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@ NunyaBidness
2025-02-05 20:57:59
Defense of The Realm
Plumes of "Infochemicals" are released into the air by broad bean plants when attacked by aphids. These particular chemicals attract a wasp that prey upon the offending aphids.
If several broad bean plants are networked together via underground mycorrhizae they can alert each other of an aphid attack. An experiment was done wherein broad bean plants were connected by a fungal network. A plastic bag tightly covered one plant and into that bag aphids were released.
The volatile compound (the "infochemical") was not only released by the plant under attack, the compound was found to be emitting from the healthy plants as well. All the plants attracted the very wasp that would protect them if the aphid infestation spread.
The only way the healthy plants could have been prompted to begin production of the chemistry needed was through the fungal network as the plume emitted by the attacked plant was contained within the plastic bag it was covered by. A chemical 911 call.
Examples of Infochemicals 👇
https://m.primal.net/OSAp.png