Acoustic and magnetic communication in plants: Is it possible?
Over the last two decades, important insights into our understanding of plant ecology and the communicative nature of plants have not only confirmed the existence of a wide range of communication means used by plants, but most excitingly have indicated that more modalities remain to be discovered. In fact, we have recently found that seeds and seedlings of the chili plant, Capsicum annuum, are able to sense neighbors and identify relatives using alternative mechanisms beyond previously studied channels of plant communication. In this addendum, we offer a hypothetical mechanistic explanation as to how plants may do this by quantum-assisted magnetic and/or acoustic sensing and signaling. If proven correct, this hypothesis prompts for a re-interpretation of our current understanding of plasticity in germination and growth of plants and more generally, calls for developing a new perspective of these biological phenomena.
Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia. monica.gagliano@uwa.edu.au
Monica
M
Gagliano
Michael
M
Renton
Nili
N
Duvdevani
Matthew
M
Timmins
Stefano
S
Mancuso
D000162:Acoustics; D017753:Ecosystem; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D011642:Publications; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology