Plants Nyctinastic Movement

Probing Plant Adaptation Strategies in Unprecedented Conditions: Nyctinastic Movement as an Aspect of Plant Intelligence

Background

The study explores plant intelligence, revealing their ability to sense and adapt to the environment. Despite lacking a central nervous system, plants exhibit behaviors akin to intelligence, adjusting growth and demonstrating memory. The research focuses on plant responses to unexpected events, simulating changes in the course of the sunlight. It aims to understand plant adaptation and orientation, offering insights for practical applications in agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Objectives

• The study investigates how plants respond to unexpected events, simulating scenarios with a reversed sun trajectory (rising in the west and setting in the east).

• The research aims to explore how these plants adapt and orient themselves under changing light conditions.

• Two main objectives guide the study: determining if plants can reorient themselves after an adaptation period and analyzing the varying time required for adaptation across different species.

Methods

• Selection: Six plants per species were randomly chosen for the experiment (eight for Arabidopsis thaliana) after five weeks of growth and leaf development.

• Environment: Plants were placed in a black room and acclimated to artificial sunlight mimicking natural conditions, with a consistent trajectory. The temperature was maintained at 20°C.

• Sunrise Inversion: After four days of acclimation, the direction of sunrise was inverted without moving the plants, simulating a disturbance. Constraints led to a modified disturbance involving shortened days (from 12h to 6h) and a westward sunrise.

• Experiment Duration: The experiment lasted a total of six nights, with each batch of plants serving as its own control.

• Data Collection: The four days of acclimation provided control data, while the two disturbed nights yielded data for the disturbed treatment.

Material

• Arch Constructed with a mix of straight and angle grid systems for supporting lighting setups.

• Lights system controled and programed by Ardiuno.

• Employed ground, phase, and neutral wires with dominos for flexibility.

• Positioned six HD cameras to observe plants and capture time-lapse footage.

Results and Discussions

• Preliminary results include visualizations of frames capturing leaf movements for different plant species.

• Each triangle in the visualizations corresponds to the coordinates of a specific point of interest, representing a 2D image with coordinates.

• Leaf Angle Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana:
• Figure 5 illustrates changes in leaf angles of Arabidopsis thaliana.
• Statistically significant differences in angles 2I.3I, E.Y, and I.Y observed between control and perturbation treatments (P<0.001 for all, Sup. table 3).
• Distinctive response to perturbation suggests notable movements in Arabidopsis thaliana when natural light is disrupted.
• Remarkably short life cycle (6-8 weeks) makes it an intriguing subject for experimentation.
• Younger leaves show significant differences in angles, possibly due to easier adaptation to altered light conditions.
• Emphasizes importance of considering life cycle duration and leaf age in plant adaptation to altered lighting environments.

• Kinetic Movements in Leaf Angles:

• Aimed to comprehend the speed of each species' response to "novel" light conditions.
• Attempted to compare the diverse speeds at which different species respond to light.
• Arabidopsis exhibited higher rates of angle changes in the inner crown of the plant, aligning with the responsiveness of younger leaves.
• Inter-species comparisons proved challenging, but valuable insights into the kinetics of leaf movements were gained.

• Investigation into N. tabacum Leaf Movements:
• Figure 4 shows no statistically significant differences in leaf angles.
• Possible explanations include insufficient duration of exposure to perturbed conditions and inadequate time for adaptation.
• Power levels of lights may not be equivalent to solar intensity, requiring extended exposure time.
• Gravity is a crucial factor overlooked in the experiment, affecting plant movements.
• Importance of considering both temporal and gravitational factors in interpreting plant responses to altered light conditions.

Conclusion

• Explored plant movements, specifically circumnutation, in Arabidopsis thaliana, Helianthus annuus, and Nicotiana tabacum under altered lighting.

• Preliminary findings emphasized the role of life cycle duration, leaf age, and exposure time in plant adaptation to disturbances.

• Arabidopsis thaliana, with a short life cycle, showed significant leaf angle changes in response to altered lighting, indicating potential species-specific adaptive differences.

• Unexpectedly, no significant differences in tobacco leaf angles raised questions about factors like exposure time, light intensity, and gravity's role in plant movements.

• Gravity's influence challenged conventional ideas, highlighting the need for a holistic understanding of plant responses to environmental stimuli.

• Opportunities for deeper research into plant intelligence, including species-specific responses, organ roles, and genetic influences.

• Suggestions for focused investigations, including studying one species expressing nyctinastic movements, testing phenological stage effects, exploring specific plant organs or molecules, and using genetically modified plants.

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!

¿Tienes una idea?

Usa este espacio para añadir una interactividad genial. Incluye texto, imágenes, vídeos, tablas, PDFs… ¡incluso preguntas interactivas! Tip premium: Obten información de cómo interacciona tu audiencia:

• Visita las preferencias de Analytics;
• Activa el seguimiento de usuarios;
• ¡Que fluya la comunicación!