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The Effect of Different Watering Methods on the Growth of Peas |
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Researched by Katie K.
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The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of different watering methods on the growth of peas.
I became interested in this idea while doing my science project last year. Plants grew relatively well while I watered them every five days. I wondered if other watering schedules would be better or worse.
The information gained from this experiment could help gardeners and farmers figure out the best method of watering their crops.
My hypothesis was that the peas getting 40 milliliters of water every 8 days would grow the best.
I based my hypothesis on a statement by Dr. Dana Faubion, who is a WSU County Extension Educator and science Professor at Washington State University. He said, “Plants roots need water and oxygen and if the roots are in soil that is full of water they can not get oxygen.”
The constants in this study were:
- Number of seeds put in each pot
- The temperature they grow in
- The type of seeds used
- How old the seeds are and how they are stored
- The amount of light the plants get
- Pot size and shape
- Type of soil
- The amount of soil
- Planting depth
- Testing procedures
- Overall amount of water each plant received
The manipulated variable was the watering schedule.
The responding variable was the mass of the peas after 32 days.
To measure the responding variable I measured the biomass of the uprooted pea plants with a triple beam balance.
| QUANTITY | ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 1 |
Pea Packets |
| 54 |
Pots |
| 12 |
Foil trays |
| 1 |
Growing tent |
| 1 |
Florescent light |
| 1 |
Triple beam balance scale |
| 1 |
40 milliliter watering cup |
| 1 |
Bag of soil |
| 4 |
21 1/2 inch 1/2 inch PVC
pipes |
| 10 |
12 inch 1/2 inch PVC pipes |
| 3 |
Garbage bags |
| 8 |
PVC elbows |
| 5 |
PVC Tee's |
1. Build growing “tent”
a. Using
1/2 inch PVC pipe, elbows, and Tees, build an open framework that is 22
inches tall, 24 inches long, and 24 inches wide. Reinforce
this “box” to support a small fluorescent light.
b. Suspend the fluorescent light from the top of the box, centered from the sides, attached with strong string, which can be adjusted for height.
c. Drape black plastic over this framework to form a tent, which can be loosely sealed most of the time, yet easily opened for watering the plants.
2. Prepare growing traysb. Suspend the fluorescent light from the top of the box, centered from the sides, attached with strong string, which can be adjusted for height.
c. Drape black plastic over this framework to form a tent, which can be loosely sealed most of the time, yet easily opened for watering the plants.
a. Make
five holes in the bottom of 6 foil trays one in each corner and one in
the center.
b. Put 4 sticks in all foil trays that don’t have the holes.
c. Set each tray with holes onto sticks in tray without holes.
d. Label the trays with the correct amount of water to be given to that group.
3. Plant seedsb. Put 4 sticks in all foil trays that don’t have the holes.
c. Set each tray with holes onto sticks in tray without holes.
d. Label the trays with the correct amount of water to be given to that group.
a. Fill
all 54 pots with soil leaving about 1 centimeter at the top empty.
b. Plant 3 pea seeds 2 cm deep in all 54 pots
c. Put 9 pots in each tray.
d. Water each group with the right amount of water for that group
4. Grow plants using different watering treatmentb. Plant 3 pea seeds 2 cm deep in all 54 pots
c. Put 9 pots in each tray.
d. Water each group with the right amount of water for that group
a. Put
all the pots in the growing tent and turn on the light for 12 hours.
b. Turn off the light for the remainder of the day.
c. Water plants based on their treatment group.
b. Turn off the light for the remainder of the day.
c. Water plants based on their treatment group.
i. Water first group every other day with 10 milliliters of water.
ii. Water second group every a days with 20 milliliters of water.
iii. Water third group every 8 days with 40 milliliters of water.
ii. Water second group every a days with 20 milliliters of water.
iii. Water third group every 8 days with 40 milliliters of water.
d.
Repeat this for the next 32 days.
e. During this time record observations.
5. Measure growthe. During this time record observations.
a. After
32 days of watering the plants pull them out roots and all and label
them in brown paper bags
b. Weigh them with a triple beam balance.
6. Record data. b. Weigh them with a triple beam balance.
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of different watering methods on the growth of peas.
The results of the experiment were that the group getting 40 milliliters of water every 8 days clearly grew the least. Their average biomass was 0.49 grams. Both of the other groups were around 0.87 grams, nearly twice as much.
My hypothesis was that the peas getting 40 milliliter of water every 8 days would grow the best.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if using different water temperatures would change the results. Also different types of plants like corn or wheat. Would be interesting to use in similar experiments
If I were to conduct this project again I would grow my plants in a more controlled environment and have more plants for each group. I would do this during the summer in true sunlight.
