Allie Malmberg, Eve Stark, Karissa Roof, Maura Tobin
APES Period 6 13 January 2017 Salinization Lab Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to determine the levels of soil salinization suitable to crop growth. Varying levels of salt in water change the growth rates of plants and in this lab, we are conducting an experiment to determine the favorable salinity levels. The percents chosen were 0%(Tap Water) as the control, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% NaCl. It is important to know the prefered salt levels for farmers because seasons can be negatively affected if there is too much salinity. Results: After conducting our experiment and analyzing the data, we found that the poppy seeds did not grow well in high salt solutions. We found growth in the control dish (no salt added) and the 1% solution dish, however the other five dishes had no growth. Procedure: 1. Using the equation C1V1=C2V2, calculate the amount of solution needed to add to tap water. Fill beaker with 30 mL of tap water and with the calculated solutions: 0% NaCl, 30mL 1% NaCl, 6mL 1.5% NaCl, 9mL 2.0% NaCl, 12mL 2.5% NaCl, 15mL 3.0% NaCl, 18mL 2. Cut 12 pieces of paper towels and dip 2 paper towels in the first solution, then the next two with the second solution, etc. 3. Place one paper towel with the solution at the bottom of the dish and then distribute ten seeds into each petri dish (6 total), on the towel. Soak the second paper towel with the selected solution and put it on top of the poppy seeds. 4. Place the petri dishes in the counter drawer to keep out the light. 5. Observe the growth of the seeds once a day for 5 days and record the observations. Results Discussion: In this lab, we determined the level of soil salinity suitable to crop growth. Our hypothesis was that the control will germinate the fastest and the most, while as the salt concentration increases in the other dishes, the plants will not grow as well. After conducting our experiment and analyzing the data, we found that our hypothesis was correct and that the poppy seeds did not grow well in high salt solutions. We found growth in the control dish (no salt added) and the 1% solution dish, however the other five dishes had no growth. As we continued our observations, we observed that the control continued to grow significantly while the 1% grew slowly and the rest of the dishes had no growth. As irrigation water evaporates, the salt from the water solution remains on fields in thin layers. Over time, these layers build up and the seeds planted will no longer germinate. This information would be helpful to farmers because as the world population continues to grow, farmers will need to supply more food for people, which also means that farmers will need more water to grow crops. Water with high concentrations of salt can have negative effects on crop production, affecting food supply worldwide.
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Allie MalmbergI am a senior at THS, I am on the golf and swim teams, and I am an active member in Key Club. I enjoy travelling to new countries and I love to spend time with my friends and family. ArchivesCategories |