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ES 12 Section: E Lim, Brian Godwin

Exercise # 1 Date Performed: 01/30/2019 to 03/20/2019


Title: Green Generation

I. Introduction
Plants play a crucial role in the ecosystem. In the food chain, they are the primary producers which
serve as food for herbivores. In turn, the herbivores serve as food for the secondary consumers. On the
other hand, in the energy cycle, the energy stored in plants are passed on to the herbivores. The energy
obtained by the herbivores are then transferred to the secondary consumers. Eventually, this energy is
passed on to us when we eat meat from animals or vegetables from plants. Therefore, plants are important
to our lives and must be properly taken care of. For this experiment, a Pechay plant was chosen.
Throughout the duration of the experiment, it was given proper maintenance such as pulling out weeds
and watering. The objectives of this experiment are to process data of the plant’s growth according to
width, height and other related variables, analyze the plant growth data generated over the semester, and
reflect on this plant care experience. The hypothesis of the experiment is that Pechay plants grow fast
when proper maintenance is given.

II. Methodology
For this experiment, the materials used were a pot, a plate, old newspapers, a six-inch ruler, Pechay
seeds, soil, compost and a phone. First, the pot was properly labeled with the name, group number and
section of the student. Then, soil and compost were mixed, and rock, roots and other debris were removed.
The mixture was placed inside the pot until an inch from the top. Three holes were then made and Pechay
seeds were placed inside each hole and covered after. Afterwards, the plate was placed beneath the pot to
catch the excess water. Following this, the plant was watered twice daily, except for Sundays. The height
and width of the plant was measured weekly. A photo was also taken weekly to serve as documentation.
Important observations were also noted whenever necessary. Finally, when the plant is ready for harvest,
the experiment ended.

III. Data and Results


Table 1 on the next page shows the weekly height and width of the plant. The measurements were
taken every Wednesday using a six-inch ruler. The table shows that during the first 2 weeks, the rate of
increase is much slower compared to the following weeks. Towards the last 2 weeks, the rate of increase
slowed down.
Table 1: Weekly Height and Width of the Plant
Week Date Height (cm) Width (cm)
1 01/30/2019 0 0
2 02/06/2019 0.8 2.2
3 02/13/2019 2.5 10.0
4 02/20/2019 3.0 11.0
5 02/27/2019 5.3 13.8
6 03/06/2019 11.0 18.0
7 03/13/2019 11.7 18.3
8 03/20/2019 12.0 18.5

Table 2 shows the weekly pictures of the plant. The photos were taken using a phone every
Saturday. It shows the growth of the plant at each week. During the first 5 weeks, the leaves of the plants
were green. However, after the 6th week, the leaves started to turn yellow.

Table 2: Weekly Pictures of the Plant

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

Table 3 shows the plant growth observations, tillage and fertilizer application. For this experiment,
no fertilizers were used since the student determined that it was not necessary. The table shows that there
were several instances where the plant started to dry up.

Table 3: Plant Growth Observations, Tillage, and Fertilizer Application


Day Date Observations Tillage Fertilizer Application
10 02/09/2019 Leaves were pale green in color - -
Leaves dried out due to high
20 02/19/2019 - -
temperature
Plant grows faster due to more water
22 02/21/2019 - -
application
23 02/22/2019 Leaves are back to normal color - -
26 02/25/2019 The plant grew even faster - -
31 03/02/2019 Plant growth slows down - -
34 03/05/2019 Several leaves started to turn yellow - -
41 03/12/2019 Several leaves were bitten by insects - -
44 03/15/2019 Several of leaves withered - -
IV. Discussion
1. Research on the biology of your plant to gain more information on how to maintain and propagate it. It
is best to do this at the beginning of the Green Generation Exercise. Include scientific and common or
local name in this section. Also include the various uses of the plant.
Pechay (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis), or Bok Choy, is a small fast-growing plant that is commonly
used as food in the Philippines as well as other parts of Asia (Pechay or "Bok choy", 2014). It has soft
broad ovate leaves that are arranged spirally with a white stem. Its roots are soft, small, and short. It is
typically harvested 30 to 40 days after sowing. Moreover, it contains Vitamins A, Vitamin C, Calcium,
Phosphorus, Potassium and other nutrients. In addition, it needs to have adequate moisture to have
maximum growth. It must also be watered every other day or as needed. Furthermore, it needs to be
planted in sandy to clay loam type of soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 (Jimenez, Mariano, Ferrer, De Leon,
n.d.).

