Plants, often perceived as silent, might actually be 'noisier' than we thought. Research conducted by Professor Lilach Hadany from Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with Professor Yossi Yovel, reveals that certain plants emit sounds when subjected to stress, such as lack of water or physical damage.
The researchers discovered that these sounds, imperceptible to the human ear as they fall within the ultrasonic range (between 20 and 100 kHz), resemble rapid clicks, similar to the sound of popcorn popping. Specialized devices enabled the capture of these emissions in controlled environments, such as acoustic chambers, but also in greenhouses. Tomato and tobacco plants, for instance, produce more frequent sounds when dehydrated or cut. In contrast, healthy plants emit little to no sound.
The significance of this discovery lies in the fact that these sounds could be perceived by certain animals, such as bats or moths, and even by other plants. This opens new perspectives on bioacoustic interactions in the plant world, which have been little explored until now. Moreover, the use of machine learning algorithms has made it possible to differentiate plant stress types simply by analyzing their sounds, which could eventually provide valuable tools for precision agriculture. For example, farmers could know when a plant needs water without waiting for visible signs of dehydration.
These discoveries challenge our perception of the plant kingdom, often considered silent, and could have a major impact on our understanding of plant interactions with their environment. They also raise a fascinating question: how far do plants 'communicate' with their surroundings, and what animal or plant species might already be exploiting this information?
And you, do you think plants could develop other unsuspected forms of communication?
