We call the scents of freshly cut grass GLVs, an acronym for English “green leafs”.
We love the smell of GLVs because it reminds us of food. Vegetables release GLVs when cut, and fruits when ripe. And we are genetically set up in such a way that we react positively to smell.
GLVs are a group of volatile organic compounds based on six carbons. Almost all green plants release them, usually in larger amounts when attacked or damaged. So it’s basically a cry for help, picked up by other plants and animals.
Plants warn each other
For example, a study of corn plants showed that they release GLVs when ingested by pests. GLVs cause other corn plants to produce substances that make them less flavorful. So they respond to the warning and prepare to attack.
else Research He shows that one species of predatory beetle, the seven-pointed ladybird, responds to soybean plant GLVs when attacked by aphids.
The scent signal of soybeans is so subtle that it only attracts the types of predatory beetles that better kill aphids.
The researchers also showed that plants use GLVs to protect themselves from disease-causing fungi and frost damage — but not from lawnmowers after all.
