The sharp aroma of freshly cut or mowed grass is considered by most of mankind to be one of the most pleasant smells to the nostrils.
But a new study by scientists at the University of South Carolina shows that this aroma actually serves two vital purposes.
We asked Claude to mow the ditches for us and tell us about the important roles of the smell of cut grass.
When plants suffer physical damage—for example, when they are eaten by insects, or cut down by man-made machinery—they quickly produce volatile green leaf material.
These compounds evaporate and create a fight designed to warn nearby plants of danger, keep herbivores away and attract their predators.
In the new study published this month in Plant, Cell & Environment, the scientists reveal that these substances trigger an 'immune response' in plants, similar to the distress signals released when cells die from pathogens.
This means that the smell of cut grass has the surprising ability to protect both plants of the same species and their neighbors of other species from 'predators'.
Understanding the importance of these volatiles also opens doors to new sustainable pest control methods: these natural plant chemicals can reduce the reliance on toxic pesticides in agriculture.
One study even showed that the volatiles can fight invasive weeds by attracting the insects that feed on them.
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