Plants Signal Pest Attacks

Syngenta recently announced their scientists, in cooperation with Vivent Biosignals, can detect when plants are attacked by pests. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, the scientists can decode electrical signals plants emit and detect the exact moment a plant comes under attack by pests. In experiments, Syngenta scientists monitored soybean plants to detect attacks from brown stink bugs and were also able to monitor plants’ reactions to crop protection products applied to control the bug.

Plant electrophysiology, the role of electricity in plant physiology and the electric signals plants emit, goes back over a century. But the volume of data and the difficulty of decoding and translating the signals plants emit made it difficult for it to be of any use. With the new technologies, plants’ electric signals can now be captured and interpreted in real time with machine learning and artificial intelligence. This can have implications for crop protection practices. Syngenta researcher Anke Buchholz says the technology will support the development of next-generation crop protection products by identifying treatments that most effectively reduce pest-related stress.