Studies Regarding The Influence of Music On The Wheat Plants Growth

Journal of Young Scientist, Volume V, 2017
ISSN 2344 - 1283; ISSN CD-ROM 2344 - 1291; ISSN Online 2344 - 1305; ISSN-L 2344 – 1283
STUDIES REGARDING THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON THE WHEAT

PLANTS GROWTH
Mihai Adrian RACHIERU, Irina IACOB, Maria CRISTEA
Scientific Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. PhD Alina ORTAN
University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Mărăşti Blvd, District
1, 011464, Bucharest, Romania, Phone: +4021.318.25.64, Fax: + 4021.318.25.67
Corresponding authors email: iacobirina20@yahoo.com, cristea_maria21@yahoo.com

Abstract
The positive effect of music not only on humans, but also on animals and plants is well known for a long time, being
used in music therapy. Studies have shown that a harmonious musical concert stimulates songbirds from forests.
Moreover, monkeys, depending on the nature of music they listen to, could cheer or fall into melancholy. If music is a
mean of relaxation or even healing for people, which is its effect on plants? The current paper aims at answering this
question, by presenting the results of an experiment that studied the biological effects of different genres of music on the
wheat plants growth. The Triticumaestivum seeds were placed into three pots and the humidity, temperature
and damping program were kept constant. One of the pot was set as the control group, the other two being subjected to
the following musical compositions: Havasi - Rise of the instruments and Led Zeppelin’s tracks for 2 and a half hours a
day. The experiment lasted 6 weeks, during which plants height was measured weekly and change in leaves color was
visually estimated. The obtained results were in accordance with the literature data: both classical and rock music
affect living biological systems, those exposed to classical music being higher and brighter than either the control
group or those exposed to rock music.
Key words: wheat, growth, classical music, rock music.
INTRODUCTION music. They found that the plants grew well for
almost every type of music except rock and
The positive effect of music not only on acid rock.
humans, but also on animals and plants is well Another experiment was based on insect music
known for a long time, being used in music and they demonstrated that after different
therapy. Studies have shown that, being acoustic frequency treatment, in besides
multicellular organisms (Benford, 2002; soybean plant height,dry root weight of
Dossey, 2001; Kristen, 1997), they react to cabbage and greengrocerythere was significant
sound vibrations even in the seed stage (Braam difference of plant height,fresh weight and dry
and Davis, 1990). In a study conducted on weight between the other vegetables and
plants exposed to different styles on music, control groups.
O'Donnell et all showed that plants growth was The current paper aims at presenting the results
influenced in a negative way by the rock and of an experiment that studied the biological
acid rock music (O'Donnell et all, 2009). In effects of different genres of music on the
their experiment, Popescu and Mocanu wheat plants growth.
demonstrated that the treatment with folk music
from pipe flute determined an increase in salad MATERIALS AND METHODS
yield by 12.8 - 19.8% (Popescu and Mocanu,
2013). The Triticumaestivum seeds were placed into
Researchers from Canada and the former three pots. The pots were filled with peat
Soviet Union found that wheat will grow faster without any kind of fertilizer (Figure 1).
when exposed to special ultrasonic and musical One of the pots was set as the control group,
sounds. They estimated the effects of music on the other two being subjected to music. After
plant growth using different genres including studying the literature data, the following
classical, rock, acid rock, and East Indian musical compositions were chosen: Havasi -
73
Rise of the instruments and Led Zeppelin’s for pot A during the experiment. The
tracks; the music was played for 2 and a half measurements made after the first week
hours a day for the whole period of the showed tha the growth was differentiated even
experiment. The humidity, temperature from the beginning: 3 cm for the clasical music
and damping program were kept constant. (pot A), 2 cm for the control group (pot B) and
Thus, water was used as a damping agent, and only 1 cm for the plants subjected to rock
the watering program was as follows: 3 times a music (pot C).In terms of color, it could be
week in first two weeks, then 3 times a week observed even from this stage a differentiation:
for the next 2 weeks and once a week for the the color for plants in pot A was bright green,
last 2 weeks. Humidity recorded and while the one for pot C was yellowish green.
maintained constant throughout the experiment
was 40%.The temperature for the three potswas
kept constant as well, respectively 24 degrees
Celsius, which is the optimal temperature for
wheat growth. The plants have benefited from
natural light.
Figure 2. Image with Triticum aestivum in

