Plants Apparently Emit Ultrasonic Sounds When Under Stress!
The idea that plants exist in silence may no longer hold water. A groundbreaking study conducted in 2023 revealed that tomato and tobacco plants emit ultrasonic sounds, undetectable to the human ear, when under stress. This discovery paves the way for new horizons in understanding plant behaviors and agricultural practices.
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Do Plants Really Make Sounds?
Under the leadership of Prof. Lilach Hadany, a research team scientifically proved that plants can 'communicate,' as published in their study in the Cell journal. The research demonstrated that tomato and tobacco plants emit ultrasonic sounds in the frequency range of 20100 kHz when they are deprived of water or suffer from cut wounds. This frequency range is above the 20 kHz limit of human hearing.
Plants under stress can emit up to 35 sounds per hour, while those in normal conditions remain silent. These findings are among the first concrete evidence that plants can actively respond to environmental threats.
How are Plant Sounds Produced?
Researchers have determined that plant sounds emerge as a result of a physical process known as cavitation. When plants experience drought stress, air bubbles in their water transport system burst, generating ultrasonic waves.
Prof. Hadany's team revealed that they could distinguish different types of stress based on sound characteristics using machine learning algorithms. It was found that the sounds of water-deprived plants possess different frequency patterns compared to those of physically injured plants.
Which Creatures Can Detect These Sounds?
The frequency range of plant sounds, spanning from 20 to 100 kHz, falls within the auditory capacity of numerous animal species. Mice, bats, insects, and certain bird species are capable of detecting these ultrasonic sounds. In particular, pollinating insects and plant pests may utilize these sound signals to gather information about the condition of the plants.
Research Assistant Itzhak Khait stated, 'When a moth hears the distress signal emanating from a tomato plant, it may avoid laying its eggs on that plant.'
Is the Agricultural Revolution on the Horizon?
This discovery holds the potential to revolutionize the agricultural sector. Farmers could potentially detect stress in their crops early by listening to plant sounds, thereby optimizing irrigation and care schedules.
The research team announced that the acoustic sensors they tested under greenhouse conditions accurately determined plant needs with a 90% accuracy rate. This technology could facilitate more efficient use of water resources and enhance crop quality.
Does this Support the Theory of Plant Communication?
The findings published in the Cell journal have added a new dimension to the ongoing debates on plant communication. For many years, scientists have known that plants communicate through chemical signals. However, the possibility of acoustic communication was presented in such a clear manner for the first time.
Prof. Lilach Hadany commented, 'We used to think plants live in a silent world, but in reality, they are living in an environment full of sound.' The research team suggests that these sounds could serve not only as stress indicators but also as a source of information for other organisms in the environment.
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