Can music help plants grow? Study suggests sound may boost plant-promoting fungus by Bénédicte REY
With the plant world facing a raft of human-driven challenges -- including erosion, deforestation, pollution and a burgeoning extinction crisis -- the future of the world's biodiversity and crops are increasingly feared to be under threat.
Playing a monotonous sound stimulates the activity of a fungus that promotes plant growth, according to a study released on Wednesday, raising the possibility that playing music could benefit crops and gardens.
Whether or not blasting Mozart could help plants grow has long been a matter of scientific debate. The US TV show "MythBusters" even tested it out, finding that plants exposed to death metal and classical music grew a little better than those left in silence, but deeming the results inconclusive.
However, with the plant world facing a raft of human-driven challenges—including erosion, deforestation, pollution and a burgeoning extinction crisis—the future of the world's biodiversity and crops are increasingly feared to be under threat.
According to the new study in the journal Biology Letters, "the role of acoustic stimulation in fostering ecosystem recovery and sustainable food systems remains under-explored".
Based on previous work that exposed E. coli bacteria to sound waves, the team of Australian researchers set out to assess the effect sound has on the growth rate and spore production of the fungus Trichoderma harzianum.
This fungus is often used in organic farming for its ability to protect plants from pathogens, improve nutrients in the soil and promote growth.
The researchers built little sound booths to house petri dishes full of fungi.
Instead of pop bangers, they were played "Tinnitus Flosser Masker at 8 kHz". This was the audio from one of many white noise videos on YouTube which are intended to relieve tinnitus or help babies fall asleep.
"Think of the sound of an old-school radio in between channels," lead study author Jake Robinson of Flinders University told AFP.
"We chose this monotone for controlled, experimental reasons, but it might be that a more diverse or natural soundscape is better," he said.
With the plant world facing a raft of human-driven challenges -- including erosion, deforestation, pollution and a burgeoning extinction crisis -- the future of the world's biodiversity and crops are increasingly feared to be under threat.
Playing a monotonous sound stimulates the activity of a fungus that promotes plant growth, according to a study released on Wednesday, raising the possibility that playing music could benefit crops and gardens.
Whether or not blasting Mozart could help plants grow has long been a matter of scientific debate. The US TV show "MythBusters" even tested it out, finding that plants exposed to death metal and classical music grew a little better than those left in silence, but deeming the results inconclusive.
However, with the plant world facing a raft of human-driven challenges—including erosion, deforestation, pollution and a burgeoning extinction crisis—the future of the world's biodiversity and crops are increasingly feared to be under threat.
According to the new study in the journal Biology Letters, "the role of acoustic stimulation in fostering ecosystem recovery and sustainable food systems remains under-explored".
Based on previous work that exposed E. coli bacteria to sound waves, the team of Australian researchers set out to assess the effect sound has on the growth rate and spore production of the fungus Trichoderma harzianum.
This fungus is often used in organic farming for its ability to protect plants from pathogens, improve nutrients in the soil and promote growth.
The researchers built little sound booths to house petri dishes full of fungi.
Instead of pop bangers, they were played "Tinnitus Flosser Masker at 8 kHz". This was the audio from one of many white noise videos on YouTube which are intended to relieve tinnitus or help babies fall asleep.
"Think of the sound of an old-school radio in between channels," lead study author Jake Robinson of Flinders University told AFP.
"We chose this monotone for controlled, experimental reasons, but it might be that a more diverse or natural soundscape is better," he said.
