Post on 20-Jul-2015
Problem: Will Ph levels of growing material, if
changed, from low to high (acidic-basic),
have a positive or negative affect on the
germination of green bean seeds?
(Ph values: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 14)
These were the beans
used in the experiment
I chose this project because the aspect of
changing pH levels in a plant’s growing material
really intrigued me
A second reason why I chose this topic was that I
like to help my parents garden and by finding the
optimum pH range for planting seeds I would be
able to help them a lot
By conducting this experiment I hoped to be able
to achieve information about what pH levels green
bean seeds would germinate well in and which
ones they do not
To make the best hypothesis, relationships
between pH and plants had to be done
Research about optimum ranges of pH for
planting trees and plants (6-7.5)
Research about how the pH of soil (planting
material) affects the germination of seeds
Info found about how to change pH of soil
(growing material) (using lime or baking
soda)
After looking through many articles
about pH and germination, the following
hypothesis was created
If green bean seeds are grown in a near
neutral pH level (6-7.5), then they will
germinate the best (length, measured in
centimeters).
Seeds germinating over
a period of time
Materials used to conduct this experiment were› Bean Sprout Seeds
› Water
› Ammonia
› Vinegar
› Small Pots
› Cotton balls
› pH strips
› Ruler
› Sunlight
› Baking Soda
› Lime Juice
› Tray
Ask Mrs. Zega to see if she has enough ph strips I could borrow, or I could buy them from online (Amazon)
Fill every small pot with 1 mashed cotton ball
Buy extra cotton balls (in case I run out)
Pour the ammonia/baking soda or lemon juice into the pots that need to start out more acidic, or more base
Make sure the calculation for the ph value in each pot is correct
Pour water into the pots with cotton balls which need a ph value of 7
Double check each pot with 1 ph strip to see if the ph levels are correct
If they are incorrect, retry in a separate dish until you find the correct ph value
Keep the ammonia or vinegar/lemon juice near (in case you need to add more in the pot)
Place 5 bean sprout seeds in every pot
Rotate the pots every 2 days to make sure the sunlight distribution will be equal
Check the height of all 5 sprouts in every pot every 4 days
Measure all of the lengths of germination for every seed (cm)
Make sure you keep the same piece of paper in a safe place(to mark down all heights organizationally)
Continue step 14 many times until all pots have been averaged and marked on paper
At length checking 2, repeat step numbers 13 and 14 again and mark it down on paper
Length checking 3, repeat step numbers 13 and 14 again and mark it down on paper (Use the same paper, or type it on the computer on a Microsoft Document)
Take all data and form a chart (if not yet formed from collecting data)
Double check the last length measurements and finish the chart containing the data
Picture before experiment was conducted (pots with
mashed cotton balls, no beans yet)
Picture of pH 7 green beans at 3 days
Picture of all pots and all pH at day 4
Picture during the experiment (7
days after planting green bean
seeds)
Data of germination kept on
Loose Leaf :D
pH values Day 4 Day 8 Day 12
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
6 2.2 3.5 6.1
7 1.6 3.5 6.1
8 0 0 0
14 0 0 0
Average of Germination length (cm) for all trials which green beans
grew under different pH values
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 04 (2) 04 (3) 08 (1) 08 (2) 08 (3) 0
12 (1) 012 (2) 012 (3) 0
pH 2 Average Germination length of beans that Grew
in all Trials
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 04 (2) 04 (3) 08 (1) 08 (2) 08 (3) 0
12 (1) 012 (2) 012 (3) 0
pH 3 Average Germination length of beans that
Grew in all Trials
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 1.54 (2) 3.04 (3) 2.28 (1) 3.88 (2) 4.08 (3) 2.7
12 (1) 5.812 (2) 6.912 (3) 5.6
pH 6 Average Germination length of beans that
Grew in all Trials
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 2.04 (2) 1.84 (3) 1.08 (1) 4.08 (2) 3.68 (3) 3.0
12 (1) 6.012 (2) 7.112 (3) 5.3
pH 7 Germination length of beans that Grew
in all trials
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 04 (2) 04 (3) 08 (1) 08 (2) 08 (3) 0
12 (1) 012 (2) 012 (3) 0
pH 8 Average Germination length of beans
that Grew in all Trials
Day/Trials Length(cm)4 (1) 04 (2) 04 (3) 08 (1) 08 (2) 08 (3) 0
12 (1) 012 (2) 012 (3) 0
pH 14 Average Germination length of beans
that Grew in all Trials
The hypothesis was proved correct
After conducting the experiment, the results showed that pH
levels near 6-7 were the best/only levels where green beans
seeds could germinate.
Overall, the most significant trend after analyzing the data
was the averages for all trials for pH six and seven because
the results were nearly the same and the pattern was obvious
It was found that the pH of six grew almost identically to the
pH seven
To improve this experiment, more controls, such as the same
minerals in all the pots, could have been added.(minerals in
tap water are different than minerals in Lime Juice)
. Many farmers need to do similar experiments or
research to find out what the optimum range of pH
is for their crops
This experiments conclusion will most likely benefit
farmers and people engaged in agricultural
experimentations.
After conducting this experiment, many new
questions about this topic will arise.
› what amount of sunlight is best for plants
› what temperatures will most suit seed germination.
› What pH of fertilizer should be use to get the best results