have tree any ears?

Not only can the 'smell' of chemicals smell and respond to light, can plants hear the noises around them?

Plants are also known for many senses like animals: they can sense the degree of change in light as well as the 'smell' of chemicals in the air and the typical 'flavors' of the underground. They even have a sense of touch when they detect the shaking from the strong wind.

However, does plant material have hearing? It is one of the most controversial questions since the 19th century.

Capsicum annuum peppers.

Recently, a group of experts led by Monica Gagliano at Western Australia University (Crawley) tried to find answers by conducting research: placing seeds of Capsicum annuum chilies into 8 Petri dishes. used in the laboratory and arranged in a circle around a sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) placed in a pot. Sweet fennel releases chemicals into the air and soil, slowing the growth of other plants.

In addition, it is stored in a box, preventing chemicals from going to the seeds. In another experiment, there was a box, but there was no fennel inside. For each of those cases, they were all sealed in soundproof boxes to prevent interference from outside signals.

The results showed that the chilli seeds next to the plants were germinated more slowly than not near fennel trees and were especially fast when present but placed far away.

Later, Gagliano repeated the experiment with 2,400 chili seeds in 15 boxes and always had the same result, indicating that chili seeds reacted to a signal. This signal helps them anticipate the appearance of chemicals that slow growth. It was the box around the tree that blocked the chemical signal and Gagliano thought that sound could be the cause.

In a separate experiment, the growth of a seed next to an isolated chili is also different from those developed alone. Thus, the possibility that there is a signaling form between two parties.

Although the research is at an early stage, the results are enough for scientists to continue pursuing and clarifying. They believe that plants have an unidentified means of communication.

Reference: Newscientist