pot A after first week
In second week we could notice more

significant differences in plants’ growth and
colour.
After the third measurment we could find that
plants’ growth was much more aggressive, and
this rate was held in the fourth week as well
(for example, after third week plants subjected
Figure 1. Triticumaestivum seeds planted in peat to clasical music had 14 cm in height, the
control grup 10 cm, and the plants subjected to
In order to recognize the pots, they we noted by rock music only 6 cm in height).
letters: B was the control group, A was the pot According to fifth measurement it could be
with plants subjected to classical music and C observed thatthe plants were changing their
was the pot with plants listening to rock music. growth rate, some of them keeping the
The experiment lasted 6 weeks, during which aggressively rythm, some of them decreasing it
plants height was measured weekly and change (plants in pot A and B decreased their growth
in leaves color was visually estimated. rate, while plants in pot C maintained it
constant). In turn, the color of plants began to
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS differentiate more. From this point we could
notice a difference in color also between the
As it was mentioned above, the height of the plants in the control group and the plants
plants were measured and also the color was subjected to classical music.
vissualy estimated. For comparison, figures 2, 3
and 4 show the differences in height registered
74
The last measurement (sixth week) showed that had 20 cm in height, the control grup 14 cm,
the growth rate was constant dor all of the three and the plants that listened to rock music had a
groups. height of only 10 cm. Figure 5 shows the
different dimensions of the plants of all 3 pots
during the experiment.
Figure 3. Image with Triticum aestivum in

pot A after third week
Figure 5. Evolution of Plantsgrowth during
the 6 weeks of experiment
As it could be noticed from the figure, the

plants subjected to classical music (pot A) had
the most significant growth, while the one
subjected to rock music had the lowest growth
rate.
The experiment showed that the average
growth for the plants subjected to classical
music was 3.33 cm per week, 2.33 cm per week
for plants from the control group and in the
case of plants subjected to rock music the
average growth rate was 1.33 cm per week.
Regarding the color, the plants’ color at the end
of this experiment presented also significant
differences, from bright green at the plants
exposed to classical music to yellowish green
for plants subjected to rock music.
What was unexpected was the fact that wheat
from pot C didn’t present any injuries.
According to specialty literature, the plants
subjected to rock music often develop some
lesions, which were not present in our
experimental group. The only differences were
Figure 4. Image with Triticum aestivum in in plants height and colour.
pot A after fifth week
Recent studies based on physics and molecular
biology research provide much more accurate
The results obtained in this experiment are
information on the sensitivity of plants to
mostly in accordance with literature data: after
music. According to Neacsu , the amino acids,
6 weeks, the plants subjected to clasical music
75
under the influence of sound waves, are
organized into proteins through a suite of REFERENCES
resonance phenomena; when plants listen to
"favorite song," acoustic waves are transformed Chivukula V., Ramaswamy S., 2014,Effect of Different
into electromagnetic waves, producing the Types of Music on Rosa Chinensis Plants.
International Journal of Environmental Science and
protein of this song (Neacsu , 2010). Therefor, Development. 5 (5), p. 431 - 434.
we can affirm that there is a link between Mazlan, 2017, The Effect of Music on Plant Growth.
protein and music, and music can ease the www.dengarden.com
synthesis of proteins useful to the body. Neacsu P., 2010, Muzica in viata plantelor. Revista de
ecologie, 22, p. 51-54.
O'Donnell L., 2009, Music and the
CONCLUSIONS Brain.https://kmclayton.wordpress.com
Popescu S., Mocanu R., 2013, The effect of music
Our study confirmed what was found in studied produced by winds instruments on cultivated
literature: plants are dainty and cannot agree plants.LucrăriŞtiinţifice, seria Agronomie, 56 (1), p.
with every type of music. They develop easier 127 – 129.
and grow faster only on slow rhythms,
especially played by instruments made of
natural elements like violin, piano, cello.
76

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Journal of Young Scientist, Volume V, 2017

STUDIES REGARDING THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON THE WHEAT

Scientific Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. PhD Alina ORTAN

Corresponding authors email: iacobirina20@yahoo.com, cristea_maria21@yahoo.com

Key words: wheat, growth, classical music, rock music.

Figure 2. Image with Triticum aestivum in

In second week we could notice more

Figure 3. Image with Triticum aestivum in

As it could be noticed from the figure, the

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