Discoveries

April 19, 2023

Flora: S.O.S.

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Scientists have discovered that plants scream bloody murder when in distress, the Washington Post reported.

It’s their cry for help, researchers said.

To discover this, biologist Lilach Hadany and her colleagues conducted a study involving various plants, including tomatoes, tobacco, and cacti.

The researchers placed the plants in soundproof boxes and positioned ultrasonic microphones nearby. They subjected the plants to different conditions, such as cutting their stems or depriving them of water.

Their findings revealed that the plants emitted popping, ultrasonic sounds when they experienced stressors such as cutting, dehydration, or infection. These sounds were inaudible to the human ear, with frequencies ranging from 40 to 80 kilohertz.

The team explained that these noises are actually the sound of popping air bubbles produced in the plant’s xylem – a tissue that moves water. They noted that the frequency and loudness of the noises changed depending on the plant’s state.

For example, dehydrated vegetation generated dozens of sounds at shorter intervals and would create more noise as their conditions worsened.

The researchers also used artificial intelligence to better identify the type of plant and its condition based on the volume, frequency, and tempo of its sounds.

Meanwhile, they wondered whether other creatures could hear these noises and if they would respond to the distress signals emitted by the plants.

Co-author Yossi Yovel said he hopes that the findings can be used to help farmers care better for their plants.

“The big question is whether animals, or perhaps some other organism, evolved to use these sounds,” Yovel said. “There’s a huge new world of possibilities.”

This story originally appeared in the April 19, 2023 newsletter, Peace and Sabers.