Treatments had been carried out for germination of water dropwort, The results indicated that water dropwort seeds have a low germination percentage and dormancy characteristic.
The researchers then exposed Thale cress--the plant biologist's version of the laboratory mouse--to the recorded vibrations while no caterpillars were actually present.
Dr Appel and Dr Cocroft published their findings in 2014. They have since been replicated many times in both cress and the tobacco plant, another common lab organism, and with a variety of caterpillars.