Fertilizer Distance Science Experiment Research Plan
Rationale:
No other experiments have been performed testing how the distance of fertilizer from a seed of wheat affects the plant’s growth, but there are many other related experiments. Experiment 502, conducted from 1971 to 2015 in Lahoma, Oklahoma, measured the wheat grain yield response to nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization. An average increase of 14 bushels/acre/year in the first 10 years of the experiment when 80 pounds of N as ammonium nitrate was applied preplant. Grain %N increased linearly up to 100 lb. N/ac in the last 20 years. (North Central Experiment Station, 2015) Another related experiment is the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment at Rothamsted (UK). The
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(Pauly, 2009) Phosphorous is also a significant element of fertilizer that improves the other nutrients’ effectiveness. Wheat needs phosphorous for healthy roots and early plant growth. (Roberts 1998) “Wheat growth and development may be retarded if any one of these elements is lacking in the soil or if a nutrient is not adequately balanced with other nutrients.” (Pauly 2009) In order to receive nutrients, the roots of a plant absorb water from a concentration gradient underground and transport it the the stem of the plant. (Barber, Walker, Vasey, 1963)
Out of the various substances in fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer supplies key nutrients for the development of wheat. Because nitrogen fertilizer has little residue, it does not harm the environment as much as other fertilizers. (Lam, Chen, Norton, Armstrong, 2012) “Corn, wheat, and rice, the fast-growing crops on which humanity depends for survival, are among the most nitrogen hungry of all plants. They demand more, in fact, than nature alone can provide.” (Charles 2013)
The safety hazards of the fertilizer used in this experiment include discomfort to eyes from the dust, irritated skin from extended or frequent direct contact with the fertilizer, a headache, dizziness, or vomiting from indigestion of large amounts of fertilizer, and irritated nose, throat, and lungs due to inhalation of fertilizer dust. Extreme heat. Avoid contact with strong alkalies,
The pH of soil is important for the absorption of nutrients into the plant. Of the 17 needed plant nutrients 14 of them are acquired through the soil. Acidity is needed to break down and dissolve these nutrients. The nutrients are able to dissolve into the soil faster when the acid is acting as a solute. Another way the pH affects the soil is by influencing microorganisms. The bacteria is crucial in the growth and development of the plant, the bacteria’s role is to break down and decompose organic matter in the soil. If the pH of the soil is too high the acid will slow down and eventually stop the microorganisms. Most plants ideal pH is between 6-7, slightly acidic. Many plants are outliers and thrive in pH such as carrots and corn, which can withstand pH as low as 5.5. If the pH of the soil is too high for the desired crop farmers can add material such as limestone, and wood ashes to raise the pH to the desired level. The pH of the soil can also be changed naturally through the leaching of calcium, magnesium and sodium by rainwater. Carbon dioxide from rotting organic matter can also increase the pH of the soil. Acids can also be created organically in the form of sulfuric and nitric
The use of too much fertilizers, and in particular, of fertilizers with high concentrations of nitrogen, has been linked to reduced biodiversity (Xiankai et al. 2010). It becomes necessary to consider the detrimental effects of high concentrations of fertilizer in the reduced spaces. Fertilizers are salts, and therefore high concentrations of fertilizers can deplete the plant from water.
The purpose of this lab was to investigate and observe the effects of organic vs. synthetic fertilizers on plant growth by planting lima beans with added amounts of fertilizers, and to see how does adding different nutrients to the soil affect the growth of the lima bean? A significant difference was examined between the plants that contained manure and miracle growth, unfortunately the plant with no additional fertilizers (Plant #3) did not show any growth. The plant that grew the most was the one that contained manure, to an extent the one that grew the most in a short period of time was the one that contained miracle growth, as shown in figure I. The hypothesis explaining if the Lima Bean plant contains synthetic nutrients in the soil then
Many alterations have been applied to the area that corn is grown in. The main biome that corn is grown would be grasslands. Grasslands are an extremely important biome for producing food, it was shown that approximately 90% of the food produced today contains at least one of the fifteen species that are grown in grasslands. Unfortunately, for there to be enough space for corn to be grown and harvested, native grasses must be cleared, therefore having a devastating impact on the biome. Corn is known to be the most thirsty crop to be grown, taking up almost 7,000 to 8,000 gallons of water, draining countries, that don't receive as much rain, of their groundwater. Another impact on the environment of corn production would be the excessive use of fertilizers, this is due to the little nutrients returned back to the soil. As corn is mainly used for consumption, very little plant
The appropriate tools were used when measuring the growth of each plant. Every second day, the plants that had germinated were measured with a centimetre ruler, ensuring that each measurement was exact. The plants were consistently measured every two days and watered on those same days. During this experiment, all variables were kept consistent and all possible errors were avoided in order to keep the experiment fair and valid. The only variable that was even slightly altered was the location of the plant.
