A Study Confirms That Plants Communicate Between Each Other Underground
As confirmed by scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, plants indeed communicate between each other, using chemical signals underground whenever they're exposed to stress
Velemir Ninkovic and his colleagues from SUAS studied corn seedlings planted closely together in a field trial, and confirmed they were sending „chemical messages” through the soil, that impacted growth patterns of their relatives nearby.
These signals took forms of exudates (carbon-based molecules) secreted by the roots, which plants in the vicinity were able to read.
The underlying information encoded in these secretions was the identity of the species, which let the other plants understand if they were growing next to their siblings or outsiders.
The exchange of signals was provoked by brushing the corn leaves as a way of leaf touch simulation, which led to the chemicals being released, that were carefully collected afterwards, and injected into the medium, where new seedlings were planted.
The latter ones responded by assigning the nutrient solution into leaf growth instead of root system expansion.
The researchers also tested „biochemical awareness” of corn seedlings by planting them in two different growth solutions, affected by stressing and nonaffected respectively. This experiment clearly showed two very different growth patterns.
The roots of the plants were growing normally in a medium enriched with samples from untouched plants, but didn't show the same vigour in a medium containing secretions from the touched ones.
The whole experiment has proven that even slightest disturbances of above-ground growth resulted in change of content of communication, which in turn pushed the plants to shift their energy management and growth strategies.
It's another successful study focusing on plant communication, that for many decades stayed under the radar, and only recently started getting untangled.
Plants do not possess nervous systems like the animals do, so they are not able to exchange rapid electric signals. Instead they employ subtle, biochemical communication often via various microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi, which liaison between them.
Source: Elhakeem A, Markovic D, Broberg A, Anten NPR, Ninkovic V (2018) Aboveground mechanical stimuli affect belowground plant-plant communication. PLoS ONE 13(5): e0195646.
Photo credits: CropLife & International Pest Control
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Good for people to be more aware of the "secret" signals that exist throughout nature.
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Cheers mate :)
Science discovers what cannabis farmers have known for years. I guess all farmers really
Yep :)
Wow that is crazy I had no idea plants can communicate with one another.
They do indeed :)
Man, I guess I always kind of figured that plants talk to each other as a kid. Once I was told that plants are alive, they reproduce, grow, and even move if just made sense to me.
As time has passed and technology progressed we are finding one to one relationships allover nature like the wild tobacco and Mexican sage plants that will warn of attacks by expelling airborne hormones and electrical and chemical signals through their roots. Each plant responds by making itself less tasty to predators.
The largest living thing on earth is actually a fungus in North America that acts like an Internet of sorts for the entire forest.
There is little doubt now that every plant in a forest can and does communicate with every other for the strength and survival of the entire community. We have a lot to learn from nature.
I don't claim to know anything for certain but things like this lead me to believe in something greater than us, and one day scientists will reach the summit of the mountain of knowledge and find a bunch of theologians sitting around, getting stoned. After helping the scientists over the precipice they will simply ask, "what took you so long?"
I remember hearing a TED talk awhile ago and the speaker was talking how plants intelligence have been brushed off. Then explained how a root system resembles the neurons of a brain! Also even if they never discovered that they communicate, just the sheer fact of plants detecting chemicals in soil is fascinating all by itself!
Nice comparison! Love it!
That is very interesting, would be crazy if all plants could communicate with each other, then we would be doomed when they all turn against us and develop a bioweapon to take us out.
Why an apocalypse?
Check out the book, The Secret Life of Plants. I'm not surprised by this study. As some of the oldest forms of life on the planet, I consider plants to be the most intelligent forms of life. Plants consistently improve the environment, and they do so better than any other form of life on the planet. To me, that's a sign of intelligence.
Yeah it's not really a surprise for me either :) It just confirms what we knew intuitively for many years. It's just the beginning I think, but I can already see the possibilities!