PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of soil moisture
on the growth of beans. In addition, I determined the effect of earthworms
in the soil on bean growth.
I became interested in this idea when my familys corn did not grow
very well in our garden in Colorado almost every year.
The information gained from this experiment can be used to help farmers
living in areas of low rainfall, to learn how to keep their plants alive.
HYPOTHESIS
My first hypothesis is that the bean plants with the earthworms will
grow taller. My second hypothesis is the group with the
100 mL of water will grow higher.
I base my hypotheses on information collected from textbooks, the Internet,
and some CD-ROMs.
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EXPERIMENT DESIGN
The constants in this study were:
-
amount of soil in each pot
-
size of the earthworms
-
how many seeds are planted in each pot
-
the type of pot
-
size of the pot
-
how much water is used in each pot every time
-
the amount of light
-
the depth the seeds are planted
-
the amount of compost
-
number of worms
-
soil compactness
The manipulated variables are the amount of water and whether earthworms
were in the soil added to each pot.
The responding variable was the growth of the bean plants.
To measure the responding variable I held the plant outstretched in
the pot and measured the plant in centimeters.
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MATERIALS
| QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
|
18
|
Whole lima beans
|
|
5,400 mL
|
Tap water
|
|
6
|
Plant pots
|
|
1,320 g
|
Potting soil
|
|
12
|
Earthworms
|
|
1bottle
|
"Schlutz Plant Food"
|
|
1
|
Bucket that can hold 1,000 mL
|
|
1
|
Measuring cup
|
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PROCEDURES
1. Place 220 g of potting soil in each of the six pots.
2. Label the first three pots as follows: Dry with worms, Wet with
worms, and
ì Wettest with worms.
3. Label the others as follows: Dry, Wet, and Wettest.
4. Place four earthworms in the Dry with worms pot, four earthworms
in Moist with worms, and four worms in Wet with worms.
5. Then poke three two centimeter, in length, width , and depth, holes
in a triangle , in the middle of the container , with either your finger
or pencil in all six pots.
6. Drop one lima bean in the holes in the pots.
7. Cover the seeds with the soil dug out from the holes.
8.Pat the soil down with your hand three times.
9.Get a bucket that holds 1,000 mL.( This is what youll use when watering
the plants.)
10. Pour about1,000 mL into the bucket.
11. Add 7 drops of Schlutz Plant Food.
12. Water the Dry pots with 50 mL .
13. Water the Moist pots with 100 mL
14. Water the Very Wet pots with 150 mL.
After seeds are planted:
15. Water the plants the exact same amount of water, you did the first
time you watered the plants, every day.
16. Make notes of how much the controlled plants grew, and how much
the plants with the earthworms grew, right after you watered the plants.
17. After at least three sprouts are up, start rotating the pots one
quarter turn.
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RESULTS
The original purpose of this experiment was to find out if earthworms added
to the soil would make the bean plants grow higher and stronger.
The results of the experiment were that the average height of the plants
of the "Moist"(100 mL) groups was greater than any of the other groups.
The groups with the least amount of growth were the Very Wet groups.
According to the data collected from my experiment, the worms must have
helped because the plants in Dry with worms (50 mL) grew rather high
even though it had a lack of water. The other groups with worms also grew
higher even if the pots had too much water or just the right amount of
water in the pot.
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CONCLUSION
My hypothesis was that the bean plants would grow higher with more earthworms
added to the soil.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted, because
the plants in the pots with worms seemed to grow stronger and better.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if the season, even
if they were inside a house, would affect how the plants grew.
If I were to conduct this project again I would have written more detailed
notes to give the reader a better picture in his/her mind. I also would
have taken more pictures of the root systems after we took them out of
the pot. The last difference I would make would be to make sure that the
plants all got the equal amount of light.
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RESEARCH REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Beans and earthworms are two important living things in the world. Beans
give people and animals food, while earthworms help people grow stronger
and healthier crops, like corn and tomatoes.
BEANS
Beans are small and oval-shaped and can be grown almost anywhere. While
underground in the soil or dirt, the beans start soaking up water. As they
do, the beans get fatter and fatter, until they burst open and a green
sprout comes out that will soon become the root that the other smaller,
hair-like, roots come out of. As the sprout comes out of the ground, the
bean comes out, too. After a few days, the bean opens up, and leaves come
out. Then, they just keep growing up and the leaves get larger. Beans are
important food sources in the world. They can be used in soups, tacos,
and other dishes.
EARTHWORMS
Earthworms are large, segmented worms that burrow down into the ground
and belong to the group of hermaphrodites. After the soil that the earthworm
eats, passes through the worms intestines some of the soils nutrients
become a lot more available to the plants growing nearby. Also, after the
soil passes through the worms intestines, the soil becomes more stable
because of the nutrients. Both female and male worms may produce young.
The sex organs of earthworms are located near the front of the worms in
different places. During reproducing, earthworms meet in different directions
with their undersides pushed against one another. A tube of mucus that
is hidden in the citellum, the large ringlike part you often see on worms,
stick the earthworms together. The citellum then attaches itself to the
parts containing the spermathecae. After a few days, the citellum makes
a hard ring of material, which slips forward and collects eggs and sperm
as it moves over the openings. After the ring comes off the worm, the ends
seal up. The cocoon may carry 20 eggs, which hatch after about 12 weeks.
Although some species of the earthworm like to eat dead plants, dead herbage,
dead leaves, or animal dung, other species prefer to feed on fungi and
microorganisms.
WATER
Water is the most important and most used resource in the world.
It is made up of oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Water is used
to refresh humans, animals, and plants. Because of so much use, water is
rapidly disappearing. Salt water cannot be used for human drinking
water because of its harsh and bitter taste.
SOIL
Soil is the granular matter that pretty much forms the top layer of a lot
of land on the planet Earth. Plants everywhere need soil to grow. The soil
stabilizes the plants and gives them nutrients. Sometimes, if the soil
is too dry, the plants in it cannot grow. If the soil is too wet, the plants
seeds rot and do not grow at all either.
AIR
Air is a combination of gases including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water
vapor, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, krypton, hydrogen, xenon, and ozone.
It is used by humans, animals, and plants. Without oxygen, everyone
and everything, on Earth would die.
SUMMARY
As you can see, beans, earthworms, water, soil, and air are all important
in people's, animal's and plant's lives. All of them help feed people,
beans provide food, earthworms help grow food, water helps irrigate plants,
soil gives the plants nutrients and stabilizes the roots of the plant,
and air helps plants complete photosynthesis.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fraser, Trish. The Earthworm Hole: The Industrious Earthworm. (Online)
Available
http://www.crop.crinz/curresea/soilwormint.html., November 17,1999
Basic Red Worm Information. (Online) Available http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/georgianforestes/worminfo.html.,
November 17, 1999
Olsen, Gayle. Science/Nature for Kids. (Online) Available http://kidscience.about.com/kidsteens/kidscience/library/weekly/aao33097.html.,
November 17, 1999
The Animal World, Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1997. Pp. 16 and 39
The Plant World, Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1997. Pp. 84-87
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