[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-41090-en":3,"doc-seo-41090-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},41090,13056703020460,"Valentina","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/be000253dac470eee5d?_k=1778207105932848923",8,"Research & Report","Plants are Intelligent, Here’s How","Plants as intelligent organisms remains controversial, yet the manuscript argues that intelligent behaviour is a biological universal driven by the need to survive in competitive, adverse real-world conditions. The scope connects intelligence to adaptability, stressing individual variation, goal-directed and purposeful actions, and evidence from single cells and microbes. It outlines ecological requirements, links intelligence with selection and niche construction, and discusses implications for crop development, breeding, and future research directions.","Plants are intelligent, here’s how  \nPaco Calvo1*, Monica Gagliano2, Gustavo M. Souza 3, Anthony Trewavas4  \n1 Minimal Intelligence Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain;  \n2 Biological Intelligence Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 3 Laboratory of Plant Cognition and  \nElectrophysiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas-RS, Brazil; 4 Institute of Molecular Plant Science, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK  \n* For correspondence. E-mail: [fjcalvo@um.es](fjcalvo@um.es)  \nDownloaded from [https://academic.oup.com/aob/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aob/mcz155/5575979 by guest on 01 October 2019](https://academic.oup.com/aob/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aob/mcz155/5575979 by guest on 01 October 2019)  \n􀁸 Hypotheses The drive to survive is a biological universal. Intelligent behaviour is usually recognised when individual organisms including plants, in the face of fiercely competitive or adverse, real world circumstances, change their behaviour to improve their probability of survival.  \n􀁸 Scope This article explains the potential relationship of intelligence to adaptability and emphasises the need for recognising individual variation in intelligence showing it to be goal directed and thus being purposeful. Intelligent behaviour in single cells and microbes is frequently reported. Individual variation might be underpinned by a novel learning mechanism described in detail. The requirements for real world circumstances are outlined, the relationship to organic selection indicated together with niche construction as a good example of intentional behaviour that should improve survival. Adaptability is important in crop development but the term may be complex incorporating numerous behavioural traits some of which are indicated.  \n􀁸 Conclusion There is real biological benefit to regarding plants as intelligent both  \nfrom a fundamental issue of understanding plant life but also from providing a  \ndirection for fundamental future research and in crop breeding.  \nKey words: intelligence, adaptability, learning, real-world circumstances, selection, systems  \nbiology.  \nDownloaded from [https://academic.oup.com/aob/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aob/mcz155/5575979 by guest on 01 October 2019](https://academic.oup.com/aob/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aob/mcz155/5575979 by guest on 01 October 2019)  \nINTRODUCTION  \nThe notion that plants are intelligent has been controversial since it was first described (Trewavas, 2003). There have been three published criticisms (Firn, 2004, Alpi et al., 2007; Chamowitz, 2018). The first two have already been answered in print although readers must judge how well (Trewavas, 2004a; Trewavas, 2007) . The third will be considered later. The trio of critiques raise different issues to each other, which suggests that they arise from differing perceptions of plant behaviour and plant abilities.  \nThree issues seem to be at the root of criticism. They are all answered in greater detail in this article. Firstly, is the notion that nervous systems are required for intelligence. The counter is that intelligent behaviour is reported in single cells and bacteria. Such organisms obviously don’t have a nervous system but do use electrical information and Ca2 signalling as do higher plants.  \nSecondly, is the influence of laboratory experience on perceptions of plant behaviour. The need for examining plant behaviour and intelligence in wild,(real world), circumstances was indicated in Trewavas (2003). Darwinian over-production of seed ensures that virtually all plants die before completing the life cycle. The plant environment contains predators and grazers of all kinds, threats of disease and stringent competition. The inbuilt driving forces of individual survival and thence to reproduction are fundamental to life of all kinds. In these unpredictable and varying circumstances the aim of intellig","cbCaim1M6Rygdm7Q","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaim1M6Rygdm7Q","pdf",1119874,6,1,69,"English","en",105,"# Hypotheses\n# Scope\n# Conclusion\n# Introduction\n## Nervous systems and intelligence\n## Laboratory bias and wild conditions\n## Adaptability and individual variation","[{\"question\":\"Why do the authors argue that plants can show intelligent behaviour?\",\"answer\":\"They argue that survival-driven behaviour in complex, adverse conditions can be intelligent, and that such behaviour is observable beyond animals, including in single cells and bacteria.\"},{\"question\":\"What key criticisms of plant intelligence does the manuscript address?\",\"answer\":\"It describes three published criticisms, including whether nervous systems are required, how laboratory conditions shape perceptions, and how adaptability relates to intelligence.\"},{\"question\":\"How does individual variation in adaptability matter for understanding plant intelligence?\",\"answer\":\"The manuscript emphasizes that adaptability depends on individuality; ignoring this leads to overlooking traits that may be selected, particularly relevant for crop production and breeding.\"}]",1783318650,174,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"plants-are-intelligent-heres-how","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/plants-are-intelligent-heres-how/41090/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-18","2026-07-06",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"Why do the authors argue that plants can show intelligent behaviour?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"They argue that survival-driven behaviour in complex, adverse conditions can be intelligent, and that such behaviour is observable beyond animals, including in single cells and bacteria.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"What key criticisms of plant intelligence does the manuscript address?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"It describes three published criticisms, including whether nervous systems are required, how laboratory conditions shape perceptions, and how adaptability relates to intelligence.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"How does individual variation in adaptability matter for understanding plant intelligence?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"The manuscript emphasizes that adaptability depends on individuality; 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