Surprising discovery: stressed plants “scream.” And some animals are able to hear them
What happens when plants run out of water or are damaged? They start emitting ultrasounds. It is possible to record them. Perhaps someday, based on this, we will be able to determine that a crop should be watered, for example.
Plants — unlike animals — we think of as silent. We associate them with silence and tranquility. Perhaps only to us, however. Bats, rats or hamsters, which can hear ultrasound, may have a different opinion on the matter.
The latest issue of the scientific journal Cell published an article proving that plants can make sounds. More specifically: ultrasounds. They always do, regardless of conditions. However, if they suffer from lack of water or have been injured, then the frequency of their “cries” increases significantly.
A hydrated and healthy plant makes a sound once an hour. When it suffers from drought or mechanical injury, it “calls out” 35 times more often. The existence of this phenomenon was discovered and described by Prof. Lilach Hadany of Tel Aviv University.
Why can’t we hear plants?
Unfortunately, we have no chance of hearing that our potted plant would like to be watered. The noises that plants make are sounds with frequencies of 20–100 kilohertz…
