Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists have successfully captured the sound of plants emitting a distinctive "scream" when they are harvested or under stress. This groundbreaking finding sheds light on the acoustic communication mechanisms of plants.
The captured sound, described as a popping or clicking noise, occurs in ultrasonic frequencies beyond the range of human hearing. Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel made this discovery, highlighting how plants communicate distress.
According to the study published in Cell, plants may utilize sound as a means to communicate their distress to the surrounding environment. This finding suggests that plants have sophisticated methods of interaction beyond traditional understanding.
Lilach Hadany, an evolutionary biologist involved in the study, emphasized the significance of acoustic interactions in nature. She highlighted the possibility of animals and insects responding to these plant sounds, indicating a complex network of communication.
Researchers recorded tomato and tobacco plants in both stressed and unstressed conditions to discern the distinct sounds emitted. A machine learning algorithm was then trained to differentiate between the sounds produced by different plant states.
The study revealed that the sounds emitted by distressed plants are notably high-pitched and undetectable to the human ear. These sounds can travel over a meter in distance, suggesting a broader impact on the surrounding environment.
While the discovery of plant sounds is significant, the exact mechanism behind their production remains unclear. Scientists continue to investigate how plants generate these noises and their potential implications for ecological dynamics.
Interestingly, unstressed plants were found to emit minimal noise, indicating a stark contrast in their behaviour compared to distressed counterparts. This observation underscores the importance of understanding plant responses to stress and their acoustic signalling mechanisms.