Posted on 07/11/2014 12:32:02 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Following various studies, a report has been published by the University of Missouri-Colombia (MU) speculating that plant growth and reaction is influenced by sound, wind and touch.
For instance, as a caterpillar eats the leaves of a plant, the plant respond to the sounds made and launches defenses against the attack.
Heidi Appel, senior research scientist in the Division of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU, said:
“Previous research has investigated how plants respond to acoustic energy, including music.”
“However, our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration. We found that feeding vibrations signal changes in the plant cells’ metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars.”
The studies were run in conjunction with Rex Cocroft, professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at MU.
During the study, researchers placed caterpillars on the leaves of Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard. They then used a special laser microphone on a leaf to measure the sounds and movement of the leaf, responding to the chewing caterpillar.
Once they had the recordings of the vibrations caused by the feeding caterpillar, Cocroft and Appel played back these recordings to one set of similar plants. Using a second set of plants, they played back only silence.
Following this, they allowed caterpillars to feed on both sets of plants and researchers established that plants that had previously been exposed to the vibrations produced more mustard oils, which is toxic to many caterpillars, in an effort to repulse their advances.
“What is remarkable is that the plants exposed to different vibrations, including those made by a gentle wind or different insect sounds that share some acoustic features with caterpillar feeding vibrations did not increase their chemical defenses,” Cocroft said. “This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration.”
Researchers will now concentrate future efforts on how the plants actually sense the vibrations, what features of the signal are key, and how these vibrations interact with other aspects of the plant to produce protective responses against pests.
In the future researchers hope to find ways to protect other plants, such as food crops, from insect pests in a less toxic way than with pesticides.
The above video shows more detail of the research carried out. The full report has been published in the journal Oecologia.
i like trees as much as the next guy....but wow. those people need help
Vegetables Are Murder.
So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw
Like it!!
Listen up brothers and sisters, come hear my desperate tale
I speak of our friends of nature, trapped in the dirt like a jail
Vegetables live in oppresion, served on our tables each night
The killing of veggies is madness, I say we take up the fight
Salads are only for murderers, cole slaw’s a fascist regime
Don’t think that they don’t have feelings, just ‘cause a radish can’t
scream
CHORUS
I’ve heard the screams of the vegetables (scream scream
scream)
Watching their skins being peeled (Having their insides
revealed)
Grated and steamed with no mercy (burning off calories)
How do you think that feels (bet it hurts really bad)
Carrot Juice constitutes murder (and that’s a real crime)
Greenhouses prisons for slaves (let my vegetables grow)
It’s time to stop all this gardening (it’s as dirty as hell)
Let’s call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade...)
I saw a man eating celery, so I beat him black and blue
If he ever touches a sprout again, I’ll bite him clean in two
I’m a political prisoner trapped in a windowless cage
‘cause I stopped the slaughter of turnips by killing three men in a
rage
I told the judge when he sentenced me, this is my finest hour
I’d kill those farmers again just to save one more cauliflower
CHORUS
How low as people do we dare to stoop
Making young broccoli’s bleed in the soup
Untie your beans, uncage your tomatoes, let potted plants free
Don’t mash that potato
I’ve heard the screams of the vegetables (scream scream
scream)
Watching their skins being peeled (fates in the stir fry are
sealed)
Grated and steamed with no mercy (you fat gourmet slob)
How do you think that feels (leave them out in the fields)
Carrot Juice constitutes murder (V8’s genocide)
Greenhouses prisons for slaves (yes your compost’s a grave)
It’s time to stop all this gardening (take up macrame)
Let’s call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade...)
Power to the peas
Give peas a chance
All we are saying is give peas a chance
Read more: Arrogant Worms - Carrot Juice Is Murder Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.