - and this, in part, became the cause of all the difficulties in science. At the same time, the gap between the so-called life sciences and physics, which believed only in the existence of what can be directly seen with the eyes or measured with instruments, widened. Somewhere in the middle was chemistry, which sought to break matter into molecules. By artificially combining and grouping molecules, chemists synthesized countless new substances.

In 1828, for the first time in laboratory conditions an organic substance was obtained - urea. The artificial synthesis of organic substances seemed to destroy the idea of the existence of any special "life" aspect in living matter. With the discovery of cells, the biological analogues of the atoms of classical Greek philosophy, scientists began to look at plants, animals and humans as just different combinations of these cells. In other words, a living organism is simply a chemical aggregate. In the light of such ideas, few people have the desire to understand electromagnetism and its influence on living matter. Nevertheless, individual “renegades” from science from time to time attracted general attention to questions about the influence of space on plants, and thus did not allow the discoveries of Nollet and Bertolon to sink into oblivion.

Over the ocean, in North America William Ross, testing claims that electrified seeds germinate faster, planted cucumbers in a mixture of black manganese oxide, table salt and clean sand and watered them with dilute sulfuric acid. When he passed an electric current through the mixture, the seeds germinate much faster than non-electrified seeds planted in a similar mixture. A year later, in 1845, a long report entitled “The Influence of Electricity on Plants” was published in the first issue of the London Journal of the Horticultural Society. The author of the report was agronomist Edward Solly, who, like Gardini, suspended wires above the garden and, like Ross, tried to place them underground. Solly conducted seventy experiments with various grains, vegetables and flowers. Of the seventy cases studied, only nineteen observed a positive effect of electricity on plants, and approximately the same number of cases had a negative effect.

Such contradictory results indicated that for each plant species the quantity, quality and duration of electrical stimulation are of great importance. But physicists did not have the necessary equipment to measure the effects of electricity on different species, and they did not yet know how artificial and atmospheric electricity affected plants. Therefore, this area of research was left to the persistent and curious gardeners or “eccentrics.” However, more and more new observations were emerging that plants have electrical properties.

In 1859, in one of the issues of the London Gardeners' Chronicle, a report was published about light flashes from one scarlet verbena to another. The report mentioned that this phenomenon was especially clearly noticeable at dusk before a thunderstorm after a long period of dry weather This confirmed Goethe's observations that Oriental poppy flowers glow in the dark.

It was only at the end of the nineteenth century in Germany that new data appeared that shed light on the nature of atmospheric electricity discovered by Lemonnier. Julius Elster and Hans Geitel, interested in “radioactivity” - the spontaneous emission of inorganic substances - began a large-scale study of atmospheric electricity. This study revealed that the earth's soil constantly emits electrically charged particles into the air. They were given the name ions (from the Greek present participle ienai, which means “going”), they were atoms, groups of atoms or molecules that, after losing or gaining electrons, had a positive or negative charge. Lemonnier's observation that the atmosphere was constantly filled with electricity finally had some kind of material explanation.

In clear, cloudless weather, the Earth has a negative charge, and the atmosphere has a positive charge, then electrons from the soil and plants tend upward into the sky. During a thunderstorm, the polarity is reversed: the Earth acquires a positive charge, and the lower layers of clouds acquire a negative charge. At any moment, 3-4 thousand “electric” thunderstorms are raging over the surface of the globe, so due to them, the charge lost in sunny areas is restored, and, thus, the overall electrical balance of the Earth is maintained.

As a result of the constant flow of electricity, electrical voltage increases with distance from the Earth's surface. Between the head of a 180 cm tall person and the ground the voltage is 200 volts; from the top of a 100-story skyscraper to the sidewalk the voltage increases to 40,000 volts, and between the lower layers of the ionosphere and the surface of the Earth the voltage is 360,000 volts. It sounds scary, but in reality, due to the lack of strong particle current, these volts do not turn into deadly energy. A person could learn to use this colossal energy, but the main difficulty here is that he still does not understand how and according to what laws this energy functions.

New attempts to study the effects of atmospheric electricity on plants were made by Selim Lemstrom, a Finnish scientist with varied interests. Lemström was considered an expert in the field of aurora and terrestrial magnetism, and from 1868 to 1884. made four expeditions to the polar regions of Spitsbergen and Lapland. He suggested that the luxuriant vegetation of these latitudes, attributed to the long days of summer, was actually due, in his words, to “that intense manifestation of electricity, the northern lights.”

It had been known since Franklin's time that atmospheric electricity was best attracted by sharp objects, and it was this observation that led to the creation of the lightning rod. Lemström reasoned that “the pointed tips of plants act as lightning rods to collect atmospheric electricity and facilitate the exchange of charges between air and ground.” He studied the annual rings on spruce cuts and found that the amount of annual growth clearly correlates with periods of increased solar activity and the northern lights.

Returning home, the scientist decided to back up his observations with experiments. He connected a row of plants in metal pots to a static electricity generator. To do this, he stretched wires at a height of 40 cm above the plants, from which metal rods descended to the ground in pots. The other plants were left alone. After eight weeks, the electrified plants gained 50% more weight than the non-electrified plants. When Lemström transferred his design to the garden, the barley harvest increased by a third, and the strawberry harvest doubled. Moreover, it turned out to be much sweeter than usual.

Landström conducted a long series of experiments in different parts Europe, at different latitudes up to the south of Burgundy; the results depended not only on specific type vegetable, fruit or grain, but also on temperature, humidity, natural fertility and fertilization of the soil. In 1902, Lendström described his successes in the book "Electro Cultur", published in Berlin. This term was included in Liberty Hyde Bailey's Standard Encyclopedia of Gardening.

English translation of Lendström's book entitled "Electricity in agriculture and Horticulture" (Electricity in Agriculture and Horticulture) was published in London two years after the publication of the German original. The introduction to the book contained a rather harsh, but, as it later turned out, a true warning. The book's subject matter concerns three separate disciplines—physics, botany, and agronomy—and is unlikely to be “particularly attractive” to scientists. However, this warning did not deter one reader, Sir Oliver Lodge. He achieved outstanding success in physics and then became a member of the London Society for Psychical Research. He wrote a dozen books confirming his belief that there are many more worlds beyond the material world.

To avoid the lengthy and complex manipulation of moving wires upward as plants grew, Lodge placed a network of wires on insulators suspended from high poles, thus allowing people, animals and machinery to move freely across the electrified fields. In one season, Lodge managed to increase the yield of one wheat variety by 40%. Moreover, the bakers noted that bread made from Lodge flour was much tastier than from the flour they usually purchased.

Lodge's comrade John Newman adopted his system and achieved a twenty percent increase in wheat yields in England and potatoes in Scotland. Newman's strawberries were not only more fruitful, they, like Lendstrom's strawberries, were juicier and sweeter than usual. As a result of the tests, the sugar content in Newman's sugar beets exceeded average rate. By the way, Newman published a report on the results of his research not in a botanical journal, but in the fifth issue of the Standard Book for Electrical Engineers, published in New York by the large and reputable publishing house McGraw-Hill ). Since then, engineers have become more interested in the influence of electricity on plants than plant growers.

