How soil batteries offer farmers dirt cheap energy
Smart farming uses sensors and switches in fields that allow farmers to closely monitor crops and deliver nutrients and water in a precise way. However, these systems rely on expensive, sometimes toxic batteries. The EU-funded SOIL2POWER(opens in new window) project developed a microbial fuel cell that generates usable electricity from the activity of soil bacteria. The project has now been featured in the CORDIS series of explanatory videos titled ‘Make the connection with EU science’. The device uses a silk-based electrode coated in a biofilm of electrogenic bacteria to draw charge as the microbes break down organic matter. This is enough to power low-energy devices such as moisture sensors and irrigation switches. “Making reliable, in situ energy-generating devices available to small and medium-sized farms increases their access to agricultural innovations, for more resilient food production with less environmental impact,” explains project coordinator Naroa Uria.
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