If we don't say bacteria need ethical reflections, then it is very unlikely that plants will either.
Well, deciding when to stop caring at a certain complexity level is a sort of ethical reflection.
Anyway, if we care about humans and animals because they have some sort of thinking life, then if these studies are valid we should start paying attention to plants too. Of course we could simply decide we need to care on some other basis.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.