Study reveals plants eavesdrop on competitors and accelerate growth in response
By
The Economist
Summary
Plants engage in competitive behaviors for resources like water, nutrients, sunlight, and pollinators. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany reveals that plants can detect and respond to the growth of neighboring plants, essentially "eavesdropping" on competitors. When rival plants grow faster, others also accelerate their growth, demonstrating a form of botanical espionage in the struggle for survival.
Source
Key quotes
· 3 pulledGiven their slow growth and sessile lives, the idea of plants battling one another may seem fanciful.
Since one plant's leaves are another's shade, growing towards the sun can be a duel to the death.
As in any conflict, espionage helps.
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