Scientists Assure that Plants Activate Defense Mechanisms Never Seen when They Hear the Noise of Caterpillars Chewing Neighboring Leaves

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A caterpillar begins to bite a leaf. For us it may seem like a minimal scene, almost invisible in a pot or in a crop. But for the plant, these bites generate a physical signal that can set up a chemical defense before the damage goes to more. A study by Heidi Appel and Rex Cocroft showed that Arabidopsis thaliana, a plant related to cabbage and mustard, responds selectively to the vibrations produced by caterpillars when feeding. The key is not …