аЯрЁБс>ўџ 02ўџџџ/џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС3 №Пkjbjb^^ ,h<h<kџџџџџџlnnnnn znЫъЂЂЂЂЂЂЂЂˆŠŠŠŠŠŠ,Е е $ЖЂЂЂЂЂЖЖЂЂЂЖЖЖЂ ЂЂˆЖ,B,ЂˆЖЖЬЬ– @ЫыИnnЌ ЬЬМЫЫЬљ Жљ ЬЖУхA Study of the effect of Competition and Fertilization on the Growth and Development of Brassica Rapa Erin Sagedahl, Sweet Briar College, 25 April 2002 Introduction: Plants of all species compete for nutrients from the soil in which they are rooted. Plants will even kill off other plants when competing for nutrients and growth space. The focus of the following study is the effect of competition and different nutrient (fertilizer) concentrations on the plant Brassica Rapa. Brassica Rapa is commonly known as “Fast Plant” because it will show signs of growth and development within a few days of planting. For that reason Brassica Rapa is widely used in experimental studies, and is why it was chosen as the subject of our study. We planted 1 or 4 Brassica Rapa seeds in soil with either 1 or 3 pellets of fertilizer. We predicted that the single seed in the highest concentration of fertilizer (3 pellets) would show signs of growth first and would grow to be the largest healthiest looking plant, whereas the seeds planted in a group of four in soil with low concentration of fertilizer (1 pellet) would not show signs of growth as quickly and would not grow to be as healthy of a plant. Methods: To begin we obtained sixteen Styrofoam quads to plant the Brassica Rapa seeds. Each quad had a hole in the bottom, in which we stuck a piece of cloth to help take up water. Next we filled each quad halfway with dirt. Then in eight of the sixteen quads we placed one fertilizer pellet and in the other eight quads we placed three fertilizer pellets (to make our low and high fertilizer concentrations.) We then placed a light layer of soil over the fertilizer pellet. Next, in four of the eight quads of low fertilizer concentration we placed one Brassica Rapa seed, and in the other four quads of low fertilizer concentration we placed four Brassica Rapa seeds per quad. Be sure to label the set of quads as low fertilizer concentration with one seed and low fertilizer concentration with four seeds (high seed competition.) Then fill each of the eight quads with more dirt until seeds are fully covered. Next, in four of the remaining eight quads (high fertilizer concentrations) we placed one seed of Brassica Rapa and in the other four quads we placed four seeds per quad. We labeled this set of quads as high fertilizer concentration with one seed, and high fertilizer concentration with four seeds respectively. Again we filled the quads with enough dirt to fully cover the seeds. Finally we watered all the quads with distilled water until we could see the water dripping out of the bottom. We watered all the quads that way for three days, so that our plants would start off their growth with enough water to sustain themselves. After the three days we moved our plants to a self-watering system, so that we did not have physically water them anymore, the plants would take up water, as they needed. We came and observed our plants everyday and on the fourteenth day (the last day of observation) we measured the height of each plant. All of the measurements were done in millimeters and taken from dirt level to very tip of the tallest bud. Results: Our results did not strongly support our hypothesis. We hypothesized that in this experiment the single Brassica Rapa seeds in high concentration of fertilizer would show signs of growth first and grow to be the tallest plants, and that the seeds planted four to a quad in low concentration of fertilizer would be the slowest to show signs of growth and would be the shorter of the plants. We found that in general, plants that were grown in high concentration of fertilizer were taller overall than the plants grown in low concentrations of fertilizer regardless of how many seeds were planted in each quad (competition.) The average height for all plants regardless of competition, in high concentration of fertilizer was 5.34 mm, and the average height of all plants in low concentration of fertilizer was 5.09 mm. Table 1. Average Height of Brassica Rapa Plants Height measured from Soil to Tip of Tallest Bud in millimeters Height 1 seed per quad, low conc. fertilizer6.25mm4 seeds per quad, low conc. fertilizer4.86mm1 seed per quad, high conc. fertilizer7.06mm4 seeds per quad, high conc. fertilizer4.82mmAll seeds in low conc. fertilizer5.09mmAll seeds in high conc. fertilizer5.34mm The plants in the high concentration of fertilizer also had green, full leaves, whereas the plants in low concentrations of fertilizer had yellowish colored smaller leaves. Looking at the average heights, our data does support our hypothesis, however the results obtained are not very strong. The 4 seeds per quad in both high and low concentrations of fertilizer were about the same height when measured, with the 4 seeds per quad in low concentration of fertilizer being slightly taller at 4.86mm than the 4 seeds in high concentration, which measured 4.82mm. Still there is not a significant difference to conclude that the fertilizer had a great impact on plant growth when plants are in a competitive environment. Discussion: There is no strong trend either way to support or disprove our hypothesis; it is hard to draw conclusions. One reason for their not being such a strong trend either way is that during the course of the experiment we had only one quad with four seeds actually sprout all four seeds (1/8 of the quads), another quad of four seeds started with three sprouts but by the sixth day one sprout had died. We also had in 4 of the sixteen quads in which no seeds sprouted, 2 single seed quads in high fertilizer concentration, and 2 single seed quads in low fertilizer concentration (see attached Brassica Rapa Growth Log.) Because these seeds did not sprout at all and they had no competition for nutrients suggests that we may have had some old seeds, and so it affected the outcome of our experiment or that the seeds as singles were too close to the fertilizer and the fertilizer instead of having a positive effect on the growth, it had a negative effect on the seed and killed it off. If I were to perform this experiment again, I would let the experiment run longer, so that it would be possible to take more height measurements and obtain clearer results. Also it would be easier to test for just one variable. 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