The biological influence of electric and magnetic fields on the body of people and animals has been studied quite a lot. The effects observed in this case, if they occur, are still unclear and difficult to determine, so this topic remains relevant.

Magnetic fields on our planet have a dual origin - natural and anthropogenic. Natural magnetic fields, so-called magnetic storms, originate in the Earth's magnetosphere. Anthropogenic magnetic disturbances cover a smaller area than natural ones, but their manifestation is much more intense, and therefore causes more significant damage. As a result technical activities humans create artificial electromagnetic fields that are hundreds of times stronger than the Earth's natural magnetic field. Sources of anthropogenic radiation are: powerful radio transmitting devices, electrified vehicles, power lines.

Frequency range and wavelengths of some sources of electromagnetic radiation

One of the most powerful exciters of electromagnetic waves is industrial frequency currents (50 Hz). Thus, the electric field intensity directly under a power transmission line can reach several thousand volts per meter of soil, although due to the property of soil reducing the intensity, even when moving 100 m from the line, the intensity drops sharply to several tens of volts per meter.

Studies of the biological effects of the electric field have found that already at a strength of 1 kV/m it has an adverse effect on nervous system human, which in turn leads to disorders of the endocrine system and metabolism in the body (copper, zinc, iron and cobalt), disrupts physiological functions: heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, metabolic processes and immune activity.

Since 1972, publications have appeared that examine the effect on people and animals of electric fields with intensity values greater than 10 kV/m.

Magnetic field strength proportional to current and inversely proportional to distance; The electric field strength is proportional to voltage (charge) and inversely proportional to distance. The parameters of these fields depend on the voltage class, design features and geometric dimensions of high-voltage power lines. The emergence of a powerful and extended source of electromagnetic field leads to a change in those natural factors, under which the ecosystem was formed. Electric and magnetic fields can induce surface charges and currents in the human body.

Research has shown that the maximum current in the human body induced by an electric field is much higher than the current induced by a magnetic field. Thus, the harmful effects of the magnetic field appear only when its intensity is about 200 A/m, which happens at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the line phase wires and is dangerous only for operating personnel when working under voltage. This circumstance allowed us to conclude that there is no biological influence of industrial-frequency magnetic fields on people and animals located under power lines. Thus, the electric field of power lines is the main biologically effective factor in long-distance power transmission, which can be a barrier to the migration of movement different types aquatic and land fauna.

Lines of force of electric and magnetic fields affecting a person standing under by air line AC power transmission

Based on the design features of power transmission (wire sagging), the greatest influence of the field is manifested in the middle of the span, where the tension for super- and ultra-high voltage lines at the level of human height is 5 - 20 kV/m and higher, depending on the voltage class and line design.

At the supports, where the height of the wire suspension is greatest and the shielding effect of the supports is felt, the field strength is the lowest. Since there may be people, animals, and vehicles under power line wires, there is a need to assess the possible consequences of long-term and short-term stay of living beings in electric field of various tensions.

The most sensitive to electric fields are ungulates and humans wearing shoes that insulate them from the ground. Animal hoofs are also good insulators. The induced potential in this case can reach 10 kV, and the current pulse through the body when touching a grounded object (bush branch, blade of grass) is 100 - 200 μA. Such current pulses are safe for the body, but unpleasant sensations force ungulates to avoid high-voltage power lines in the summer.

In the action of an electric field on a person, the dominant role is played by the currents flowing through his body. This is determined by the high conductivity of the human body, where organs with blood and lymph circulating in them predominate.

Currently, experiments on animals and human volunteers have established that a conductivity current density of 0.1 μA/cm and below does not affect brain function, since the pulsed biocurrents that usually flow in the brain significantly exceed the density of such a conduction current.

At a current density with a conductivity of 1 μA/cm, flickering circles of light are observed in a person’s eyes; higher current densities already capture the threshold values of stimulation of sensory receptors, as well as nerve and muscle cells, which leads to the appearance of fear and involuntary motor reactions.

If a person touches objects isolated from the ground in a zone of an electric field of significant intensity, the current density in the heart zone strongly depends on the state of the “underlying” conditions (type of shoes, soil condition, etc.), but can already reach these values.

At a maximum current corresponding to Еmax == 15 kV/m (6.225 mA), a known fraction of this current flowing through the head area (about 1/3), and a head area (about 100 cm), the current density<0,1 мкА/см, что и подтверждает допустимость принятой напряженности 15 кВ/м под проводами воздушной линии.

For human health, the problem is to determine the relationship between the current density induced in tissues and the magnetic induction of the external field, V. Calculation of current density

complicated by the fact that its exact path depends on the distribution of conductivity in the tissues of the body.

Thus, the specific conductivity of the brain is determined by y = 0.2 cm/m, and of the heart muscle by y = 0.25 cm/m. If we take the radius of the head to be 7.5 cm and the radius of the heart to be 6 cm, then the product yR is the same in both cases. Therefore, one representation can be given for the current density at the periphery of the heart and brain.

It has been determined that magnetic induction, safe for health, is about 0.4 mT at a frequency of 50 or 60 Hz. In magnetic fields (from 3 to 10 mT, f = 10 - 60 Hz), the appearance of light flickers, similar to those that occur when pressing on the eyeball, was observed.

The current density induced in the human body by an electric field with intensity E is calculated as follows:

with different coefficients k for the brain and heart regions.

Value k=3-10 -3 cm/Hzm.

According to German scientists, the field strength at which hair vibration is felt by 5% of the men tested is 3 kV/m and for 50% of the men tested it is 20 kV/m. There is currently no evidence that the sensations caused by the field cause any adverse effects. Regarding the relationship between current density and biological influence, four areas can be distinguished, presented in the table.

The last range of current density values relates to exposure times of the order of one cardiac cycle, i.e. approximately 1 s for a person. For shorter exposures, the threshold values are higher. To determine the threshold field strength, physiological studies were performed on humans in laboratory conditions at field strengths ranging from 10 to 32 kV/m. It has been established that at a voltage of 5 kV/m, 80% of people do not experience pain during discharges when touching grounded objects. It is this value that was adopted as a standard value when working in electrical installations without the use of protective equipment.

The dependence of the permissible time of a person’s stay in an electric field with a strength E greater than the threshold is approximated by the equation

Fulfillment of this condition ensures self-healing of the physiological state of the body during the day without residual reactions and functional or pathological changes.

Let's get acquainted with the main results of studies of the biological effects of electric and magnetic fields conducted by Soviet and foreign scientists.

The influence of electric fields on personnel

During the studies, an integrating dosimeter was attached to the upper forearm of each worker. It was found that among workers on high-voltage lines, the average daily exposure ranged from 1.5 kV/(m-h) to 24 kV/(m-h). Maximum values are noted in very rare cases. From the research data obtained, it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between field exposure and the general health of people.

Electrostatic effect on human and animal hair

The research was carried out in connection with the hypothesis that the field effect felt by the surface of the skin is caused by the action of electrostatic forces on the hair. As a result, it was found that at a field strength of 50 kV/m, the subject felt itching associated with vibration of the hair, which was recorded by special devices.

