The botanical world still hides incalculable secrets that scientists try to unveil through continuous research. Plants receive much attention from scholars; they are a key node in food chains, which transfer energy from one living organism to another. As such, plants constitute a main source of the food humans need to survive. Additionally, studying plants helps scholars understand other organisms and how they developed over the ages; it also allows the discovery of new benefits for humans through continuous research and experimentation. Plants are complex multi-cell organisms that are believed to respond to external stimulators, just like humans; but, is this true? Can music affect plants? What does science have to say in this regard?
In 1962, Dr. T. C. Singh, Head of Botany at Annamalia University, conducted an experiment where he exposed a group of plants to classical music. He then compared their growth rate to another control group that was not exposed to music. He found that the first group grew 20% more compared to the second, along with a 72% increase in biomass. He then exposed the crops to Hindi raga music over loudspeakers and found they yielded 25% – 60% more than the average. Researchers at Annamalia University experimented with different musical instruments. They concluded that the violin was the most effective instrument, while rock music had a negative effect on them.
In 1973, the idea was tackled again in Peter Tompkins' and Christopher Bird's book, The Secret Life of Plants. The two researchers indicated that music does not only help plants grow, but also increases their awareness of and responses to the surrounding factors.
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In the field of agricultural research, a team at Tianjin University in China has experimented with duckweed or water lentils. They exposed the plants to soft music for a duration of five hours for seven consecutive days. At the end of the experiment, they compared the growth of these water lentils to others that were not exposed to the music. The researchers found that the music had considerable and immediate positive effects on their growth and productivity.
The vibrations of the sound waves were found to promote photosynthesis and chlorophyll production. This stimulates the movement of nutrients and proteins through the cytoplasm, a process known as cytoplasmic flow, which in turn promotes growth and strengthens the immune system. Music also influences 1296 genes in plants, including those that control photosynthesis and hormone regulations. Moreover, it simulates the production of auxin hormones, which play a significant role in promoting plant growth.
In conclusion, music therapy for plants can lead to positive results in many fields such as biochemistry, physiology, and ecology. With continuous research and experimentation, perhaps music can someday contribute to increasing food production and help in the elimination of world hunger.
References
bloomscape.com
academia.edu
earth.com
pistilsnursery.com
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