Plants Emit Sounds When Stressed

Plants can communicate with other plants and animals in their environment through chemicals and sounds.

Plants Emit Sounds When Stressed

A kid tries to hear a plant (it doesn't work). :/

What is plant stress?

Plants need light, water, nutrients, space, and a suitable temperature to grow. They also need protection from pests, diseases, and plants that compete with them. When one or more of such needs are not met, plants start feeling stressed. This stress can affect their growth or even lead to their death in some cases.

Too much heat, over-watering, cold or frost, drought, and touching/ shaking can cause stress in plants. Some common examples of plant stress include yellowing/ browning of leaves, plant bending towards the ground, shorter height, no fruits or flowers, etc.

A healthy and wilting sunflower. 
How do plants communicate their stress?

Charles Darwin, a famous 19th-century biologist, considered plants to be highly-active beings. The movement of their leaves and roots allows them to know about their environment, respond to stressful events, and communicate with other plants and animals.

Plants use chemicals to communicate. When they are under threat of being attacked by fungi, bacteria, insects, or animals, they release certain gases into the air. When neighbouring plants come in contact with this gas, they start producing toxins to protect themselves. Plants also release gases when they want to attract friendly bacteria and fungi that help them grow.

Are plants capable of emitting sounds?

Yes, plants also use sounds to communicate. But plant sounds can be heard by other plants and animals only, not humans. It happens because the frequency of plant sounds is much higher than what the human ear is capable of hearing.

Although we can’t hear these high-frequency sounds, scientists have been able to detect them with the help of highly-intelligent machines. These machines can figure out the current state of the plant by simply studying the type of sound coming from them.

This finding will not just help us understand how plants interact with their environment but also improve our agricultural practices. With this technology, we will know how to respond to different plant stresses.

Have you ever taken care of plants at your home? If yes, share your favourite gardening activity in the comments below.

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