2. Prepare graphs of (1) plant height against time and (2) plant width against time. Interpret them.
Figure 1 shows the height versus time plot. It shows that the height slowly increases during the
first 5 weeks. Between the 5th and 6th week, there was a sudden increase in the height of the plant. This is
attributable to the additional times the plant was watered due to the increase in temperature. Because of
this, the plant had more nutrients to absorb and as a result, it grew faster. After the 6th week, the rate of
increase of height returned to normal. This is due to the high temperature in the area where the plant was
placed. Even with additional water applied, it was still not enough for the plant to grow as fast as before.

Figure 1: Height versus Time Plot

Figure 2 on the following page shows the width versus time plot. It shows that during the first 2
week, the width of the plant slowly increased. However, during the 3rd week, there was a sudden increase
in width. This can be due to the additional water applied by the student after he observed that the leaves
started turning pale green. After the 3rd week, rate of increase of the width returned to normal. Towards
the 6th week, the increase started to slow down due to the increase in temperature of the area. Water in the
soil quickly evaporated; therefore, the plant did not absorb much water.
Figure 2: Width versus Time Plot

3. Discuss the growth of your plant throughout the semester and your maintenance schedule. Establish
relationships between plant maintenance and the rate at which the height and width of your plant grew.
During the first 2 weeks, the plant was only watered once daily. During this period, the plant grew
at a slower rate compared to the plants of the other students with the same plant. The height and width
of the plant increased slowly. However, after the 2nd week, the plant was watered twice daily. After doing
this, the plant grew faster than before. The height and width of the plant increased at a much faster rate
which can be seen in Table 1. Towards the end of the experiment, the temperature in the area increased
further than before. Despite watering it twice a day, the plant did not grow as much. The height and width
of the plant did not increase significantly. In general, when the weather conditions are normal and proper
maintenance was given, the rate of increase is high. However, when the weather conditions are abnormally
high, despite proper maintenance, the rate of increase is slow.

4. Look for a recipe where the plant is one of the ingredients. Members of the same group should have
different recipes.
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Tofu (Mama Sita’s, n.d.)
Ingredients: 30mL Oyster Sauce 100g Pechay (washed) 100g Tofu
95g Tomatoes 3g Garlic (crushed) 45g Onion
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Fry tofu until golden brown on all sides.
2. Drain tofu and set aside. When cool, cut into ½ x ½ inch cubes.
3. In a same wok, sauté garlic, onion and tomatoes.
4. As the tomatoes start to wilt, add the tofu and oyster Sauce.
5. Add pechay, stir-fry and cover. Cook on high heat until done.

V. Conclusion
After conducting the experiment, the student was able to process data of the plant’s growth
according to width and height, as shown in Table 1, analyze the plant growth data generated over the
semester, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and reflect on this plant care experience. The experiment showed
that when the weather conditions are normal and proper maintenance is given, the Pechay plant grew at a
faster rate. However, if the temperature is high or proper maintenance was not given, the plant grew at a
slower rate. Furthermore, the experiment showed that Pechay plants require a lot of moisture to survive;
otherwise, it will immediately dry up.

VI. References
Jimenez, E. F., Mariano, J. S., Ferrer, M. J., & De Leon, V. (n.d.). Pechay Production Guide. Retrieved
April 11, 2019, from http://bpi.da.gov.ph/bpi/images/Production_guide/pdf/PECHAY .pdf

Mama Sita's. (n.d.). Ginisang Pechay at TokwaStir-Fried Bok Choy and Tofu. Retrieved April 11, 2019,
from https://msita.com/recipes/ginisang-pechay-at-tokwa/

Pechay or "Bok choy". (2014, March 31). Retrieved April 11, 2019, from
https://blackstew23.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/pechay-or-bok-choy/

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