Effect of Soil Properties on the Power Output Performance of Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells and Growth of Pechay (Brassica Rapa Subsp. Chinensis)

Plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) are a new potential technology that can produce renewable electricity without hindering plant development. In this study, the PMFC performance and plant growth of Pechay (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) using three different soil samples with different percentage textures and locations are investigated. Polarization studies showed that the riverbank soil obtained the highest power densities for both PMFC and soil control systems having obtained 146.39 μW/m
²
and 89.77 μW/m
²
, respectively. Overall highest peak voltage was obtained from the soil control system of the open field sample with 98.6 mV due to high clay content, while the highest from a PMFC system was that of the riverbank sample with 44.46 mV due to plant preference. The coastal soil sample had the highest sand fraction, TOC, TN, AP, and pH, and the lowest AFe and WHC which may be attributed to location and sampling depth. Moreover, moisture is directly proportionate to voltage output due to the limited proton mobility with less water available. Plants in the PMFC systems were seen to have more growth due to a significantly higher total number of leaves, which can be attributed to electrostimulation.