Scientists say crops may have ‘real ears’ (From Blackpool Citizen)

Scientists say crops may have ‘real ears’

11:15am Thursday 30th August 2007

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Playing Beethoven to growing rice has convinced scientists that plants can "hear".

The research suggests crops such as rice, wheat or barley might have real ears.

Plants are known to respond to light, the "touch" of the wind and the "taste" of nutrients in the soil.

There are also anecdotal stories of plants reacting to sound. Some gardeners believe fading blooms can be revitalised by music, and the Prince of Wales is famous for his belief that plants grow better if you talk to them.

Now scientists say they have identified two genes in rice that respond to certain sounds.

The team, led by Mi-Jeong Jeong, from the National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology in Suwon, South Korea, began by playing rice plants 14 classical pieces including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Researchers monitored the plants for changes in the activity of genes. They found the plants did not appreciate music as such, but were sensitive to sounds at specific frequencies.

Two particular genes, rbcS and Ald, became more active when exposed to sounds at 125 and 250 hertz, and less active at 50 hertz.

The rice genes reacted to sounds below the pitch of normal human speech, falling within the range of bass instruments and lower piano or guitar notes. When the tests were conducted in darkness, the genes still responded to sound.

But Philip Wigge, of the John Innes Centre in Norwich, criticised the way the research was carried out and said he did not trust the findings.

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