Ears of corn may be able to hear sounds

PLAYING Beethoven to growing rice has convinced scientists that plants can “hear”.

The research suggests that crops such as rice, wheat or barley might have real ears.

Plants are known to respond to light, the “touch” of the wind, and the “taste” of nutrients in the soil.

Some gardeners believe fading blooms can be revitalised by music, and the Prince of Wales is famous for his belief that plants grow better if you talk to them.

Now scientists say they have identified two genes in rice that respond to certain sounds.

The team, led by Mi-Jeong Jeong, from the National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology in Suwon, South Korea, began by playing rice plants 14 different classical pieces including Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

At the same time, the researchers monitored the plants for changes in the activity of different genes.

They found that the plants did not appreciate music as such, but were sensitive to sounds at specific frequencies.

The researchers wrote in the journal Molecular Breeding: “These results suggest that sound could be an alternative to light as a gene regulator.”

But the claims have been greeted with scepticism by other experts, says New Scientist magazine.