Did you know that plants and soil communicate —- even without the advantage of words.

“Plants do ‘talk’ on one level simply by responding to their soil environment,” writes Jake Mowrer of Texas A&M University/AgriLife Extension in a blog post for the Soil Science Society of America.

“Plants spend a great deal of their energy growing into new soil spaces, and retracting from nutrient-exhausted spaces. They even release chemicals that increase the availability of nutrients from tiny rocks and soil particles.”

But if this isn’t your idea of communication, there’s more. Below ground, roots and soil fungi are working together. Warnings about disease and insect infestations get passed as chemical signals. Food, water, and carbon get passed through root and fungi networks to fortify plants.

Mowrer suggests we keep listening. “We clearly have a lot to learn about the nature and extent of this awe-inspiring system of communication at all levels,” he says. To read more, go here.

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is an international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.

(Image courtesy of Soil Science Society of America)