Plants’ internal clocks keep them alive at night and ‘could be key to growing more food for the world’

The finding sheds new light on how life on our planet is in tune with the movements of the solar system, writes Harry Cockburn

‘Plants can’t stumble to the fridge in the middle of the night’ (Getty Images/500px Plus)

Just like animals, plants’ lives are dictated by the rising and setting of the sun.

The circadian rhythm is a vital part of plants’ ability to time key processes allowing them to adjust their biology – from producing oxygen and absorbing carbon, to flowering, leaf movement and even producing fragrances.

But plants’ ability to recognise and adjust to changing times of day and night and the seasons is more than a handy adaptation. It can be a matter of life and death, and could even lead to greater levels of food production, new research suggests.