Tomato plants’ slimy defenses

Scientists have discovered that the hairy stems on tomato plants deter insect pests by shooting out a syrupy substance. Jared Popowski from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands made this discovery by mistake when he was studying a plant, capturing the moment on camera. He released small insects called western flower thrips and saw them crawl up the plant in search of fruit and leaves to feed on. As the insects touched the stalks’ tiny hairs, which are called glandular trichomes, it triggered the trichomes to release droplets of liquid in less than one thousandth of a second. These sticky droplets collected on the insects and weighed them down, making it difficult for them to move and stopping them from eating the plant. Eduardo de la Peña at the…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 252

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