Beneficial Soil Fungus Thrives in Presence of White Noise

October 3rd, 2024

Via: Science Alert:

Fungi may not have ears, but their growth appears to be tuned to the noises of their surroundings.

When a high-frequency monotone crackle, like that of radio static, is played to the fungus species, Trichoderma harzianum, researchers have found the organism grows and produces spores much faster than is typical – almost as if it were feeding on the white noise.

That’s an important finding, because T. harzianum is present in nearly all soils, and it is known to colonize plant roots and enhance their growth. On farms, this species can actually parasitize pathogenic fungi, which can hurt plants.

It’s, therefore, possible that by playing certain sounds, conservationists could promote healthier soils in numerous habitats and agricultural settings around the world.

2 Responses to “Beneficial Soil Fungus Thrives in Presence of White Noise”

  1. Dennis says:

    Perhaps it’s what rain sounds like underground.

  2. Snowman says:

    I read on some website (maybe geoengineeringwatch.com) that there has been a significant increase in the kinds of fungi that destroy agricultural plants.I stopped growing tomatoes outdoors, both in the ground and in pots, after two years of fungal attacks on them I couldn’t prevent. My neighbors treat their plants with synthetic control products; I don’t. Theirs get some damage, and they eat the less-damaged (less ugly) tomatoes. Our autumn leaves all have black spots; that’s new. The wild burdocks all turned brown and died back in July; that never happened before. It’s still warm out. New stalks are now growing. 5G is all around us, as is whatever those zillions of satellites are beaming down.

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