Whether the plant can be heard as well as humans? To prove it, a team led by Monica Gagliano at the University of Western Australia conducted a study on the chili.
Chilli peppers (Capsicum annuum). (Picture from: http://www.newscientist.com/) |
They put chili pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) in eight petri dishes and arranged in a circle around the sweet fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare). Known as anise plant that releases chemicals into the soil and air which serves to inhibit the growth of other plants around it.
The results of the experiment, alongside chili beans, fennel sprouts grow more slowly than when there is no fennel. But the surprise is when the fennel is placed in the room but closed the box, turned out to experience the fastest growth of chili beans.
To convince his findings, Gagliano repeated the experiment using 2,400 chili seeds in 15 different boxes. The results are all the same, namely chilli seeds respond to signals from various sources. Gagliano believe this signals to anticipate the arrival of chili seed chemicals that slow down their growth. "The box surrounding the fennel has been blocking the chemical signals, but the absence of sound may be involved here," he said.
Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). (Picture from: http://www.insectnet.com/) |
In a separate experiment, the seeds are planted chili pepper plant next to the closed box represents a different growth than seeds that grow their own chili. Gagliano said, it demonstrates the interaction between the two signals.
Richard Karban of the University of California, Davis, United States, stating that proper research be explored Gagliano, although still at an early stage. According to him, the plant has a way of communicating that has so far not known with certainty.
Susan Dudley of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, describes the plant can make faint noises when a column of water in their stems disrupted. Auditory function is in many ways similar to the sense of touch which is owned plants. *** [NEWSCIENTIST | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3908]