Effects of hydric stress on vibrational frequency patterns of Capsicum annuum plants

Abstract

Plants that experience a lack of sufficient irrigation undergo hydric stress, which causes the modification of their mechanical properties. These changes include a complex network of chemical and physical signals that interact between plant-plant and plant-environment systems in a mechanism that is still not well understood, and that differs among species. This mechanical response implies different levels of vibration when the plant experiences structural modifications from self-hydraulic adjustments of flux exchange at specific frequencies, with these carrying behavioral information. To measure these signals, highly sensitive instrumentation that allows the decoding of displacement velocity and displacement of plants, which is possible through calibrated equipment such as 3D scanning laser vibrometers, is necessary. Laser vibrometry technology allows for noninvasive measurements in real-time. Physiological changes could reasonably affect the biomechanical condition of plants in terms of the frequency (hertz) and intensity of the plant's vibration. In this research, it is proposed that the frequency changes of a plant's vibration are related to the plant's hydric condition and that these frequency vibrations have the ecological potential to communicate water changes and levels of hydric stress. The peak of the velocity of plant displacements was found to vary from 0.079 to 1.74 mm/s, and natural frequencies (hertz) range is between 1.8 and 2.6 Hz for plants with low hydric stress (LHS), between 1.3 and 1.6 Hz for plants with medium hydric stress (MHS), and between 6.7 and 7.8 Hz for plants with high hydric stress. These values could act as preliminary references for water management using noninvasive techniques and, knowledge of the range of natural frequencies of hydric stress risk in chili pepper crops can be applied in precision agriculture practices.

Social networking in crop plants: Wired and wireless cross‐plant communications

“…Plants utilize acoustic and electric signals as internal and inter‐plant signals. A sound vibration signal can be generated by a herbivore walking on the plant, breaking trichomes, chewing the plant and even by water stress (Caicedo‐Lopez, Contreras‐Medina, Guevara‐Gonzaleza, Perez‐Matzumotob, & Ruiz‐Ruedab, 2020; Kollasch et al, 2020). Pest species might be discriminated based on the vibration frequency they produce (Kollasch et al, 2020).…”

Social networking in crop plants: Wire and wireless cross-phytobiome communications

“…Plants utilize acoustic and electric signals as internal and inter-plant signals. A sound vibration signal can be generated by a herbivore walking on the plant, breaking trichomes, chewing the plant, and even by water stress (Caicedo-Lopez, Contreras-Medina, Guevara-Gonzaleza, Perez-Matzumotob & Ruiz-Ruedab, 2020, Kollasch, Abdul-Kaf, Body, Pinto, Appel & Cocroft, 2020. Pest species might be discriminated based on the vibration frequency they produce (Kollasch et al , 2020).…”

Efecto de diversas láminas de riego sobre las etapas fenológicas del cultivo de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum L.), en municipio de Totogalpa, corredor seco de Nicaragua

“…En términos generales, el clima es el principal factor ecológico que influye en los cambios de la fenología y la composición vegetal, también influyen notablemente las condiciones hídricas como los excesos de agua (condiciones de anegación) y el déficit de agua (Gliessman, 2002). Siendo el estrés producido por la falta de agua, el que provoca modificaciones en sus propiedades mecánicas, es decir cambios incluyen una compleja red de señales químicas y físicas que interactúan Ciencias Ambientales entre los sistemas planta-planta y planta-medio ambiente (Caicedo-Lopez et al, 2020) La sequía demanda mejorar la gestión eficaz del agua para la producción de cultivos en zonas de escases de agua. En este sentido se han buscado aumentar la productividad de los cultivos con técnicas encaminadas a realizar un uso eficiente y eficaz del agua.…”