Experimental Design: Watering plants
Experimental Design
Bio 1110
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Background:
Plants need water to survive. Water makes up 80-95% of the mass in plant tissues.
Transpiration is the loss of water from plants in vapor form. 95% of the water is absorbed from the soil for transpiration and 5% is absorbed during photosynthesis for producing necessary carbohydrates for growth. The rate of transpiration is dependent on the amount of water in which is available within the plant, soil, and on sufficient energy to vaporize water. Hot, bright weather increases the rate of transpiration and creates risk for wilting if there is an inadequate amount of water available. Over time plants have adapted to tolerate weather conditions. Therefore if wilting takes place during hot, sunny days it is possible for them to rehydrate over night when the temperate is lower. However; if the soil dries without additional water from precipitation of irrigation it is possible for the plant to permanently wilt and soon after die. For optimal growth and quality of plants it is crucial to manage and maintain the water status and irrigation based on the soil moisture the plant requires. The Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is related to cabbage and mustard. It is one of the model organisms used for studying plant biology and the first to have its entire genome sequenced. The life cycle for these plants is extremely short, about six weeks from germination to seed maturation. The Arabidopsis is native to Europe, East
Africa, Asia, and Japan. The Arabidopsis was first discovered in the Harz Mountains in
Germany, 1577 by Johannes Thal. A key feature of the Arabidopsis plant is that it’s relatively small making it easy and inexpensive to grow them under a variety of research conditions. Another key aspect of the Arabidopsis is that it develops, reproduces, and reacts to disease and environmental stresses in ways comparable to many crop plants.
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Hypothesis and Objective: Does the
Bio 1110
!
!
Background:
Plants need water to survive. Water makes up 80-95% of the mass in plant tissues.
Transpiration is the loss of water from plants in vapor form. 95% of the water is absorbed from the soil for transpiration and 5% is absorbed during photosynthesis for producing necessary carbohydrates for growth. The rate of transpiration is dependent on the amount of water in which is available within the plant, soil, and on sufficient energy to vaporize water. Hot, bright weather increases the rate of transpiration and creates risk for wilting if there is an inadequate amount of water available. Over time plants have adapted to tolerate weather conditions. Therefore if wilting takes place during hot, sunny days it is possible for them to rehydrate over night when the temperate is lower. However; if the soil dries without additional water from precipitation of irrigation it is possible for the plant to permanently wilt and soon after die. For optimal growth and quality of plants it is crucial to manage and maintain the water status and irrigation based on the soil moisture the plant requires. The Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is related to cabbage and mustard. It is one of the model organisms used for studying plant biology and the first to have its entire genome sequenced. The life cycle for these plants is extremely short, about six weeks from germination to seed maturation. The Arabidopsis is native to Europe, East
Africa, Asia, and Japan. The Arabidopsis was first discovered in the Harz Mountains in
Germany, 1577 by Johannes Thal. A key feature of the Arabidopsis plant is that it’s relatively small making it easy and inexpensive to grow them under a variety of research conditions. Another key aspect of the Arabidopsis is that it develops, reproduces, and reacts to disease and environmental stresses in ways comparable to many crop plants.
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Hypothesis and Objective: Does the
Cited: of Medicine, 16 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.! Centre, John 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.