The oscillatory bioelectrical signal from plants explained by a simulated electrical model and tested using Lempel–Ziv complexity

This paper demonstrates the oscillatory characteristics of electrical signals acquired from two ornamental plant types (Epipremnum pinnatum and Philodendron scandens – Family Araceae), using a noninvasive acquisition system. The electrical signal was recorded using Ag/AgCl superficial electrodes inside a Faraday cage. The presence of the oscillatory electric generator was shown using a classical power spectral density. The Lempel and Ziv complexity measurement showed that the plant signal was not noise despite its nonlinear behavior. The oscillatory characteristics of the signal were explained using a simulated electrical model that establishes that for a frequency range from 5 to 15 Hz, the oscillatory characteristic is higher than for other frequency ranges. All results show that non-invasive electrical plant signals can be acquired with improvement of signal-to-noise ratio using a Faraday cage, and a simple electrical model is able to explain the electrical signal being generated.

Research highlights
► No invasive bioelectrical signal from plants was measured.
► An oscillatory bioelectrical signal from plant was identified.
► The signal acquired from plants was simulated using an electrical model.