Planting Science - Projects: The Plant Planters
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The Plant Planters

Project by group lsasgamfall2022


Explore We already know that germination is the process by which seeds grow and become plants. We also know that seeds need to be in certain conditions in order to germinate, and that germination varies from plant to plant. We don't know a lot about germination, but we are excited to learn more about it.
Research Question Do older seeds germinate slower than newer ones? We came up with this question when we were discussing how the germination rate changes over time, and we are now here to test it. This question will help us reinsure that newer seeds do in fact germinate faster than older seeds.
Predictions Our prediction is that older seeds will take longer to germinate and possibly not germinate while the newer seeds will germinate a lot quicker and have a higher success rate than the older seeds. I think this will happen because we have learned in class that the germination rate usually decreases as the seeds get older.
Experimental Design Here is our plan: 1. Plant 10 new seeds and 10 old seeds. 2. Measure which day each seed arises from the ground. 3. Write down when each seed arises. 4. The experiment ends when all seeds have germinated. We will need to make sure the seeds are in these conditions: Each seed must be placed in its own small pot. Each seed must be placed 1 inch deep. Each seed must get at least 1 inch of water per week. Seeds must be stored in temperatures from 45-65°F. Each seed needs about 6-8 hours of full sunlight every day. We need to measure the seeds when they come out from the dirt, we are not going to dig them up. Here are our variables and constants: Independent Variable: Seed Dependent Variable: Germination Rate Constants: Type of seed, environmental conditions
Conclusion Our final claim is that the age of the seed does matter when it comes to germination rate as older seeds have a lower chance of germinating than newer ones (at least when it comes to pea seeds). We make this conclusion because in our experiment we tested the difference between old seeds and new seeds and their germination rate. We found that more newer seeds germinated than older seeds. We think this happens because in our experiment nine new seeds germinated, but only six of the old seeds had germinated. So, that confirms that new seeds to in fact germinate faster than old seeds. We would like to try this experiment again in natural conditions, instead of keeping the plants inside under artificial light.
Investigation Theme WOS
Teacher Name Ashley Gam
School Name Loudoun School for Advanced Studies
Session Spring 2022
About this Project The mentor and students had a great discussion about expected results! - Elizabeth Scott, Scientist Liaison

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NSF_Logo.jpg This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2010556 and #1502892. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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