Effect of electric field on plants

The experiments were carried out in a special chamber in an undistorted field with a voltage from 0 to 50 kV/m. Slight damage to leaf tissue was detected at exposures ranging from 20 to 50 kV/m, depending on the configuration of the plant and its initial moisture content. Tissue necrosis was observed in parts of plants with sharp edges. Thick plants with a smooth rounded surface were not damaged at a voltage of 50 kV/m. Damage is caused by crowns on protruding parts of plants. In the weakest plants, damage was observed within 1 - 2 hours after exposure. It is important that in wheat seedlings, which have very sharp tips, the crown and damage were noticeable at a relatively low voltage of 20 kV/m. This was the lowest threshold for lesion occurrence in the studies.

The most likely mechanism of damage to plant tissue is heat. Tissue damage occurs when the field strength becomes high enough to cause corona and a high-density corona current flows through the tip of the leaflet. The heat generated by the resistance of the leaf tissue leads to the death of a narrow layer of cells, which relatively quickly lose water, dry out and shrink. However, this process has a limit and the percentage of the dried plant surface is small.

Effect of electric field on animals

Research was carried out in two directions: studying at the level of the biosystem and studying the thresholds of detected influences. Among the chickens placed in a field with a voltage of 80 kV/m, there was an increase in weight, viability, and low mortality. The field perception threshold was measured in domestic pigeons. Pigeons have been shown to have some mechanism for detecting low-strength electric fields. No genetic changes were observed. It is noted that animals located in an electric field of high intensity may experience a mini-shock due to extraneous factors, depending on the experimental conditions, which can lead to some anxiety and agitation in the subjects.

A number of countries have regulations that limit the maximum field strength values in the area of overhead power line routes. A maximum voltage of 20 kV/m has been recommended in Spain and the same value is currently considered as the limit in Germany.

Public awareness of the effects of electromagnetic fields on living organisms continues to grow, and some interest and concern about these effects will lead to continued relevant medical research, especially on people living near overhead power lines.

PHYSICS

BIOLOGY

Plants and their electrical potential.

Completed by: Markevich V.V.

GBOU secondary school No. 740 Moscow

9th grade

Head: Kozlova Violetta Vladimirovna

physics and mathematics teacher

Moscow 2013

Content

Introduction

Relevance
Goals and objectives of the work
Research methods
Significance of the work

Analysis of the studied literature on the topic “Electricity in life

plants"

Research methodology and technology

Study of damage currents in various plants
1. Experiment No. 1 (with lemons)
  Experiment No. 2 (with apple)
  Experiment No. 3 (with a plant leaf)

Study of the influence of an electric field on seed germination

Experiments to observe the effect of ionized air on the germination of pea seeds
Experiments to observe the effect of ionized air on the germination of bean seeds

conclusions

Conclusion

Literature

Chapter 1Introduction

“No matter how amazing electrical phenomena are,

inherent in inorganic matter, they do not go

in no comparison with those associated with

life processes."

Michael Faraday

In this work, we address one of the most interesting and promising areas of research – the influence of physical conditions on plants.

Studying the literature on this issue, I learned that Professor P. P. Gulyaev, using highly sensitive equipment, managed to establish that a weak bioelectric field surrounds any living thing and it is also known for sure: every living cell has its own power plant. And cellular potentials are not so small. For example, in some algae they reach 0.15 V.

“If 500 pairs of pea halves are assembled in a certain order in a series, the final electrical voltage will be 500 volts... It is good that the cook is not aware of the danger that threatens him when he prepares this special dish, and fortunately for him, the peas do not connect into ordered series." This statement by Indian researcher J. Boss is based on a rigorous scientific experiment. He connected the inner and outer parts of the pea to a galvanometer and heated it to 60°C. The device showed a potential difference of 0.5 V.

How does this happen? On what principle do living generators and batteries work? Deputy Head of the Department of Living Systems at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Eduard Trukhan, believes that one of the most important processes occurring in a plant cell is the process of assimilation of solar energy, the process of photosynthesis.

So, if at that moment scientists manage to “pull apart” positively and negatively charged particles in different directions, then, in theory, we will have at our disposal a wonderful living generator, the fuel for which would be water and sunlight, and in addition to energy, it would also produce pure oxygen.

Perhaps in the future such a generator will be created. But to realize this dream, scientists will have to work hard: they need to select the most suitable plants, and maybe even learn how to make chlorophyll grains artificially, create some kind of membranes that would allow the separation of charges. It turns out that a living cell, storing electrical energy in natural capacitors - the intracellular membranes of special cellular formations, mitochondria, then uses it to do a lot of work: building new molecules, drawing nutrients into the cell, regulating its own temperature... And that's not all. With the help of electricity, the plant itself performs many operations: it breathes, moves, grows.

Relevance

Today it can be argued that the study of the electrical life of plants is beneficial to agriculture. I.V. Michurin also conducted experiments on the effect of electric current on the germination of hybrid seedlings.

Pre-sowing seed treatment is the most important element of agricultural technology, allowing to increase their germination, and ultimately, plant productivity. And this is especially important in the conditions of our not very long and warm summer.

Goals and objectives of the work

The purpose of the work is to study the presence of bioelectric potentials in plants and to study the influence of the electric field on seed germination.

To achieve the purpose of the study, it is necessary to solve the following tasks :

Study of the basic principles concerning the doctrine of bioelectric potentials and the influence of the electric field on the life of plants.

Conducting experiments to detect and observe damage currents in various plants.

Conducting experiments to observe the influence of the electric field on seed germination.

Research methods

To accomplish the research objectives, theoretical and practical methods are used. Theoretical method: search, study and analysis of scientific and popular science literature on this issue. Practical research methods are used: observation, measurement, conducting experiments.

Significance of the work

The material in this work can be used in physics and biology lessons, since this important issue is not covered in textbooks. And the methodology for conducting experiments is used as material for practical classes in an elective course.

Chapter 2Analysis of the studied literature

History of research into the electrical properties of plants

One of the characteristic features of living organisms is the ability to irritate.

Charles Darwinattached importance to the irritability of plants. He studied in detail the biological characteristics of insectivorous representatives of the plant world, which are highly sensitive, and presented the results of his research in the wonderful book “On Insectivorous Plants,” published in 1875. In addition, the attention of the great naturalist was attracted by the various movements of plants. Taken together, all the studies suggested that the plant organism is surprisingly similar to the animal.

The widespread use of electrophysiological methods has allowed animal physiologists to make significant progress in this area of knowledge. It was found that electrical currents (biocurrents) constantly arise in animal organisms, the spread of which leads to motor reactions. Charles Darwin suggested that similar electrical phenomena also take place in the leaves of insectivorous plants, which have a fairly pronounced ability to move. However, he himself did not test this hypothesis. At his request, experiments with the Venus flytrap plant were carried out in 1874 by a physiologist at Oxford UniversityBurdan Sanderson. Having connected a leaf of this plant to a galvanometer, the scientist noted that the needle immediately deviated. This means that electrical impulses arise in the living leaf of this insectivorous plant. When the researcher irritated the leaves by touching the bristles located on their surface, the galvanometer needle deflected in the opposite direction, as in the experiment with an animal muscle.

