A recent scientific study suggests that plants are not the silent and motionless creatures as previously thought. According to research, plants emit clicking or popping sounds at ultrasonic frequencies when under stress, indicating a surprisingly sophisticated communication mechanism.
Research conducted by experts from Tel Aviv University in Israel and Published last year in the journal Cell, revealing that ultrasonic sounds are emitted by plants in response to stress. These sounds are invisible to the human ear, but can be picked up by some animals, suggesting a form of acoustic communication that is still poorly understood.
Lilach Hadany, an evolutionary biologist and leader of the research, explained the importance of the sounds that plants make: “Even in a field that seems silent, there is actually an orchestra of sounds that we cannot hear. These sounds are not just background noise as they carry valuable information.
The research team conducted several experiments to confirm the relationship between plant stress and the emission of these sounds. Using sensitive equipment, scientists were able to capture and analyze the ultrasonic emissions of plants that were exposed to different types of stress, such as lack of water or mechanical damage.
“Our research indicates that plants are capable of more complex communication than previously thought. These findings challenge the conventional view that plants are passive organisms and have sophisticated mechanisms to respond to their environment”, Hadani highlighted.
The implications of this discovery are wide-ranging and could have a significant impact on many areas, from agriculture to ecology. Understanding how plants communicate their stressors may lead to the development of new agricultural techniques and conservation strategies.
“If we can understand the language of plants, we can improve their well-being and increase crop production, for example,” the biologist added.
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