• Question: can plants communicate to each other, i know that they can warn each other about insect attacks but how?

    Asked by to Amelia, Izzy, Sarah on 19 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Sarah Harvey

      Sarah Harvey answered on 19 Mar 2014:

      Wow complicated question! So yes you’re totally correct plants can communicate between each other and also between parts of the same plant.

      So when plants get munched by insects a defines response known as ‘induced systemic resistance’ is switched on – this is what causes other tissues in the same plant to activate defences against this type of attack.

      It’s the same system which allows communication between plants, and how they do this is a signalling molecule which is produced. It’s called Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and is volatile so released in the air where it can be detected by other leaves and other, nearby plants. So people have suggested spraying plants with this chemical or something similar as a method of making them more resistant 🙂

    • Photo: Isabel Webb

      Isabel Webb answered on 19 Mar 2014:

      Sarah has done well answering about disease but I want to say a bit about general plant communication

      Plants communicate with different parts of themselves by sending chemical messengers called hormones around the plant. There is some research now that these chemical messengers can be released into the soil. Chemicals in the soil might then be picked up by other plant roots (or bacteria!) and used to communicate a message. This might be a message to attract them or repel them. I believe the current evidence is about hormones released by a week called striga. This weed is how we discovered a hormone called strigolactone

    • Photo: Amelia Frizell-Armitage

      Amelia Frizell-Armitage answered on 19 Mar 2014:

      Yes plants can communicate! So glad you asked this as I think it is such an exciting topic.

      A plant that is being attacked by insects can produce chemicals that tell other plants in the area that it is being attacked. The nearby plants that this chemical lands on then have a chance to prepare themselves from insect attack and protect themselves as best they can.

      Plants can also communicate underground through networks of fungus. Most land plants have a fungi called microrrhizae on their roots. If a plant is being attacked it can send chemicals through it’s roots to the fungus. The fungus then transfers this chemical message onto the neighbouring plant!

      When this research first came out many scientists didn’t like it and thought that it was wrong. However, there are many studies now that confirm that plants do communicate.

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