German physiologistHermann Munch, who continued his experiments, came to the conclusion in 1876 that the leaves of the Venus flytrap are electrically similar to the nerves, muscles and electrical organs of some animals.

In Russia, electrophysiological methods were usedN. K. Levakovskyto study the phenomena of irritability in the bashful mimosa. In 1867, he published a book entitled “On the Movement of Stimulated Organs of Plants.” In the experiments of N.K. Levakovsky, the strongest electrical signals were observed in those specimensmimosas who responded most energetically to external stimuli. If a mimosa is quickly killed by heat, the dead parts of the plant do not produce electrical signals. The author also observed the appearance of electrical impulses in stamensthistle and thistle, in the petioles of sundew leaves. Subsequently it was found that

Bioelectric potentials in plant cells

Plant life is related to moisture. Therefore, electrical processes in them are most fully manifested under normal humidification conditions and fade away when they wither. This is due to the exchange of charges between the liquid and the walls of capillary vessels during the flow of nutrient solutions through the capillaries of plants, as well as the processes of ion exchange between cells and the environment. The most important electric fields for life are excited in cells.

So, we know that...

Wind-blown pollen has a negative charge. ‚ approaching in magnitude the charge of dust grains during dust storms. Near plants losing pollen, the ratio between positive and negative light ions changes sharply, which has a beneficial effect on the further development of plants.

In the practice of spraying pesticides in agriculture, it has been found thatchemicals with a positive charge are deposited to a greater extent on beets and apple trees, while chemicals with a negative charge are deposited on lilacs.

One-sided illumination of a leaf excites an electrical potential difference between its illuminated and unlit areas and the petiole, stem and root. This potential difference expresses the plant’s response to changes in its body associated with the beginning or cessation of the process of photosynthesis.

Seed germination in a strong electric field (for example, near the discharge electrode)leads to change height and thickness of the stem and crown density of developing plants. This occurs mainly due to the redistribution of space charge in the plant body under the influence of an external electric field.

The damaged area in plant tissue is always negatively charged relatively undamaged areas, and dying areas of plants acquire a negative charge in relation to areas growing under normal conditions.

Charged seeds of cultivated plants have a relatively high electrical conductivity and therefore quickly lose their charge. Weed seeds are closer in properties to dielectrics and can retain a charge for a long time. This is used to separate crop seeds from weeds on a conveyor belt.

Significant potential differences in the plant body cannot be excited ‚ because plants do not have a specialized electrical organ. Therefore, among plants there is no “tree of death” that could kill living beings with its electrical power.

The effect of atmospheric electricity on plants

One of the characteristic features of our planet is the presence of a constant electric field in the atmosphere. The person doesn't notice him. But the electrical state of the atmosphere is not indifferent to him and other living creatures inhabiting our planet, including plants. Above the Earth at an altitude of 100-200 km, there is a layer of positively charged particles - the ionosphere.
This means that when you walk along a field, street, square, you move in an electric field, inhale electric charges.

The influence of atmospheric electricity on plants has been studied since 1748 by many authors. This year Abbe Nolet reported experiments in which he electrified plants by placing them under charged electrodes. He observed an acceleration in germination and growth. Grandieu (1879) observed that plants that were not exposed to atmospheric electricity by being placed in a wire mesh grounded box showed a 30 to 50% reduction in weight compared to control plants.

Lemström (1902) exposed plants to air ions by placing them under a wire equipped with points and connected to a high voltage source (1 m above ground level, ion current 10-11 – 10 -12 A/cm 2 ), and he found an increase in weight and length of greater than 45% (eg carrots, peas, cabbage).

The fact that plant growth was accelerated in an atmosphere with artificially increased concentrations of positive and negative small ions was recently confirmed by Krueger and his co-workers. They found that oat seeds responded to positive as well as negative ions (concentration of about 10 4 ions/cm 3 ) an increase of 60% in total length and an increase in fresh and dry weight of 25-73%. Chemical analysis of the above-ground parts of plants revealed an increase in protein, nitrogen and sugar content. In the case of barley there was an even greater increase (approximately 100%) in total elongation; the increase in fresh weight was not great, but there was a marked increase in dry weight, which was accompanied by a corresponding increase in protein, nitrogen and sugar content.

Warden also conducted experiments with plant seeds. He found that the germination of green beans and green peas became earlier as the level of ions of either polarity increased. The final percentage of germinated seeds was lower with negative ionization compared to the control group; germination in the positively ionized group and the control group was the same. As the seedlings grew, control and positively ionized plants continued to grow, while plants exposed to negative ionization mostly withered and died.

In recent years there has been a strong change in the electrical state of the atmosphere; different regions of the Earth began to differ from each other in the ionized state of the air, which is due to its dustiness, gas contamination, etc. The electrical conductivity of air is a sensitive indicator of its purity: the more foreign particles in the air, the greater the number of ions deposited on them and, consequently, the lower the electrical conductivity of the air becomes.
Thus, in Moscow, 1 cm 3 of air contains 4 negative charges, in St. Petersburg - 9 such charges, in Kislovodsk, where the standard of air purity is 1.5 thousand particles, and in the south of Kuzbass in the mixed forests of the foothills the number of these particles reaches up to 6 thousand. This means that where there are more negative particles, it is easier to breathe, and where there is dust, a person gets less of them, since dust particles settle on them.
It is well known that near fast-flowing water the air is refreshing and invigorating. It contains many negative ions. Back in the 19th century, it was determined that larger droplets in splashes of water are positively charged, and smaller droplets are negatively charged. Because larger droplets settle faster, negatively charged small droplets remain in the air.
On the contrary, the air in cramped rooms with an abundance of various kinds of electromagnetic devices is saturated with positive ions. Even a relatively short stay in such a room leads to lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness and headaches.

Chapter 3 Research methodology

Study of damage currents in various plants.

Tools and materials

3 lemons, apple, tomato, plant leaf;

3 shiny copper coins;

3 galvanized screws;

wires, preferably with clamps at the ends;

small knife;

several sticky notes;

low voltage LED 300mV;

nail or awl;

multimeter

Experiments to detect and observe damage currents in plants

Technique for performing experiment No. 1. Current in lemons.

First of all, crush all the lemons. This is done so that juice appears inside the lemon.

We screwed a galvanized screw into the lemons about a third of its length. Using a knife, carefully cut a small strip in the lemon - 1/3 of its length. We inserted a copper coin into the slot in the lemon so that half of it remained outside.

We inserted screws and coins into the other two lemons in the same way. Then we connected the wires and clamps, connected the lemons so that the screw of the first lemon was connected to the coin of the second, etc. We connected the wires to the coin from the first lemon and the screw from the last. The lemon works like a battery: the coin is the positive (+) terminal, and the screw is the negative (-). Unfortunately, this is a very weak source of energy. But it can be enhanced by combining several lemons.

Connect the positive pole of the diode to the positive pole of the battery, connect the negative pole. The diode is on!!!

Over time, the voltage at the poles of the lemon battery will decrease. We noticed how long the lemon battery lasts. After some time, the lemon darkened near the screw. If you remove the screw and insert it (or a new one) into another place on the lemon, you can partially extend the battery life. You can also try denting the battery by moving the coins from time to time.