Plant foods contain three essential nutrients that are not readily available from soils. These are soluble compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A typical label on a plant food will have a set of numbers such as 15-30-15. These numbers mean that the plant food is guaranteed to contain at least 15% nitrogen, 30% phosphorus (expressed as P2O5) and
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family. Radishes are great plants for demonstrating the effects of different levels of plant nutrition, germinating and growing quickly and reliably. Radish plants take up nutrients from the soil to make food. Soil is rich in essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; but these nutrients are sometimes not present in the acceptable amount. Nitrogen is vital because it is a major component of chlorophyll, which is the compound by which plants use in photosynthesis. It is also a major component of amino acids and without them plants withers and die. Phosphorus is a component of the complex nucleic acid structure of plants, which regulates protein synthesis and the
Once soil is intoxicated, the chemical compounds in synthetic fertilizer create a harmful environment for microbial life and are later dispersed to surrounding areas through the process of hydrology. In naturally fertile soil, microbial life is diverse and abundant. In fact, as soil microbiologist David Zuber has stated in his Soil Microbiology FAQ article, “there can be hundreds of millions to billions of microbes in a single gram (about the size of a navy bean in volume) of soil.” These microbes range from bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, cyanobacteria, protozoa, and microarthropods, all of which play very specialized roles in maintaining the integrity of soil. Innately, microbes ward off pathogens, provide root protection, and maintain oxygen and moisture levels. (Hermary). For example, microbes consume a naturally abundant and potent form of nitrogen (NH4+), along with other compounds, and excrete preferred forms of nitrogen (NO2-N and NO3-N). This process, fixation, allow microbes to maintain a fixed levels of essential chemicals. Likewise, through the process of denitrification, anaerobic bacteria provides oxygen to soil by removing excess nitrate (NO3-N), while other microbes aerate and disperse the supplied oxygen. While microbes execute an assortment of other tasks, it is apparent that these organisms create a balance. However, with the introduction of synthetic fertilizer, this natural balance is ravaged. As a result of repetitive application of synthetic
The 20 wheat seedlings was the sample size used in each of the five treatments, see Table 1. Among those 10 unpaired t-tests two out of the 10, Test 5 (Shoot length 1XCM vs 4XCM) and Test 6 (Seedling biomass Water vs 1XCM) had actual p-values greater than 0.05 (see Table 1). The calculated t-values for the previously mentioned two t-tests were lower than the critical t-value, 2.024 (see Table 1). For shoot length (cm), the trend shows mean shoot length to increase with increasing concentration of nutrient treatment until 3XCM, where the mean and standard deviation is at its greatest (x̅= 27.945cm±5.605cm) and drops slightly at 4XCM (see Figure 1). The pattern of the mean biomass (g), increases up to treatment 2XCM (x̅=0.2275g±0.0488g) at which mean values begin to decline a slight degree afterwards (see Figure 2).
There are a variety of different sites that have been effectively treated using phytoextraction techniques. These include industrial and municipal landfills, agricultural fields, military bases, fuel storage tank farms, gas stations, army ammunition
Biofertilizers are becoming widely used in many countries and for many different crops. Based on Paul et al., 2013 stated that biofertilizer contain free-living organisms associated with root surfaces include endophytes and microorganisms that are able to colonize the intercellular or intracellular spaces between plant tissues without harm to the host plant. According to Vessey, 2003 defined biofertilizer as products containing lively or dormant strains of soil microbes, either bacteria or in combination with algae or fungi that increase the availability and nutrients uptake on plant. Rice production in Malaysia usually used high of input chemical fertilizer which can lead soils to be degraded, polluted and unproductive. According to Mishra and Dash, 2014 increasingly extensive uses of chemical fertilizers in India assist soils to be degraded, polluted, less productive and environmental hazards. Soil pollution is caused by the excessive application of chemical fertilizers. In other words, there is much concern to further preserve environmental through the use of less intensive and more sustainable agricultural practices by reducing the input of chemical fertilizers. (Gomiero et al.2011). Mishra and Dash, 2014 stated these issues can be solved by using biofertilizers to make the ecosystem healthier. Thus, it minimize dependency of farmer on chemical fertilizers. These biofertilizers are not harmful to crops but facilitate the unabsorbed nutrient in soil to be
It is also affordability, convenience, and effectiveness in nourishing plants; however it can also have disadvantages when using chemical based fertilizers. Plants will show signs of lacking nutrient the inorganic fertilizer was separate help over organic choices, it depends on soil organisms to first, break down the organic substance before the nutrients can be out. Inorganic fertilizer’s fast delivery elements and minerals eliminate this potential problem. Inorganic fertilizer, which is often reasonably priced, consists of mineral-based nutrients manufactured for instant application on crops. Unlike the organic variety, inorganic fertilizer does not need to decompose over time to supply nutrients to plants. Inorganic fertilizer contained balanced amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to supply plants and to grow it faster. These are the substance of chemical gain from the processes in cultivating the first one is urea. Nitrogen as urea can be lost to the atmosphere if fertilizer urea remains on the soil surface for total periods of time throughout warm
100 years ago a lone chemist, Fritz Haber, discovered ammonia synthesis, a process in which Fritz used a sheet of osmium inside a steel chamber, flowing with nitrogen and hydrogen gas, and packed with pressure and enormous heat, created ammonia. Fritz was a genius, and he discovered something many scientists had been frantically researching for years, the idea of turning nitrogen gas, which was abundant in the atmosphere, into a physical form in which plants can take up as nutrients. The advent rise of chemical fertilizers has brought humans many great harvests in the turn of the last century. It has given the ability for agriculture to sustain and feed humanity at an ever more increasing rate, from 1.6
Nitrogen is a nutrient found in all living things on earth. It can be in the form of a gas or found in our soil and water sources. Like nitrogen, phosphorus serves as nourishment found in soil and our water systems and any residue that may occur from these sources. Both Nitrogen and phosphorus are reintroduced into the ecosystem through decomposition and transfers back into the earth.
Phosphorus is also an important element for plants, which can be found in the soil. Phosphorus plays an important role in energy transfer, photosynthesis, and transfer of genetic material, transformation of sugars and starches and nutrient movement within a plant.