Biological relevance of sound in plants

Sound plays a critical role in all life forms in one way or the other. Higher organism such as vertebrates have evolved sophisticated auditory organs to perceive as well as emit specific range of sound frequencies. Extensive studies have been done on implication of sound in animal kingdom. Plants at the other side lack specialized organs for the same, which makes them mysterious as well as interesting subjects. In recent years significant advancement has been made towards understanding of sound emission and perception in plants. Through this review an attempt is made to unveil the current advancements in plant acoustics, its significance in overcoming the environmental challenges, biotic threats, facilitating pollination, inter-kingdom communication for mutual benefits and learning by association. Along with this, the application of sound in boosting plant growth, yield, enhancing functional metabolite production, evading pests and postharvest management has been emphasized. In this respect, several examples are presented to strengthen our understanding of plant responses to sound at behavioral, physiological and molecular level. At last, in the light of existing knowledge, we discuss current challenges in plant acoustic research, ecological hazards associated with artificial sound wave treatments and plausible ways alleviate it.