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Introduction Agriculture is the most important source of food worldwide. For farmers to grow large amounts of food they need to use watering schedules that work efficiently. Plants will not flourish if they are either too wet or dry. Legumes, including peas are an important food source. Agriculture Agriculture involves growing food to feed livestock and people. Over half the world’s employees work in agriculture. Agriculture was developed about 10,000 years ago. People used to get food by gathering it from wild plants, fishing, and hunting. There are eight major groups in agriculture, (1) grains, (2) roots, (3) pales, (4) fruits and vegetables, (5) oil-bearing, (6) sugar-bearings, (7) nuts, (8) coca beans. Only two percent of all working Americans are farmers. Yet still the United States has much of the world’s food. Legumes Peas have been are important food source for a long time and still are popularly used throughout the world. They are in the legume family. Legumes take nitrogen from the air and use it to grow. Legumes are important to the economy. Some of the major uses are food and forage. Some of the minor uses are medicines, dyes, oils, and timber. There are about 14,000 to 17,000 different species of legumes. Legumes grow throughout the world and have various forms like trees, shrubs, or herbs. Legumes are normally climbing plants. Peas There are two main types of peas, garden peas and field peas. Garden peas are edible by humans and field peas are used mainly for feeding livestock. Peas are a good source of Vitamin C, A, fiber, carbohydrates, and plant protein. Peas are annual plants which must be replanted every year. Peas must have rich soil, constant moisture and a cool growing environment. They can grow from 6 inches to 6 feet long. The flowers that grow on peas are normally white, but sometimes can be reddish purple. Like all legumes, peas have pods which contain four to nine seeds. Germination Germination is the sprouting of a seed. A seed is made up of a seed coat, embryo, and endosperm. The endosperm is the food storage tissue in the seed. The seed coat is the hard layer around the outside of the seed. The embryo is the part of the seed that actually becomes the plant. The parts that become the roots is called the hypocotyls and the parts that become the stem and leaves is called epicotyls. Dormant seeds take weeks to months just to germinate. Two things that can cause seeds to break dormancy are a specific amount of sunlight or a certain amount of cold weather. Dormancy is good for plants because it can stop the seeds from germinating too soon when growing conditions are not favorable. Seeds often become dehydrated during dormancy and need water to begin germination. It’s like when people get dehydrated and they need water to survive. Photosynthesis One of the reasons plants need water is for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process used by plants, which combines carbon dioxide and water, to make useable sugars for plants to grow. This process also requires a substance called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a green pigment that makes the leaves green. Carbon dioxide gets into the stomata, which are small openings in the underside of the leaf. Water is absorbed into the plant by the roots. This process also requires sunlight. It can be written as the following equation. 6 H2O + 6 CO2= C6H12O6 + 6 O2 Why Plants Need
Water
Non-woody plants like peas need water to stand erect. When a cell has sufficient amount of water it becomes turgid because of water pressure in the cells. If all cells in the plant become turgid the plant will stand erect. If there is not enough water to sufficiently fill the cells it will tip over and wilt. How Plants get Water Plants must always have water, which is found in all cells. Without water in each cell many of the processes that happen in a plant would not occur. Plants have different structures and process that move water. Roots The roots are one of the three many organs of a plant, the other two are the stem and leaf. Most roots are grown under ground and anchor the plant. One of the most important things roots do is absorb water and minerals for the plant to grow. Roots have many different parts. Some of the most important parts of a root are the root tip, root hairs and the core. Root hairs, which are tiny, are located right behind the root tip, which is also small. Water and minerals which plants need to grow are absorbed through the root hairs. From there the water is transported to the core. Water is absorbed by the root hairs through the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process of a liquid solution moving through a semi permeable membrane to a more concentrated solution. In the root hair the solution being moved is water. Stems and Leaves Water is moved from the roots to the stems and leaves through xylem. Xylem is a tissue made up of dead, tubular cells, through which water is carried up to the leaves. Water moves up the stem into the leaves using cohesion and adhesion. Cohesion is a force that holds the molecules of water together. Adhesion is a force that holds water molecules to the side of the xylem vessels. Transpiration, the loss of water through leaves, provides a straw like suction to move water to the top of the plant. Summary Plants must have adequate water to grow efficiently. Agriculture is the most important source of human food worldwide. |
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Austin, Daniel F. “Legumes.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2002. Butt, John B. “Osmosis.” World Book Online. January 16, 2005 www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/PrintArticle?id=407260. DiMichele, William A. “Plant.” World Book Online. January 16, 2005 www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/Article?id=ar4336207. Keating, Richard C. “Root.” World Book Online. January 16, 2005 www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/PrintArticle?id=475000&st=Xylem “Peas. ” “ENCARTA Encyclopedia Deluxe. 2001 edition. CD-ROM. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2001. “Photosynthesis” January 14, 2004 www.alienexplorer.com/ecology/e66.html Reid, Donald J. “Peas.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2004. Went, Frits W. The Plants. Canada: 1963 pg75, 78-79 |
I would like to thank the following people for helping make my project possible:
- My parents for helping me plant and water my peas. Also for putting up with project-related problems.
- Dr. Dana Faubion for giving me my information for my hypothesis.
- Mr. Newkirk for correcting our papers and many other things.
- Mrs. Helms for helping us look up information and setting up our presentations.
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