An international team of scientists from the University of Oxford (UK) has shown that pea plants can demonstrate sensitivity to risk, they can take adaptation decisions that take into account the environmental variation, a skill previously unknown outside the animal kingdom.
In the study, published in the journal Current Biology, pea plants were grown with their roots divided between two pots, facing and deciding what pot prioritize.
In a preliminary experiment, the researchers showed that plants did grow roots in a macete endowed with higher levels of nutrient-an adaptive response similar to that of the animals that eat more of the foods.
In a series of follow-up experiments, they divided the roots of each plant between two pots that had equal average concentrations of nutrients, but one with a constant level and the other with a variable level, to find out whether the plants prefer one or the other .
Based on the theoretical analysis of how people make decisions humans or animals, the researchers predicted that plants might prefer variable pot (risk-prone) when the average level of nutrients was low, and the constant pot (risk aversion) if the average level of nutrients was high.
This is because when the average level of nutrients is below requiring the plant to thrive, at least the variable option offers the opportunity to have a streak of good luck. On the other hand, when the average conditions are good, it makes sense to take the safest option. The researchers found that this is exactly what peas did.
Professor Alex Kacelnik, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, says: “To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an adaptive response to risk in an organism without a nervous system can not conclude that plants are intelligent in the sense. used for humans or other animals, but rather that you can theoretically predict complex and interesting behaviors as biological adaptations.
The decision
A human example illustrates the problem that pea plants face: if you have to choose between guaranteed 800 euros, or flipping a coin for 1000 if heads and nothing if tails, which would you choose? Most people realize that the first option pays more on average.
But imagine that you are out of money in a remote location, and the fare to get home costs 900 euros, and is allowed a single run of the coin. The coin gives you an opportunity to get the funds you need, while the “safe” option will always fall short.
Pea plants were prone to risk, which means they did grow more unpredictable roots in the pot, when the average concentration of nutrients of the two pots were below 0.01 g / L were risk averse, which means did grow roots in potted constant, when the average concentration of nutrients was 0.15 g / L or more.
The researchers believe that such experiments can lead to new interdisciplinary investigations.
