Researchers have unveiled that plants, much like humans, exhibit problem-solving abilities. This discovery is set to redefine our understanding of intelligence, extending it beyond the animal kingdom to the plant world.
Historically, intelligence has been attributed primarily to humans and animals, defined by their ability to process information through a central nervous system. However, new research highlights that plants, despite lacking such a system, demonstrate flexible, real-time, and adaptive responses to their environment—an indicator of intelligence.
“There are more than 70 definitions of intelligence, and there is no agreement on what it is, even within a given field,” said Andre Kessler, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. This study narrows down intelligence to the fundamental ability to solve problems based on environmental information toward a particular goal.
Goldenrod’s Unique Sensing Abilities
Goldenrod plants provide a striking example of plant intelligence. These plants can sense the presence of other plants nearby by detecting far-red light ratios reflected off their leaves. When goldenrod is attacked by herbivores, it adjusts its response based on the proximity of neighboring plants. This adaptive behavior fits the researchers’ definition of problem-solving intelligence.
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Kessler elaborates, “When leaf beetle larvae eat goldenrod leaves, the plant emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that inform the insect that the plant is damaged and a poor food source. These VOCs are also detected by neighboring goldenrod plants, prompting them to bolster their defenses against the beetle larvae.”
Plants Communicate
Plants’ ability to communicate and learn from past experiences further supports the claim of plant intelligence. For instance, the Mimosa pudica plant, known for its rapid leaf-folding response to touch, can learn to ignore repeated harmless stimuli, demonstrating a form of memory. Other plants exhibit complex behaviors such as opening and closing flowers and orienting leaves toward the light, according to Earth.com.
Kessler’s study, published in Plant Signaling and Behavior, highlights that instead of electrical signaling, plants use chemical signaling throughout their superorganism. Each plant cell can perceive a broad light spectrum and detect specific volatile compounds from neighboring plants, enabling them to respond to environmental cues effectively.
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The revelation that plants possess problem-solving skills challenges the conventional notion that intelligence requires a central nervous system. Kessler emphasizes, “There is no good evidence for any homologies with the nervous system in plants, even though electrical signaling is present. The importance of this signaling for environmental cue processing in plants remains a question.”
Kessler and co-author Michael Mueller argue for a broader definition of intelligence that includes the ability to solve problems based on environmental information. This perspective could inspire new hypotheses about plant chemical communication mechanisms and alter our understanding of intelligence.
The implications of this research extend beyond academic curiosity. Understanding plant intelligence can revolutionize agricultural practices, enabling the development of crops that can better respond to environmental stresses and pests.
Kessler’s study, published in Plant Signaling and Behavior, highlights the need for further exploration into the mechanisms of plant chemical communication. This research can inspire new hypotheses and shift perspectives on intelligence, broadening the scope of what it means to be intelligent.