GERMINATION AND PRODUCTIVITY

Name: Ariel Rodriguez To: Shadia Dueri ______________________________________________________________________ Question: Can Plants germinate in the dark? Hypothesis: Seeds do not germinate in the dark Treatments: Light and Dark Experiment Control: Light Method: Get a 6*6 tray Add dark soil on it, close to the top Watering the soil easy Add 4 seeds of radish Wait two weeks for germination

Results: Percent Germination for the light treatment: 55/144*100= 38.19% Percent Germination for the dark treatment: 50/144*100= 34.72%

Comparison on Percent Germination in Dark and Light Treatments

Percent Germination 40.00% 38.00% 36.00% 34.00% 32.00% Light Treatment Dark 38.19% 34.72% Light Dark

Figure 1. This graph represents that in the light treatment there was more germination than in the dark experiment

Average Height in Dark and Light Treatment

15 Average Height 10 5 0 Dark Treatments
Figure 2: This graph represent the height between the dark and light treatments, having the dark treatment a high growth after 2 weeks germination

10.2

Dark 6.83 Light

Light

12 10 8 Weight

Weight Dry and Wet from Dark and Light Treatments 10.5
8.9

Light 6 4 2 0 Wet weight Process Dry weight 2 1.9 Dark

Figure 2: This graph represent the height between the dark and light treatments, having the dark treatment a high growth after 2 weeks germination

Compared differences between in the dark and in the light treatment: Plants in the dark are yellow color Plants in the light are green color The plants in the light show a high growth than the ones in the dark There are more germination in the light treatment after analyze the graphs

If there was growth in the dark treatment plants, explain why if there was not light to reach them: 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 15Eaphycocyanobilin. In the plant cell, this substance replaces the natural, photoactive component of the photoreceptor, the "phytochromobilin". Incorporation of 15Ea-PCB activates 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 Conclusion Dark treatment and light treatment almost reach the same germinations results as it is showed in the graph above, there for the hypothesis is wrong because actually plants can grow in the dark.

Treatment in the Dark Processes

Counting and Measuring new plants

Weighting the NPP of the new plants

Obtaining the Respiration of the new Drying the new plants to get plants Respiration