Explore |
There are two types of seeds, monocots and dicots. They have different inner mechanisms and perform somewhat different functions. In class we have discovered that certain factors that affect seeds can determine stem length, leaves, and other factors of the plant. They start to germinate after being hit with light, and length of germination changes based on the type of seed. |
Research Question |
Will different seed masses change the susceptibility of weeds to red clover phytotoxins? Red clover phytotoxins are notorious for killing weeds, and we are trying to determine if a change in seed mass will affect how susceptible the plant is. |
Predictions |
We predict that the lower the seed mass, the more susceptible the weeds will be to the red clover phytotoxins, therefore they will not grow as much. We think this is because the smaller the seed, the less it will be able to do to fight against toxins. |
Experimental Design |
1. Plant 60 red clover seeds
2. Add water and cultivate for two weeks under a growth lamp
3. After 2 weeks, create a 2% aqueous solution of red clover shoots in distilled water
4. Plant 60 Pisum sativum seeds: 20 with a mass less than 20 mg, 20 with a mass around 40 mg, and 20 with a mass above 50 mg
5. Add 50 mg of the 2% solution to half of the Pisum sativum seeds (10 of each mass)
6. After 4 days, measure germination percentage of the Pisum sativum seeds
7. After one week, measure stem height
8. Record results |