It would be a surprise to know that Plants have their own language and deliver messages in their own specific way. Ecologist Richard Karban is pursuing this interesting study and trying to crack this peculiar language in northern Sierra Nevada.
The confirmation of plant communication has been in the limelight since few decades but it has gone through many ups and down in its discovery, being designated as falsified news to resurfacing as something to be important to be known to the world.
Observations done on poplars, sugar maples and willow trees in 1983 came with some amazing conclusions. These can notify each other about the dangers of insect attacks. Healthy trees surrounded by hungry dangerous bugs begin sending out chemicals to defend and to get rid of these bugs, these plant could sense the dangers to their near ones are experiencing and promptly reacting to it.
Though there has been lot of revelations regarding the same context but many times got slashed down as worthless and meaningless projection.
Another example of a secret language of plant is when bug eats plants; they release volatile organic compounds in the air in their response. There could a productive utility of this implication: now the farmers can alter these talking or sensitive plants so that they can protect themselves from any kind of herbivore signaling danger.
Another study published on Thursday in Science Recorder about the species of strangle-weed plant is that they are capable of sharing genetic details in the form of RNA with plants which they attack. It could be an advantage in protecting a crop if the signals of this messenger RNA could be cracked.
It was strange though finding a parasite plant to sending genetic information to the host plants as it expected to extract nutrient from the host plant. This amazing revelation has opened many doors for scientist and for farmers; methods and techniques could be adapted so as to protect the crops and plants.
Deborah Campbell
