London - Plants have ‘body clocks’ to time the release of their scent, a study shows.
Scientists found that petunia flowers release a chemical-laden fragrance after sunset to lure nocturnal insects.
Researchers from Washington University in the US found a gene called LHY repressed the flowers’ scent production in the morning. Petunias created with lower LHY activity released fragrance four to eight hours earlier.
It is the first time the plant gene – equivalent to humans’ circadian clock – has been linked to scent. The results, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could increase food production by engineering crops to emit smells at times tailored to local insects, which help them to pollinate.
Daily Mail