Against the backdrop of global food security facing the dual pressures of population growth and climate warming, the search for green, low-cost agricultural yield-enhancing technologies has become increasingly urgent. As a frontier technology in agricultural physical engineering, high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) has attracted considerable attention for its potential to regulate plant growth and development in a non-chemical manner. However, how electric fields of different polarities systematically affect the plant’s intrinsic physiological electrical network, and the underlying mechanisms coupling ion dynamics with photosynthesis, remain unclear. Recently, the team led by Zhenyu LIU at Shanxi Agricultural University published a research paper titled “Coupling mechanisms of electrophysiology and photosynthesis mediated by ion dynamics in high-voltage electrostatic field-regulated tomato seedling growth” in the journal Engineering Agriculture (DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2026668). Using comparative experiments with positive and negative HVEF, this study systematically revealed, for the first time, the ion spatial distribution patterns driven by electric field polarity and their regulatory mechanisms on photosynthetic architecture.
Although previous studies have confirmed that HVEF can influence seed germination and preservation, the technology still faces key challenges in practical agricultural applications. First, electric field effects show a pronounced “biphasic regulatory effect.” In practice, negative electric fields often exhibit a “promotion first, inhibition later” phenomenon, leading to growth arrest or even plant death at later stages, while the time-dependent inhibitory mechanism remains unclear. Second, plants possess a complex native electrophysiological system. How exogenous electric fields cross the physical barrier of the cell membrane to precisely regulate intracellular ion homeostasis—especially the spatiotemporal transport pathways of magnesium ions, which are central to chlorophyll—still lacks systematic evidence. In addition, the link between macroscopic phenotypic changes and microscopic ion dynamics and electrochemical signals has not yet been established, constraining the precision and engineering application of HVEF in protected agriculture.
At the microscopic level of ion and electrochemical mechanisms, the research team discovered a key phenomenon of “preferential magnesium ion transport.” After 25 days of +HVEF treatment, large amounts of magnesium ions were directionally enriched in leaves, reaching 1.58 times the concentration of the control group. Using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy mapping, the team mapped the differential distribution patterns of ions in roots, stems, and leaves. Meanwhile, plant impedance spectroscopy and membrane potential data revealed that +HVEF induced cell membrane hyperpolarization and reduced impedance, effectively “opening” high-speed ion transport channels.
At the functional output level, these ion dynamic changes directly translated into improved photosynthetic efficiency. Leaf chlorophyll content increased substantially, stomatal conductance and stomatal aperture increased, and the activities of key photosynthetic enzymes such as Rubisco were synergistically activated. The study confirmed that it was precisely because +HVEF enhanced stomatal conductance while simultaneously improving carbon assimilation efficiency that intercellular CO₂ concentration remained stable, thereby reshaping the functional structure of photosynthesis.
This study actively responds to major technological needs in China’s agricultural modernization. First, targeting industrial pain points in vegetable factory seedling production in China, such as low seedling quality and uneven growth, +HVEF provides a purely physical growth-promotion strategy with no chemical residues. This aligns with the national strategy of reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use and offers technical support for green and safe production of protected vegetables. Second, the electrophysiology–photosynthesis coupling model revealed by the study provides a theoretical interface for integrating agricultural sensors with intelligent control technologies. In the future, by real-time monitoring of electrical signals such as plant impedance and ion flux to intelligently regulate electric field parameters in reverse, it may be possible to achieve “on-demand energy supply” for crop growth. This study provides theoretical support for precise environmental regulation in protected agriculture and has important application prospects for improving resource use efficiency and ensuring green and safe vegetable production.
DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2026668