Stress in Plants Leads to Audible Reactions, Study Indicates
Plants, long thought to be silent entities, have been found to emit sounds under certain conditions, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University.
The study, led by Mary Ellen Ellis, who holds degrees in Chemistry and Biology, focused on recording the sounds made by stressed tomato and tobacco plants. The researchers used ultrasonic microphones placed near the plants to capture these sounds.
Contrary to popular belief, the sounds produced by plants are not indicative of them crying out or being in pain when thirsty or when cut. Instead, the sounds are characteristic by type, which could make identifying crops' needs even more accurate and specific.
The sounds made by stressed plants are described as popping sounds, rather than screams or cries. When the frequency was lowered, these sounds were found to be similar to the sound of popcorn popping.
Interestingly, cut tomato plants emitted approximately 25 sounds per hour, while cut tobacco plants made only 15 sounds per hour. Dehydrated tomato plants also emitted 25 sounds per hour, but dehydrated tobacco made 11 sounds per hour.
The study did not aim to identify the type of stress and plant based on the sounds with 100% accuracy, but with 70% accuracy. An algorithm using machine learning was able to identify the type of stress and plant based on the sounds.
Mary Ellen Ellis, who has been gardening for over 20 years and specializes in flowers, native plants, and herbs, believes that this study opens up a new door into understanding our green friends. The research suggests that plants are more mysterious than most people realize and still have a lot to teach us.
Moreover, the sounds made by stressed plants could potentially be used in agriculture for more efficient irrigation, as they can indicate dehydration. However, it's important to note that there are no specific animal species confirmed to hear the sounds of stressed plants based on the available information.
The study concludes that the sounds made by stressed plants are caused by air bubbles forming and popping in the xylem tissue. This finding adds to the growing body of knowledge about the complex and fascinating world of plants.
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