Seeds may sprout faster to the sound of rainfall, MIT study finds
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Rice seeds may come alive to the soothing sound of rainfall, with new research suggesting they can sense drops while still beneath the surface.
A series of experiments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that rice seeds exposed to the sound of falling rain sprouted faster than those kept in silence. The sound effectively shook the seeds out of a dormant state, stimulating them to germinate at a quicker rate.
The findings, published yesterday in the journal Scientific Reports, provide the first direct evidence that plant seeds and seedlings can detect natural sounds.
Rice seeds can germinate in either soil or water, and these tests used seeds submerged in shallow water. When a raindrop hits a puddle or the ground, it generates a sound wave that vibrates the surroundings, including shallowly submerged seeds.
Researchers said the vibrations can be strong enough to dislodge a seed’s “statoliths” — tiny gravity-sensing organelles within certain cells. When the statoliths are jostled, their movement signals seeds and seedlings to grow and sprout.
