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Summary of Experiment
In this experiment, we were tasked with adding kool aid to 2 different kinds of soil, dirt and sand, and measuring the leachate. This was so we could measure the amount of nutrients being absorbed by the dirt. Overall, the dirt absorbed the most nutrients as it produced the least amount of leachate and the sand absorbed less as it had more leachate. This is because sand is finer than dirt so the nutrients were able to travel more freely throughout it while the dirt is coarser so it was harder for the nutrients to travel all the way through.
Below are the APA citations and the background research we have gathered on agronomy.
Source 1: Maat, H. (2011, January 13). The history and future of agricultural experiments. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1573521410000461
Source 1 Summary: For a long duration of time, the gap between scientific experiments and experimental activities have been quite larger than expected. Observing Paul Richards arguments, advisors have sought to rediscover agronomic roots and different ways to collectively design creative experiments which will allow for the audience to be both farmers and scientists. "Although the importance of farmer management of rice varieties is known for many years to both local and international rice breeders, there is no mechanism in place that enables the integration of field information, on-farm experimentation and on-station and laboratory experiments by researchers. More than coincidence and the hope for a good guess, recalling the concerns expressed by Timmer in the 1940s, the example shows that the current research system is predominantly focused on scientific solutions, excluding available information obtained from field studies.” <- Directly from the text
Source 2: Hunt, N. D., Hill, J. D., & Liebman, M. (2019). Cropping System Diversity Effects on Nutrient Discharge, Soil Erosion, and Agronomic Performance. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(3), 1344-1352. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b02193
Source 2 summary :Rotation system and herbicide regime were significant drivers of the crop yield, weed suppression, and net returns to land and management. Rotation was a significant and positive driver of corn and soybean yields, with significant increases observed as at least one crop phase was added to the 2-year rotation. Increasing rotation diversity increased corn yields in the present experiment, perhaps due to enhanced nitrogen fertility from legumes and fertility-related and nonfertility-related stimulatory effects of manure. The results of this study are consistent with those of other studies, which have shown that alternative cropping systems that include inter- or double-cropping or use of green manure can improve crop performance due to increases in soil fertility, better soil structure, and lowering of crop diseases and pests rates compared to shorter rotations and monocultures.
Source 3: Singh, B., & Schulze, D. G. (n.d.). Soil Minerals and Plant Nutrition. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-minerals-and-plant-nutrition-127881474/
Source 3 Summary: This passage asks the question of “How do chemical reactions involving soil minerals play a crucial role in controlling the availability of essential plant nutrients?” Plants need 17 elements to complete their life cycle, and those nutrients are gained through various different processes over time. Soil is influenced by its origins, weathering, and age. Primary minerals gain minerals from high-temperature reactions, pressure, and weathering. Secondary minerals control the nutrients as a source, precipitating and absorbing elements to moderate the plants’ intake. Secondary minerals act as reservoirs strong enough to prevent leaching of the nutrients but weak enough to allow plants to acquire them. Minerals from low-temperature reactions. Secondary nutrients Ca and Mg are taken by plants as Ca2+ and Mg2+ and S is taken as SO42-. Micronutrients Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ni are taken up by plants in their cationic forms, and B, Mo, and Cl are taken in their anionic forms. |
| Experimental Design |
Independent Variable - Amount of Potassium Sulfate added to the soil in M
Dependent Variable - How quickly the radishes grow in cm/day
Control - Store bought soil
Part I - Procedure For Adding Potassium
1 Mole Potassium Sulfate = 174.2592 g
50 ml of water will be added to each type of soil with varying potassium concentrations
0.5 M concentration
25g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
0.375 M concentration
18.75g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
0.25 M concentration
12.5g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
0.125 M concentration
6.25g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
0.0625 M concentration
3.125g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
0 M concentration (Control)
0 g Potassium Sulfate & 50ml H2O
Test concentration above according to Part II in the potassium kits and record the color
Add 250g of soil to a coffee filter and place the coffee filter into a similar set up with the previous kool aid experiment with one container having holes at the bottom in a slightly larger container that has no holes at the bottom
Once that has been set up add the 0.5 M concentration to the soil and wait for the entirety of the water to drain through the soil, measure the amount of water left and test the water for potassium explained in Part II.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of the containers.
You will have to do this twice for each of the tubes, one version will be tested for potassium concentration the other will not be tested and used for watering the soil
Part II - Procedure For Testing Concentration
Take the water from Part I and add 2 of the tester tablets and shake until it has been dissolved.
Add one potassium tablet to the water and shake until dissolved.
Record color and compare to the chart provided in the testing kit. Potassium is measured on a scale from light brown(least concentrated) to dark brown (most concentrated)
Compare color from this test to the one done previously, not if their was a color change on not.
Procedure for Growing Radishes
Add 2 radish seeds to every pot at a depth of about 2cm to ensure that at least one grows
Measure plant growth according to plant height (cm) over time(days). The growth will be measured every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday following the start of the experiment on Monday 10/26
Water with 50mL of water every Monday and Friday,
Test the soil again on Wednesdays |