Scientists from Tel Aviv University announced that, after investigation, they found that plants “talk” when stressed.
The study was led by the biologist and mathematician Lilach Hadany, and is published in the popular science magazine Cell.
The sound determines the type of plant and the condition in which it is found, so there are different sounds that these organisms emit.
The study shows that the sounds that plants emit can be mostly audible in greenhouse conditions.
Plants “talk” when stressed: Study / Photo: iStock
Can plants talk?
To carry out the study that shows that plants “talk” when stressedthe researchers focused on analyzing two types of plants: one tomato and one tobacco.
Two groups were divided: One where these species were subjected to different tests such as letting them dry and cutting them, and others that received adequate care.
The setting for the experiment was to keep them all in an acoustic isolation room (no external sound could enter) and they were recorded with specialized microphones for ultrasound.
The results showed that while the plants that were cared for made one sound per hour, those that were neglected or cut, made up to 35 sounds per hour in the case of the dry ones and 25 and 15 in the case of the cut or injured ones.
Plants “talk” when stressed: study / Photo: iStock
What does a stressed plant look like?
According to the researchers, plants can show different signs that they are stressed, changes in their color, texture and even aroma have been observed, however it is the first time that it has been shown that plants “talk” when stressed.
Plants are capable of emitting sounds through the air that, although they are sounds that the human ear cannot perceive without the help of specialized devices, the researchers suggest that other animals or even other plants could hear these frequencies.
Lilach Hadany explains that they are still not clear on how plants produce sound, however, to give you an idea, it is a sound similar to popcorn when it explodes.
Plants “talk” when stressed: Study / Photo: iStock
What plants can “talk”?
Although the initial experiment was with tomato and tobacco plants, the Israeli scientists repeated the procedure with corn, cacti, nettles, wheat, almonds, and grapevines.
The result was that all the plants emit sounds at different times, however they highlighted that in the case of the almond tree and the vine, the sound was almost imperceptible, not even by specialized microphones.
So that your plants do not get stressed, we share this video with you so that you can make 5 effective fertilizers so that they flourish and grow strong.