Do Plants Communicate Through Sound?

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The discussion centers on skepticism regarding claims that plants communicate acoustically through repetitive clicking sounds at about 220 MHz, influencing root growth. Participants question the validity of these claims, with some suggesting that the sounds may actually result from the plants' growth processes rather than influencing them. There is a preference for biochemical communication, such as the release of auxins, as a more plausible explanation for plant interactions. The original article's credibility is challenged, as it is published in a magazine not recognized as a reputable source within the scientific community. A link to a relevant paper is provided, but access is limited due to membership requirements. Overall, the conversation reflects a critical examination of the claims about plant communication and the need for credible scientific evidence.
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I came across this in a magazine and I'm skeptical about it. Does anyone have any evidence to support this or a link to the "studies' it references?

Per attachment: "We know that plants utilize biochemical signaling molecules to communicate, especially when a predator is nearby. But biologists have now discovered plants also communicate acoustically. Researchers observed uniform repetitive clicking sounds of about 220 MHz amount cereal plants. Clearly these plants can 'hear' these sounds because the noise influences the growth of their roots. But what these plants 'talk' about is still a mystery."
 

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g33kski11z said:
I came across this in a magazine and I'm skeptical about it. Does anyone have any evidence to support this or a link to the "studies' it references?

Per attachment: "We know that plants utilize biochemical signaling molecules to communicate, especially when a predator is nearby. But biologists have now discovered plants also communicate acoustically. Researchers observed uniform repetitive clicking sounds of about 220 MHz amount cereal plants. Clearly these plants can 'hear' these sounds because the noise influences the growth of their roots. But what these plants 'talk' about is still a mystery."

what magazine?
 
g33kski11z said:
I came across this in a magazine and I'm skeptical about it. Does anyone have any evidence to support this or a link to the "studies' it references?

Per attachment: "We know that plants utilize biochemical signaling molecules to communicate, especially when a predator is nearby. But biologists have now discovered plants also communicate acoustically. Researchers observed uniform repetitive clicking sounds of about 220 MHz amount cereal plants. Clearly these plants can 'hear' these sounds because the noise influences the growth of their roots. But what these plants 'talk' about is still a mystery."
How do they know that the sound influences the growth of their roots?
It "sounds" to me that they may have gotten it backwards. I can believe that the growth process in plants can generate sounds. Maybe when the roots grow, friction with the soil creates a low pitched sound. This sound would be analogous to the Aeolian tone when wind blows against the ground. Then the faster the growth, the louder the sound.
In this hypothesis, the growth of roots causes the sound. However, the sound does not influence the growth of roots.
If it is true the sound influences the growth of roots, then I don't see how. The plants don't have any known sensors that are specialized for listening to sound.
Chemical communication between plants seems a lot more plausible. The growth of plants is regulated by the diffusion of auxin. It appears to me even likely that plants would evolve to release auxin or auxin-like chemicals as a type of communication.
The hypothesis that plants communicate by sound may be wishful thinking on the part of people who talk to plants. It appears more likely a plant would respond to a persons body odor, or to their deodorants, than to sound. Plants have known sensitivities to chemicals. Yet, I have never heard of anyone putting on a certain perfume or deodorant for gardening.
 
The magazine is called "Idea's & Discoveries" .. I've never seen it before.

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately, I don't have a membership there.. :-/
 
g33kski11z said:
The magazine is called "Idea's & Discoveries" .. I've never seen it before.

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately, I don't have a membership there.. :-/

Well it seems your initial skepticism was on target. That magazine isn't on the list of acceptable journals we use here.

Here's the full list:

http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER
 
Thanks for the info!

(side note)
I was going to post this in the skepticism / debunking sub-forum, but that seems to be gone. What happened to it?
 

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