We conducted an experiment with a large number of lemons. The diode began to glow brighter. The battery now lasts longer.

Larger pieces of zinc and copper were used.

We took a multimeter and measured the battery voltage.

Technique for performing experiment No. 2. Current in apples.

The apple was cut in half and the core was removed.

If both electrodes assigned to the multimeter are applied to the outside of the apple (the peel), the multimeter will not detect a potential difference.

One electrode is moved to the inside of the pulp, and the multimeter will note the appearance of damage current.

Let's conduct an experiment with vegetables - tomatoes.

The measurement results were placed in a table.

One electrode on the peel,

the other is in the pulp of an apple

0.21 V

Electrodes in the pulp of a cut apple

0‚05 V

Electrodes in tomato pulp

0‚02 V

Technique for performing experiment No. 3. Current in a cut stem.

A plant leaf and stem were cut off.

We measured damage currents in a cut stem at different distances between the electrodes.

The measurement results were placed in a table.

RESEARCH RESULTS

Electrical potentials can be detected in any plant.

Study of the influence of an electric field on seed germination.

Tools and materials

pea and bean seeds;

Petri dishes;

air ionizer;

watch;

water.

Experiments to observe the effect of ionized air on seed germination

Technique for performing experiment No. 1

The ionizer was turned on daily for 10 minutes.

Germination of 8 seeds

(5 did not germinate)

10.03.09

Increasing sprouts

at 10 seeds (3 did not germinate)

Increasing sprouts

11.03.09

Increasing sprouts

at 10 seeds (3 did not germinate)

Increasing sprouts

12.03.09

Increasing sprouts

Germination of 3 seeds

(4 did not germinate)

11.03.09

Increasing seed sprouts

Germination of 2 seeds

(2 did not germinate)

12.03.09

Increasing seed sprouts

Research results

The results of the experiment indicate that seed germination is faster and more successful under the influence of the electric field of the ionizer.

Procedure for performing experiment No. 2

For the experiment, they took pea and bean seeds, soaked them in Petri dishes and placed them in different rooms with the same lighting and room temperature. An air ionizer, a device for artificial ionization of air, was installed in one of the rooms.

The ionizer was turned on daily for 20 minutes.

Every day we moistened the seeds of peas and beans and observed when the seeds hatched.

Germination of 6 seeds

Germination of 9 seeds

(3 did not germinate)

19.03.09

Germination of 2 seeds

(4 did not germinate)

Increasing seed sprouts

20.03.09

Increasing seed sprouts

21.03.09

Increasing seed sprouts

Experienced cup

(with treated seeds)

Control cup

15.03.09

Soaking the seeds

16.03.09

Seed swelling

17.03.09

Without changes

18.03.09

Germination of 3 seeds

(5 did not germinate)

Germination of 4 seeds

(4 did not germinate)

19.03.09

Germination of 3 seeds

(2 did not germinate)

Germination of 2 seeds

(2 did not germinate)

20.03.09

Increasing sprouts

Germination of 1 seed

(1 did not germinate)

21.03.09

Increasing sprouts

Research results

The results of the experiment indicate that longer exposure to the electric field had a negative effect on seed germination. They sprouted later and not so successfully.

Procedure for performing experiment No. 3

The ionizer was turned on daily for 40 minutes.

Every day we moistened the seeds of peas and beans and observed when the seeds hatched.

The timing of the experiments was placed in tables

Germination of 8 seeds

(4 did not germinate)

05.04.09

Without changes

Increasing sprouts

06.04.09

Germination of 2 seeds

(10 did not germinate)

Increasing sprouts

07.04.09

Increasing sprouts

Without changes

Germination of 3 seeds

(4 did not germinate)

06.04.09

Germination of 2 seeds

(5 did not germinate)

Germination of 2 seeds

(2 did not germinate)

07.04.09

Increasing sprouts

Research results

The results of the experiment indicate that longer exposure to the electric field had a negative effect on seed germination. Their germination has noticeably decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Electrical potentials can be detected in any plant.

The electrical potential depends on the type and size of plants, and on the distance between the electrodes.

Treatment of seeds with an electric field within reasonable limits leads to an acceleration of the process of seed germination and more successful germination..

After processing and analyzing the experimental and control samples, a preliminary conclusion can be made - increasing the time of irradiation with an electrostatic field has a depressing effect, since the quality of seed germination is lower with increasing ionization time.

Chapter 4Conclusion

Currently, numerous scientific studies are devoted to the influence of electric currents on plants. The effect of electric fields on plants is still being carefully studied.

Research carried out at the Institute of Plant Physiology made it possible to establish a relationship between the intensity of photosynthesis and the value of the electrical potential difference between the earth and the atmosphere. However, the mechanism underlying these phenomena has not yet been investigated.

When starting the study, we set ourselves a goal: to determine the effect of the electric field on plant seeds.

After processing and analyzing the experimental and control samples, a preliminary conclusion can be made - increasing the time of irradiation with an electrostatic field has a depressing effect. We believe that this work is not finished, since only the first results have been obtained.

Further research on this issue can be continued in the following areas:

Influenced Does treating seeds with an electric field affect further plant growth?

Chapter 5 LITERATURE

Bogdanov K. Yu. Physicist visiting a biologist. - M.: Nauka, 1986. 144 p.

Vorotnikov A.A. Physics for young people. – M: Harvest, 1995-121p.

Katz Ts.B. Biophysics in physics lessons. – M: Enlightenment, 1971-158s.

Perelman Ya.I. Entertaining physics. – M: Nauka, 1976-432s.

Artamonov V.I. Interesting plant physiology. – M.: Agropromizdat, 1991.

Arabadzhi V.I. Mysteries of simple water. - M.: “Knowledge”, 1973.

http://www.pereplet.ru/obrazovanie/stsoros/163.html

http://www.npl-rez.ru/litra/bios.htm

http:// www.ionization.ru

"ELECTRIC BED"

Device for stimulating plant growth

A device for stimulating plant growth "ELECTROGRYADKA" is a natural power source that converts the free electricity of the earth into an electric current generated as a result of the movement of quanta in a gaseous environment.

As a result of the ionization of gas molecules, a low-potential charge is transferred from one material to another and an emf occurs.

This low-potential electricity is almost identical to the electrical processes occurring in plants and can be used to stimulate their growth.

"ELECTRIC BED" significantly increases the yield and growth of plants.
Dear summer residents, make an “ELECTRIC BED” device in your garden plot yourself.
and reap a huge harvest of agricultural products to the delight of yourself and your neighbors.

The "ELECTRIC BED" device was invented
in the Interregional Association of War Veterans
State Security Bodies "EFA-VIMPEL"
is his intellectual property and is protected by Russian law.
Author of the invention:
Pocheevsky V.N.

Having learned the manufacturing technology and operating principle of the “ELECTRIC BED”,
You can create this device yourself according to your design.

The range of one device depends on the length of the wires.

You for the season using the device "ELECTRIC BED"
You will be able to get two harvests, as the sap flow in the plants accelerates and they bear fruit more abundantly!

***
"ELECTRIC BED" helps plants grow, in the country and at home!
(roses from Holland do not fade longer)!

The operating principle of the "ELECTRIC BED" device.

