| Explore | We have prior knowledge about house plants, how to take care of plants, how plants are used for medicine, and that plants sustain all life on Earth. In class, we have learned about plant reproduction, diseases, and adaptations through evolution. Also, we have researched different fields of plant science and plant taxonomy. We would like to know how plants recover from diseases and do plants have immune systems. |
|---|---|
| Research Question | How do different levels of light/types of light affect the growth of potato soft rot? We came up with the question when we realized the potatoes we first experimented on were in only one amount of light and we want to know how change in that amount will affect the pathogen. We know light helps plant growth, so light my a pathogen's growth as well. |
| Predictions | We think that potato soft rot will spread more when there is no light because light provides nutrients to the potato and may kill the bacteria. |
| Experimental Design | 1. Use the soft rot culture and toothpicks to innoculate 6 potatoes on both poles and down the center (four pricks in total for each) 2. Wrap each potato in damp paper towel and seal into separate clear plastic bags 3. Place two potatoes in a box, or similar dark space. Place two by a window and two under an led lamp 4. Let each sit for a week, and then remove. 5. Observe each and the differences in the progression of the disease. -ex. use a ruler to note how far down the skin can be pushed down without breaking - cut the potato in half and look for corking and areas of softness/ other symptoms of Potato Soft Rot 6. Record for each and note results Variables being tested: Amount of light Variables to be observed: Symptoms of Soft Rot Constants: Amount of exposure to the bacteria Record via data table or similar chart |
| Conclusion | Through our experiment, we believe that our hypothesis was incorrect. Our data collected shows us that the most direct light helps speed up the bacteria. Our control group was the potatoes that were put under the sunlight. Possible sources of errors that occurred could be that the potatoes were exposed to light AND heat, which might have had an affect on the bacteria. From our experiment, we can conclude that the ideal environment for soft rot is under a close and direct source of light. Soft rot grows best in a warm and bright environment |
| Investigation Theme | PGST |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Mercy McAuley High School |
| Session | Fall 2019 |