Highlights
•Plants emit ultrasonic airborne sounds when stressed
•The emitted sounds reveal plant type and condition
•Plant sounds can be detected and interpreted in a greenhouse setting
Summary
Stressed plants show… changes in color, smell, and shape. Yet, airborne sounds emitted by stressed plants have not been investigated before. Here we show that stressed plants emit airborne sounds that can be recorded from a distance and classified.
…
We developed machine learning models that succeeded in identifying the condition of the plants, including dehydration level and injury, based solely on the emitted sounds. These informative sounds may also be detectable by other organisms.