The operating principle of the "ELECTRIC BED" device is very simple.
The "ELECTRIC BED" device is created in the likeness of a large tree.
An aluminum tube filled with (U-Y...) composition is the crown of a tree, where, when interacting with air, a negative charge is formed (cathode - 0.6 volts).
A spiral-shaped wire is stretched into the soil of the bed, which acts as a tree root. Bed soil + anode.

The electric bed works on the principle of a heat pipe and a constant pulse current generator, where the frequency of the pulses is created by the earth and air.
Wire in the ground + anode.
Wire (stretch wires) - cathode.
When interacting with air humidity (electrolyte), pulsed electrical discharges occur, which attract water from the depths of the earth, ozone the air and fertilize the soil of the beds.
In the early morning and evening you can smell ozone, like after a thunderstorm.

Lightning began to flash in the atmosphere billions of years ago, long before the appearance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
So they played a prominent role in fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
For example, over the last two millennia alone, lightning has converted 2 trillion tons of nitrogen into fertilizer - approximately 0.1% of the total amount in the air!

Do an experiment. Insert a nail into the tree and a copper wire into the ground to a depth of 20 cm, connect the voltmeter and you will see that the voltmeter needle shows 0.3 volts.
Large trees generate up to 0.5 volts.
Tree roots, like pumps, use osmosis to lift water from the depths of the earth and ozonate the soil.

A little history.

Electrical phenomena play an important role in plant life. In response to external stimuli, very weak currents (biocurrents) arise in them. In this regard, it can be assumed that an external electric field can have a noticeable effect on the growth rate of plant organisms.

Back in the 19th century, scientists established that the globe is negatively charged relative to the atmosphere. At the beginning of the 20th century, a positively charged layer - the ionosphere - was discovered at a distance of 100 kilometers from the earth's surface. In 1971, astronauts saw it: it looks like a luminous transparent sphere. Thus, the earth's surface and the ionosphere are two giant electrodes that create an electric field in which living organisms are constantly located.

Charges between the Earth and the ionosphere are transferred by air ions. Negative charge carriers rush to the ionosphere, and positive air ions move to the earth's surface, where they come into contact with plants. The higher the negative charge of a plant, the more positive ions it absorbs

It can be assumed that plants react in a certain way to changes in the electrical potential of the environment. More than two hundred years ago, the French abbot P. Bertalon noticed that near the lightning rod the vegetation was more lush and luscious than at some distance from it. Later, his compatriot, the scientist Grando, grew two completely identical plants, but one was in natural conditions, and the other was covered with a wire mesh, protecting it from the external electric field. The second plant developed slowly and looked worse than the one in the natural electric field. Grando concluded that for normal growth and development, plants require constant contact with an external electric field.

However, there is still much that is unclear about the effect of the electric field on plants. It has long been noted that frequent thunderstorms favor plant growth. True, this statement needs careful detail. After all, thunderstorm summers differ not only in the frequency of lightning, but also in temperature and amount of precipitation.

And these are factors that have a very strong effect on plants. There is conflicting data regarding plant growth rates near high-voltage lines. Some observers note increased growth under them, others - oppression. Some Japanese researchers believe that high-voltage lines have a negative impact on the ecological balance. It seems more reliable that plants growing under high-voltage lines exhibit various growth anomalies. Thus, under a power line with a voltage of 500 kilovolts, the number of petals of gravilat flowers increases to 7-25 instead of the usual five. In elecampane, a plant from the Asteraceae family, the baskets grow together into a large, ugly formation.

There are countless experiments on the effect of electric current on plants. I. V. Michurin also conducted experiments in which hybrid seedlings were grown in large boxes with soil through which a direct electric current was passed. It was found that the growth of seedlings was enhanced. Experiments conducted by other researchers have yielded mixed results. In some cases, the plants died, in others they produced an unprecedented harvest. So, in one of the experiments around the plot where carrots grew, metal electrodes were inserted into the soil, through which an electric current was passed from time to time. The harvest exceeded all expectations - the mass of individual roots reached five kilograms! However, subsequent experiments, unfortunately, gave different results. Apparently, the researchers lost sight of some condition that allowed them to obtain an unprecedented harvest using electric current in the first experiment.

Why do plants grow better in an electric field? Scientists from the Institute of Plant Physiology named after. K. A. Timiryazev of the USSR Academy of Sciences established that photosynthesis proceeds faster, the greater the potential difference between plants and the atmosphere. So, for example, if you hold a negative electrode near a plant and gradually increase the voltage (500, 1000, 1500, 2500 volts), then the intensity of photosynthesis will increase. If the potentials of the plant and the atmosphere are close, then the plant stops absorbing carbon dioxide.

It seems that the electrification of plants activates the process of photosynthesis. Indeed, in cucumbers placed in an electric field, photosynthesis proceeded twice as fast as in the control group. As a result, they formed four times more ovaries, which turned into mature fruits faster than control plants. When oat plants were exposed to an electrical potential of 90 volts, their seed weight increased by 44 percent at the end of the experiment compared to the control.

By passing an electric current through plants, you can regulate not only photosynthesis, but also root nutrition; After all, the elements needed by the plant usually come in the form of ions. American researchers have found that each element is absorbed by the plant at a certain current strength.

English biologists have achieved significant stimulation of the growth of tobacco plants by passing through them a direct electric current of only one millionth of an ampere. The difference between the control and experimental plants became obvious already 10 days after the start of the experiment, and after 22 days it was very noticeable. It turned out that growth stimulation was only possible if a negative electrode was connected to the plant. When the polarity was reversed, the electric current, on the contrary, somewhat inhibited plant growth.

In 1984, the journal Floriculture published an article on the use of electric current to stimulate root formation in cuttings of ornamental plants, especially those that take root with difficulty, such as rose cuttings. Experiments were carried out with them in closed ground. Cuttings of several varieties of roses were planted in perlite sand. They were watered twice a day and exposed to electric current (15 V; up to 60 μA) for at least three hours. In this case, the negative electrode was connected to the plant, and the positive electrode was immersed in the substrate. In 45 days, 89 percent of the cuttings took root, and they developed well-developed roots. In the control (without electrical stimulation), within 70 days the yield of rooted cuttings was 75 percent, but their roots were much less developed. Thus, electrical stimulation reduced the period of growing cuttings by 1.7 times and increased the yield per unit area by 1.2 times. As we can see, stimulation of growth under the influence of electric current is observed if a negative electrode is connected to the plant. This can be explained by the fact that the plant itself is usually negatively charged. Connecting a negative electrode increases the potential difference between it and the atmosphere, and this, as already noted, has a positive effect on photosynthesis.

The beneficial effect of electric current on the physiological state of plants was used by American researchers to treat damaged tree bark, cancerous growths, etc. In the spring, electrodes were inserted into the tree through which an electric current was passed. The duration of treatment depended on the specific situation. After such an impact, the bark was renewed.

