
Ants and Soil Fertility for Radish Growth
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Can ants living in the soil help plants grow faster? You fill two pots with the same amount of soil and plant five radish seeds in each one. Fifty black ants go into one pot. The other pot stays ant-free.
You place the ant pot on a water-filled tray so the ants cannot escape. Both pots receive the same sunlight and watering schedule. You measure the plant heights every day for 10 days.
The radish plants growing with ants end up taller than those without, suggesting the ants improve soil conditions for root growth.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that the presence of ants in soil will help plants grow better and faster.
Method & Materials
You will fill two pots with the same amount of soil, place five radish seeds in each pot, add 50 black ants to one pot, and place both pots in a place with adequate sunlight and air ventilation. You will water the plants daily and measure their height every day.
You will need one packet of radish seed, two plastic pots, enough soil to fill two pots, 50 black ants, water, one tray, and a ruler.
Results
The experiment showed that the radish plants in the pot with ants had grown taller than the radish plants in the pot without ants. The presence of the ants in the pot had helped to provide a better environment for the radish seeds to germinate and grow faster.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how ants can help plants grow faster.
Also Consider
To further explore this experiment, you could try repeating the experiment with more ants or with earthworms instead of ants. You could also consider repeating the experiment with a variety of other plants or more plants to obtain more accurate results.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related videos
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