Like humans .. When it rains, plants declare a state of emergency

Mohammed Shaban

Plants just like us need water to survive, but that doesn't mean they enjoy rainfall more than we humans. In a stunning discovery - recently published in the scientific journal Panas on October 29 - scientists found that plants show a direct response With the onset of the rain, it feels like a panic.

Defense mode
This may seem strange at first glance, assuming that water is a source of life, not death. Plant experts explain that moisture is the primary cause - even more than heat - of disease spread among plants. The wetter the leaf, the more likely it is to be exposed to pathogens.

Dr Harvey Millar, a botanist at the University of Western Australia, explains the mechanism: "When raindrops hit the leaves of the plant, some water droplets bounce in all directions, and they may contain bacteria, viruses or fungal germs; Thus, one drop can spread these germs to the surrounding plants up to ten meters. "

In other words, the plant's reaction to rain is just like your reaction when someone sneezes towards you. Of course it is not nice, as it immediately pushes you to adopt a defense.

Rapid response to rainfall
Simulating rain using spray bottles, an international team of researchers observed the rapid and sequential effect of micro-changes in plants, caused by Myc2.

During the first 10 minutes of water touching the surface of the plant, many genes (700) begin to respond, and the gene expression rates of most of these genes increase for a quarter of an hour; Normal state again.

Once touched with water, scientists confirmed that these plants immediately accumulated cellular signals such as calcium, activated their membrane responses to touch, and altered transcription processes across the entire genome. Although these changes were instantaneous, repeated exposure to water eventually halted plant growth and hampered its prosperity.

Miller explains this response that "once MIC 2 is activated, thousands of genes are induced to equip plant defense mechanisms, and these warning signals are transmitted from paper to paper, triggering many protective mechanisms."

In total, at least 20 of these genes were found to have been targeted and regulated by MEC2 immediately after droplets of water fell on them. What's more, the same signals that plants used to spread information among their leaves are the same ones they use to communicate with their neighbors.

"Bonyan Stacked"
As another response to water droplets, these plants produce many chemicals, including jasmonic acid, which regulates many physiological processes, which help plant growth and how they handle stress.

Moreover, when these chemical jasmons are carried by air, they give other neighboring plants the opportunity to sense what is happening in their surrounding environment so that they can cope.

"If defensive mechanisms are activated in neighboring plants, this limits the spread of diseases; plants find it useful to spread these warning signals to neighboring plants," Millar said.

So it's about communication; if you want to protect yourself like a plant, you have to contact yourself and those around you.

Earlier in October, another study showed that when plants are attacked, they develop language to warn neighbors about dangerous predators.

There is no doubt that the rain is lighter damage; it does not carry the death penalty for these plants as predators do, but sometimes it can cause severe damage; hence the panic.