inter-plant-communication
Inter-plant communication refers to the mechanisms by which plants perceive and respond to chemical, electrical, or physical signals released by neighboring plants. These signaling systems — including volatile organic compounds, root exudates, and mycorrhizal networks — allow plants to coordinate responses to herbivory, pathogen attack, drought, and competition. Understanding how plants exchange information is transforming our view of plant behavior and has implications for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem management.
PubMed · 2026-03-31
Plants can warn each other about pest and disease attacks through underground fungal networks that connect their roots. This review explores how these 'wood wide web' connections work at a molecular level and how farmers could use them to build crops that defend themselves collectively.
Common mycorrhizal networks (fungal threads connecting plant roots) can transmit defense signals between plants, expanding the known scope of plant immune communication beyond within-plant responses like systemic acquired resistance.
Small RNA molecules are identified as candidate molecular signals that may travel through fungal networks to trigger immune responses in neighboring, uninfected plants.
The authors propose reframing crops as interconnected communities rather than isolated individuals, opening a path toward sustainable agroecosystem designs that leverage natural fungal networks to reduce reliance on pesticides.