- Year 2019
- NSF Award #1557211
- Registration Current Noyce Scholar
- First Name De'Asha
- Last Name Moore
- Discipline Biology
- Institution Mount Saint Mary's University
Abstract
Plants have the ability to adapt by using tropisms to light or gravity to direct growth toward resources. While we know that the above-ground parts of plants are able to detect herbivore-generated vibrations and respond to them, little is known about how roots respond to vibration. Here we followed up on a suggestion in the literature that roots of corn (Zea mays) can detect and grow toward a sound source. We planted corn seeds in potting soil in a 15-cm diameter pot, and played back a continuous 250 Hz tone through the soil at 0.2 m/s2 using modified 3” speakers We tested whether corn root growth is influenced by the direction of the vibration source. Our results will help advance the methodology used to test root growth directionality towards underground vibrations.
