Lab #5 Germination and Productivity

Purpose

This Lab is to calculate the germination and total plant growth in heights of the radish seeds.

This Lab has two treatment one in the normal light conditions and the other one in total darkness

Question

                Can Plants germinate in the dark?

Hypothesis

 Seeds do not germinate in the dark

Method

There were 4 groups in charge of plants in order to have four different samples two in normal light and two in the darkness. Each group planted four seeds (Tuesday January 21) per cup in 36 cups for every sample; in order to have repetition.

This week in lab is going to be focus and the germination part. It wills considerate a seed germinated when is successfully sprouts into the seedling. When all of the data is collected is possible to calculate the percent of germination the process will be taking the total number of seeds germinated and dividing that by the total number of seeds planted, and then multiplying it by 100. Moreover is necessary to measure the distance between the soil and the tip of the plant in centimeters

The section two is about calculations of GPP and NPP of the plants by weighing the plants (mass) in grams and then put those plants in the toaster oven in order to represent when the plants loss their energy it will take 2 to 5 minutes; after dry the seedlings those have to be re-weigh.

Here the process is to apply the Formula NPP+R=GPP where NPP is the total up the dry weight of the light treatment samples and the R stand for the total up weight of all the dark treatment samples. The last step of the Lab is about compare the two treatment samples in growth and differences in appearance.  

 What was our control for this experiment?

The experiment of germination y productivity was carried out in the dark with radish seeds at the same time a control experiment with radish seeds was placed on the sunlight. The same amount of time, seed, and dirt was selected for the experiment and the control the purpose was to know the influence of sun light in plants in order to determinate grow and quality o germination.

Light treatment, percent germination 

69/144 * 100 = 47.9% = 48%

Dark treatment, percent germination

50/144*100=34.7% = 35%

Difference in appearance in the dark treatment and the light treatment

The plants that were exposed to the light treatment have a light green looking while the plants in the dark treatment looked like fall-yellowish. Both plants germinated but the one in the light has a better look and a stand up position having a signal of been alive.

If there was growth in the dark treatment plants, explain why that growth may have taken place.

The plants in the dark treatment grew because seeds do not need to photosynthesis to germinate. The embryo inside the seed use the energy stored to germinate and when leaves are up the chloroplasts in it needs the sunlight to do photosynthesis and continue to grow.

The Director of the studies, Tilman Lamparter, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).Says "The plants developed in the dark as if they were in light," “The seeds and seedlings of thale cress were fed with a synthetic substance named 15Ea-phycocyanobilin. In the plant cell, this substance replaces the natural, photoactive component of the photoreceptor, the "phytochromobilin". Incorporation of 15Ea-PCBactivates the photoreceptor and the plant is made believe it is exposed to light. In spite of the darkness, they grow as they were in the light”.

Available from:http://www.rdmag.com/news/2012/05/plants-grow-without-light)  visited 2/9/14

Dark treatment

• Weight before dry 8.9g                          
• Weight after dry 1.9 g
• Loss 7g                                                  NPP+R=GPP
• Duration 5min                                         1.9+50%= 3.8
• Temperature 400F 

                           

   Looking for Respiration   

Data__________
Loss weight: 7g.                                                           8.9g-----------100
Weight before dry: 8.9g.                                                7g-------------X
100%                                                                         X=    7g*100%            

                                                                                               8.9g

                                                                                  X= 78.65% Respiration

Light Treatment

Weight before dry 11.4g

Weight after fry 2.0g

Loss 9.4g                                                               NPP+R=GPP

Duration 7min                                                             2 + 50% = 4

Temperature 400F

  Looking for Respiration   

Data__________
Loss weight: 9.4g.                                                11.4g-----------100
Weight before dry: 11.4g.                                      9.4g-------------X
100%                                                                         X=    9.4g*100%            

                                                                                               11.4g

                                                                                  X= 82.45% Respiration

Result.

Base on all of the data in necessary to conclude that those plants didn't need the light in order to grow, but the grow rate was less than the ones that were exposed to light.

Plants that were in the dark