Resonance-Guided Root Tropism: A Coherence-Based Mechanism for Subsurface Plant Navigation (SHRF-aligned theoretical synthesis)

Abstract Plant root growth exhibits directional sensitivity that frequently exceeds what can be explained by local chemical gradients or direct physical contact alone. Roots are observed to preferentially extend toward subsurface water sources, mineral-rich zones, and biologically active soil regions prior to direct encounter. Here we propose a resonance-based mechanism for root tropism within the Sympathetic Harmonic Resonance Framework (SHRF), wherein roots respond to subsurface coherence gradients generated by structured water, mineral lattices, and microbial networks. In this model, root tips function as bioelectric resonance probes, extending preferentially along regions of stable phase coherence and reduced vibrational noise. This framework unifies hydrotropism, chemotropism, and mycorrhizal signaling under a single physical principle and provides testable predictions for root behaviour under controlled electromagnetic and mechanical perturbations