Are plants better than us at maths?

Recent research has suggested that plants need to be able to perform complex maths, in order to regulate their food reserves at night. 

When the sun goes down, plants are no longer able to use sunlight to produce the sugars and starches that they need to survive. Because of this, plants have to use the reserves that they have produced during the day to keep them going throughout the night. This could be compared to if we as humans were expected to hold our breath whenever we weren't eating. Obviously, this must involve complex processes, and recent research has suggested that plants may be smarter than we give them credit for. 

This research suggests that the plant must undergo complicated arithmetic in order to calculate the amount of starch that it can consume overnight so that it can last until the sun rises again at dawn. These calculations are completed by mechanisms within the plant which determine the size of the starch store that has been accumulated throughout the day. This is then compared against an internal clock which is set by the amount of time the plant is exposed to sunlight. An error in the plants calculations could lead to its death, so it is crucial that a measure of both starch, and time is accurate. 

The fact that plants are capable of performing these types of calculations is an incredible feat, and just goes to show us how much we still have to learn about these incredible organisms. 

What do you think about this research? Do you think you'd be able to beat a plant in a maths test? Write below with your comments or questions.