The electric field affects not only adult plants, but also seeds. If you place them in an artificially created electric field for a while, they will sprout faster and produce friendly shoots. What is the reason for this phenomenon? Scientists suggest that inside the seeds, as a result of exposure to an electric field, some of the chemical bonds are broken, which leads to the formation of fragments of molecules, including particles with excess energy - free radicals. The more active particles inside the seeds, the higher the energy of their germination. According to scientists, similar phenomena occur when seeds are exposed to other radiation: X-ray, ultraviolet, ultrasound, radioactive.

Let us return to the results of Grando's experiment. The plant, placed in a metal cage and thereby isolated from the natural electric field, did not grow well. Meanwhile, in most cases, the collected seeds are stored in reinforced concrete premises, which, in essence, are exactly the same metal cage. Are we causing damage to the seeds? And is this why the seeds stored in this way react so actively to the influence of an artificial electric field?

Further study of the effect of electric current on plants will allow for even more active control of their productivity. The above facts indicate that there is still much unknown in the plant world.

ABSTRACT FROM THE INVENTION ABSTRACT.

Realizing the high efficiency of using electrical stimulation of plants in agriculture and homestead farming, an autonomous, long-term source of low-potential electricity that does not require recharging was developed to stimulate plant growth.

The device for stimulating plant growth is a high-tech product (which has no analogues in the world) and is a self-healing power source that converts free electricity into electric current, resulting from the use of electropositive and electronegative materials, separated by a permeable membrane and placed in a gaseous environment, without the use of electrolytes in the presence of a nanocatalyst. As a result of the ionization of gas molecules, a low potential charge is transferred from one material to another and an emf occurs.

This low-potential electricity is almost identical to the electrical processes occurring under the influence of photosynthesis in plants and can be used to stimulate their growth. The formula of the utility model represents the use of two or more electropositive and electronegative materials without limiting their sizes and methods of their connection, separated by any permeable membrane and placed in a gaseous environment with or without the use of a catalyst.

You can make an “ELECTRIC BED” yourself.

Attached to a three-meter pole is an aluminum tube filled with (U-Yo...) composition.
A wire will be stretched from the tube along the pole into the ground
which is the anode (+0.8 volts).

Installation of the "ELECTRIC BED" device made of aluminum tube.

1 - Attach the device to a three-meter pole.
2 - Attach three guy wires made of m-2.5mm aluminum wire.
3 - Attach m-2.5mm copper wire to the device wire.
4 - Dig up the ground, the diameter of the bed can be up to six meters.
5 - Place a pole with a device in the center of the bed.
6 - Lay the copper wire in a spiral in 20cm increments.
deepen the end of the wire by 30 cm.
7- Cover the top of the copper wire with 20 cm of earth.
8 - Drive three pegs into the ground along the perimeter of the bed, and three nails in them.
9 - Attach guy wires made of aluminum wire to the nails.

Tests of ELECTRIC BEDS in a greenhouse for the lazy 2015.

Install an electric bed in a greenhouse, you will start harvesting two weeks earlier - there will be twice as many vegetables as in previous years!

"ELECTRIC BED" made of copper tube.

You can make the device yourself
"ELECTRIC BED" at home.

Send a donation

In the amount of 1,000 rubles

Within 24 hours, after a notification letter by E-mail: [email protected]
You will receive detailed technical documentation on the manufacture of TWO models of "ELECTRIC BED" devices at home.

Sberbank Online

Card number: 4276380026218433

VLADIMIR POCHEEVSKY

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wallet number 41001193789376

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Tests of the "ELECTRIC BED" in the cold summer of 2017.

Installation instructions for "ELECTRIC BEDS"

1 - Gas tube (generator of natural, pulsed earth currents).

2 - Tripod made of copper wire - 30 cm.

3 - Tension wire resonator in the form of a spring 5 meters above the ground.

4 - Tension wire resonator in the form of a spring in the soil 3 meters.

Remove the Electric Bed parts from the packaging and stretch the springs along the length of the bed.
Stretch the long spring by 5 meters, the short one by 3 meters.
The length of the springs can be increased indefinitely using ordinary conductive wire.

Attach a spring (4) - 3 meters long, to the tripod (2), as shown in the figure,
Insert the tripod into the soil and deepen the spring 5 cm into the ground.

Connect the gas tube (1) to the tripod (2). Strengthen the tube vertically
using a peg from a branch (iron pins cannot be used).

Connect a spring (3) - 5 meters long - to the gas pipe (1) and secure it on pegs made of branches
at intervals of 2 meters. The spring should be above the ground, height no more than 50 cm.

After installing the "Electric beds", connect a multimeter to the ends of the springs
to check, the readings must be at least 300 mV.

The device for stimulating plant growth "ELECTROGRADKA" is a high-tech product (which has no analogues in the world) and is a self-healing power source that converts free electricity into electric current, sap flow in plants accelerates, they are less susceptible to spring frosts, grow faster and bear fruit more abundantly!

Your financial assistance goes to support
national program "REVIVAL OF SPRINGS OF RUSSIA"!

If you do not have the opportunity to pay for the technology and financially help the people's program "REVIVAL OF SPRINGS OF RUSSIA" write to us by Email: [email protected] We will review your letter and send you the technology for free!

Interregional program "REVIVAL OF SPRINGS OF RUSSIA"- is the PEOPLE!
We work only on private donations from citizens and do not accept funding from commercial government and political organizations.

HEAD OF THE PEOPLE'S PROGRAM

"REVIVAL OF SPRINGS OF RUSSIA"

Vladimir Nikolaevich Pocheevsky Tel: 8-965-289-96-76

Earth's electric field

Electrometer measurements show that there is an electric field at the Earth's surface, even if there are no charged bodies nearby. This means that our planet has some electric charge, i.e. it is a charged ball of large radius.

A study of the Earth's electric field showed that, on average, the modulus of its strength E= 130 V/m, and the field lines are vertical and directed towards the Earth. The electric field strength is greatest in mid-latitudes, and decreases towards the poles and equator. Consequently, our planet as a whole has negative charge, which is estimated by the value q= –3∙10 5 C, and the atmosphere as a whole is positively charged.

The electrification of thunderclouds is carried out by the combined action of various mechanisms. Firstly, by crushing raindrops with air currents. As a result of fragmentation, the falling larger drops are charged positively, and the smaller ones remaining in the upper part of the cloud are charged negatively. Secondly, electric charges are separated by the electric field of the Earth, which has a negative charge. Thirdly, electrification occurs as a result of the selective accumulation of ions by droplets of different sizes in the atmosphere. The main mechanism is the fall of sufficiently large particles, electrified by friction with atmospheric air.

Atmospheric electricity in a given area depends on global and local factors. Areas where the action of global factors predominates are considered as zones of “good” or undisturbed weather, and where the action of local factors predominates - as zones of disturbed weather (areas of thunderstorms, precipitation, dust storms, etc.).

Measurements show that the potential difference between the Earth's surface and the upper edge of the atmosphere is approximately 400 kV.

Where do the field lines that end on Earth begin? In other words, where are the positive charges that compensate for the negative charge of the Earth?

Atmospheric studies have shown that at an altitude of several tens of kilometers above the Earth there is a layer of positively charged (ionized) molecules called ionosphere. It is the charge of the ionosphere that compensates for the charge of the Earth, i.e., in fact, the field lines of the earth's electricity go from the ionosphere to the surface of the Earth, as in a spherical capacitor, the plates of which are concentric spheres.

