Syngenta experiments with new technology that “listens” to crops under pest attack

Scientists at Syngenta have developed a technology that allows researchers to detect how crops respond to pest attacks in real time by recording the electrical signals plants emit under stress. The approach, developed with Swiss technology company Vivent Biosignals, enables scientists to “listen” to plants during infestations and could help identify pest damage earlier and improve crop protection strategies.

The system uses plant electrophysiology to capture electrical signals generated by plant cells in response to environmental changes. These signals act as a rapid communication system between plant tissues and organs. By analyzing the data with machine learning and artificial intelligence, researchers can interpret plant stress responses as they occur. The findings from the collaboration were recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

In experiments with soybean plants, scientists measured crop responses to attacks by the Neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros, a major pest in parts of Central and South America. Because visible damage from stink bugs can take up to a week to appear, the ability to detect stress signals earlier could help farmers respond faster to infestations. According to Syngenta researcher Anke Buchholz, the technology may also support the development of next-generation crop protection products by identifying treatments that most effectively reduce pest-related stress in plants.