Are the Plants Intelligent Enough to Talk?

There is a study going on where researchers are trying to prove that plants communicate as if they have a mind without the brain. Monica Gagliano is one of the prominent figures who claim that these plants are intelligent hence why they can communicate easily, so before we talk about whether plants can talk or not let's see what intelligence really means?

Monica Gagliano (7)

Can the plants be called intelligent?

The oxford dictionary defines it as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. So if we look at plants we see that they are intelligent because not only can they do effective communication but also react according to the situation. Such as mimosa pudica plant, which is highly sensitive and curls when touched. An experiment was performed by Gagliano in which this plant was thrown from a height multiple times, first few times it curled but later it stopped doing so as it detected that there was no danger (acquired knowledge) and then contemplated, which lead to it not curling anymore when it touched the ground (applied the knowledge). This experiment not only proved that plants have memory but also proved that they are intelligent. For effective communication intelligence is needed, and there are multiple plants that show the effective use of communication such as Tomato. When it was exposed to blight, it signalled its neighboring tomato plants to activate their immune system too (1).

Mimosa Pudica (6)

How do plants communicate?

Plants communicate through signals which travel either by soil or by air.

When they face an attack or danger they release airborne chemicals which can be picked up by the nearby plants so as to already prepare for the defense. Sometimes they just move the air above them which is enough to signal the other plants nearby. Often times other intelligent species of plants eaves drop on these signals which might not have been intended for them and take advantage of it which explains why they unintentionally help each other when they are fighting for resources.

Another way that the plants communicate is through soil. These plants have roots under the soil that has fungi. This fungi spread like a big network under the soil, connecting different plants. Plants use these fungi links to send signals to one another. Not only do they communicate through this network but also trade among themselves by sharing the resources. Some plants are generous enough to dump all their resources into the network when they are on the brink of death so that other plants can use those resources.

Picture summarizing the modes of communication (5)

Mechanistic or Intelligent?

Monica Gagliano claims that this communication and response to attack is due to plants intelligence however the critique is that this is solely due to their mechanism (2). This can be countered by the fact that plants even with the same structures behave differently in different environment and respond to the threat accordingly. But there is another counter argument which questions the plants communication and that is It might be an accidental result of a self-defense mechanism which releases chemicals when under attack. Plants rely on airborne chemicals to communicate which can be easily picked up by the neighboring plants showing that the signals were just automatic not intended. Against which Gagliano says that ultimately it's about doing a job and that job can be achieved and that task can be fulfilled in many ways (2). So if the job of warning others is happening either intentionally or unintentionally, it in result triggering the right response.

Future of plant communication research and science?

Gagliano adopted methods from behavioral experiments used to test animal intelligence and found that plants respond in a similar manner. The results of her research suggest plants might possess intelligence, memory and learning

If her interpretation of the data is correct, we may be in the early stages of waking up to a world long-populated by considerably more intelligent, sentient beings than previously acknowledged. But a lot of challenges await us as the creation of new fields of science has always made people simultaneously excited and nervous. They’re skeptical about it and resistant but they can’t stop it.

This field might open doors for much more advancements in not just plants biology but also the plants biology. As these plants can be studied to help humans in different ways such as we got drugs, medicines and seasonings studying plants' defense. God knows what we will discover studying plant communication.