Under the influence of an electric field in the atmosphere, a conduction current flows to the Earth. Through each square meter of the atmosphere, perpendicular to the earth's surface, an average current passes I~ 10–12 A ( j~ 10–12 A/m2). The entire surface of the Earth receives a current of approximately 1.8 kA. With such a current strength, the negative charge of the Earth should disappear within a few minutes, but this does not happen. Thanks to the processes taking place in the earth's atmosphere and outside it, the charge of the earth remains on average unchanged. Consequently, there is a mechanism for the continuous electrification of our planet, leading to the appearance of a negative charge on it. What are these atmospheric “generators” that charge the Earth? These are rains, snowstorms, sandstorms, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, splashing water from waterfalls and surf, steam and smoke from industrial facilities, etc. But the greatest contribution to the electrification of the atmosphere is made by clouds and precipitation. Typically, clouds at the top are positively charged and those at the bottom are negatively charged.

Careful studies have shown that the current strength in the Earth's atmosphere is maximum at 1900 and minimum at 400 GMT.

Lightning

For a long time it was believed that about 1800 thunderstorms occurring simultaneously on the Earth produce a current of ~ 2 kA, which compensates for the loss of the negative charge of the Earth due to conduction currents in zones of “good” weather. However, it turned out that the thunderstorm current is much less than indicated and it is necessary to take into account convection processes over the entire surface of the Earth.

In zones where the field strength and density of space charges are greatest, lightning can occur. The discharge is preceded by the appearance of a significant difference in electrical potential between the cloud and the Earth or between neighboring clouds. The resulting potential difference can reach a billion volts, and the subsequent discharge of stored electrical energy through the atmosphere can create short-term currents of 3 kA to 200 kA.

There are two classes of linear lightning: ground-based (strikes the Earth) and intra-cloud. The average length of lightning discharges is usually several kilometers, but sometimes intracloud lightning reaches 50-150 km.

The development process of ground lightning consists of several stages. At the first stage, in the zone where the electric field reaches a critical value, impact ionization begins, created by free electrons available in small quantities. Under the influence of an electric field, electrons acquire significant speeds towards the Earth and, colliding with the molecules that make up the air, ionize them. Thus, electron avalanches arise, turning into threads of electrical discharges - streamers, which are well-conducting channels, which, merging, give rise to a bright thermally ionized channel with high conductivity - stepped lightning leader. As the leader moves toward the Earth, the field strength at its end increases and under its action, a response streamer is ejected from objects protruding on the Earth’s surface, connecting with the leader. If the streamer is not allowed to arise (Fig. 126), then the lightning strike will be prevented. This feature of lightning is used to create lightning rod(Fig. 127).

A common occurrence is multi-channel lightning. They can have up to 40 discharges at intervals from 500 μs to 0.5 s, and the total duration of a multiple discharge can reach 1 s. It usually penetrates deeply into the cloud, forming many branched channels (Fig. 128).

Rice. 128. Multi-channel zipper

Most often, lightning occurs in cumulonimbus clouds, then they are called thunderstorms; Lightning sometimes forms in nimbostratus clouds, as well as during volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and dust storms.

Lightning is likely to strike the same point again unless the object is destroyed by a previous strike.

Lightning discharges are accompanied by visible electromagnetic radiation. As the current in the lightning channel increases, the temperature rises to 10 4 K. The change in pressure in the lightning channel when the current changes and the discharge stops causes sound phenomena called thunder.

Thunderstorms with lightning occur almost throughout the planet, with the exception of its poles and arid regions.

Thus, the Earth-atmosphere system can be considered a continuously operating electrophoric machine that electrifies the surface of the planet and the ionosphere.

Lightning has long been a symbol of “heavenly power” and a source of danger for humans. With the discovery of the nature of electricity, man learned to protect himself from this dangerous atmospheric phenomenon with the help of a lightning rod.

Russia's first lightning rod was built in 1856 over the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg after lightning struck the spire twice and set the cathedral on fire.

You and I live in a constant electric field of significant intensity (Fig. 129). And, it would seem, between the top of a person’s head and heels there should be a potential difference of ~ 200 V. Why does no electric current pass through the body? This is explained by the fact that the human body is a good conductor, and as a result, some charge from the surface of the Earth passes to it. As a result, the field around each of us changes (Fig. 130) and our potential becomes equal to the potential of the Earth.

Literature

Zhilko, V.V. Physics: textbook. allowance for 11th grade. general education institutions with Russian language training with a 12-year period of study (basic and advanced) / V.V. Zhilko, L.G. Markovich. - Minsk: Nar. Asveta, 2008. - pp. 142-145.

How do electromagnetic fields of overhead power lines affect people, animals and plants. Plants under voltage The effect of electricity on fruit and berry plants

Chapter 1Introduction

Relevance

Goals and objectives of the work

Research methods

Significance of the work

Chapter 2Analysis of the studied literature

History of research into the electrical properties of plants

Bioelectric potentials in plant cells

The effect of atmospheric electricity on plants

Chapter 3 Research methodology

Study of damage currents in various plants.

Experiments to detect and observe damage currents in plants

Technique for performing experiment No. 1. Current in lemons.

Technique for performing experiment No. 2. Current in apples.

Technique for performing experiment No. 3. Current in a cut stem.

Study of the influence of an electric field on seed germination.

Experiments to observe the effect of ionized air on seed germination

Technique for performing experiment No. 1

Procedure for performing experiment No. 2

Procedure for performing experiment No. 3

CONCLUSIONS

Chapter 4Conclusion

Chapter 5 LITERATURE

"ELECTRIC BED"

Device for stimulating plant growth

The "ELECTRIC BED" device was invented in the Interregional Association of War Veterans State Security Bodies "EFA-VIMPEL" is his intellectual property and is protected by Russian law.Author of the invention: Pocheevsky V.N.

Having learned the manufacturing technology and operating principle of the “ELECTRIC BED”, You can create this device yourself according to your design.

The range of one device depends on the length of the wires.

The operating principle of the "ELECTRIC BED" device.

A little history.

You can make an “ELECTRIC BED” yourself.

You can make the device yourself "ELECTRIC BED" at home.

Sberbank Online

Card number: 4276380026218433

Transfer from card or phone to Yandex wallet wallet number 41001193789376

Transfer to Pay Pal

Tests of the "ELECTRIC BED" in the cold summer of 2017.

Installation instructions for "ELECTRIC BEDS"

1 - Gas tube (generator of natural, pulsed earth currents).

"REVIVAL OF SPRINGS OF RUSSIA"

Earth's electric field

Lightning

Literature

Latest

You need to know this

The "ELECTRIC BED" device was invented
in the Interregional Association of War Veterans
State Security Bodies "EFA-VIMPEL"
is his intellectual property and is protected by Russian law.
Author of the invention:
Pocheevsky V.N.

Having learned the manufacturing technology and operating principle of the “ELECTRIC BED”,
You can create this device yourself according to your design.

You can make the device yourself
"ELECTRIC BED" at home.

Transfer from card or phone to Yandex wallet
wallet number 41001193789376