Germination in Pea Plants Stimulated by Ferric Nitrate MEGHAN RECKMEYER 9TH GRADE

Problem: Is it possible to germinate a pea seed with iron solution? And if so, could enough iron solution in a plant stimulate a magnetic pull in the plant?

Research A common side effect of germinating pea plants with iron solution is that the plant will not receive enough copper and zinc nutrients to germinate. Of all the iron solutions, some are attracted to magnets, while others are not. One example of an iron solution that can be used in plant germination is ferric nitrate.

Continued Research Ferric Nitrate: Inorganic, insoluble iron compound used to prevent iron deficiency in plants Iron deficiency: When a plant does not have enough iron in its soil, and the plant begins to welt, eventually dying. Magnetic field: Measure of the magnetic influence of magnetic materials. This is specified by direction and shape.

Hypothesis If the iron level in a plant is increased by adding Ferric Nitrate, along with increasing the zinc and copper levels, the plant will germinate and will become attracted to magnets due to an increased magnetic pull.

Variables Independent Variable- Ferric Nitrate, Zinc Nitrate and Copper Nitrate Levels Dependent Variable-The quantity of seeds germinated and the magnetic pull of the plants. Controls- Plants without any added compounds Constants-Amount of solution added to seeds, room temperature, number of seeds

Materials 15 petri dishes, each with a coffee filter and 10 seeds Ferric Nitrate Zinc Nitrate Copper Nitrate

Procedure A total of 150 pea seeds were divided into 15 petri dishes, with ten seeds each. Five solutions were created, with oxide levels of 0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, and 100%. The solutions were used on three petri dishes each. The petri dishes were regularly checked on and dampened over the course of a week.

Continued Procedure On Day 4 of the experiment, only the control (o%) petri dishes had germinated seeds, so the 25%, 50%, and 100% solutions and corresponding petri dishes were discarded in exchange for nine new petri dishes, and three new solutions, 1%, 2%, and 5%. The petri dishes were consistently monitored, dampened, and checked for number of germinated seeds. On Day 8, the seeds were tested for magnetic levels. No seeds showed any signs of magnetism.

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Conclusion After eight days, the pea seeds did germinate with the increased nitrate solutions, but the germination took longer and became less probable with the increased nitrate levels. Since none of the pea seeds showed signs of magnetism at the end of the experiment, it is more effective to germinate seeds without any added nitrate solutions, because the seeds will sprout faster and more frequently.

Works Cited Joergensen, Kenneth. “Fertilizer: Iron in plants, transpiration in plants, fertilizer nutrients.” All Experts. New York Times Company, 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://en.allexperts.com/‌q/‌Fertilizer-717/‌Iron-plants.htm>. R., Aarti. “The Effect of Magnetism on Plant Growth.” Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://www.buzzle.com/‌articles/‌the-effect-of-magnetism-on-plant-growth.html>. Rawe, Lynn. “Straight Talk About Iron Deficiency and Plants.” AgriLife Extension. Gardening, Etc., 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/‌HomeHort/‌F1Column/‌2003Articles/‌MAY25.htm>.

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