Soil Manipulation to Increase Efficiency

Abstract: Soil Manipulation to increase efficiency.

The objective of this plant growth experiment would be to distinguish if potting soil could be manipulated in any certain way, to maximize or increase its overall efficiency. Our goal would be to determine what optimum combination of ingredients would best increase efficiency in soil productivity to equal the result of hydroponics (Cultivation of plants in nutrient solution rather than in soil). Through research our group came to the conclusion that agar, pearlite and mulched grass could all greatly contribute to enriching the nutrient of the soil. We predict that one of the treatments, using the above listed ingredients, will have a greater growth rate than the controlled plant strictly using hydroponics.

Water is essential in all plant growth. The term hydroponics refers to an optimum method of growing plant material. Hydroponics essentially means "Water Work." There is no soil in a hydroponic garden. No organic matter is present so nourishment (Nutrient) is not available to the plants in the same was as it is in a soil garden. Instead, nutrients are added to the water. So, as plants are watered, they are also fed. There are many ways to feed and water plants. Carol Haggas states, "This method provides a perfect, balanced, nutritive environment for a wide variety of vegetable and floral crops. With the potential to yield large, healthy harvests in a controllable, pest- and weed-free atmosphere" (85). Our group experiment relies on the hydroponic method as the control.

The objective is to mix select elements into regular potting soil to try and match the growth rate of the hydroponics controlled plant. Could potting soil mixed with agar, pearlite, and mulched grass, have the same optimal growth rate as a plant grown with the hydroponics nutrient method?

The hydroponic method is an optimal way of generating healthy plant growth, but it may be an unrealistic option for the novice gardener. Our goal through this research is to greatly increase plant growth just by using a key mixture of regular potting soil mixed with nutrients that any average person could obtain. According to a study from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), studies have shown that plants will respond to higher nutrient levels with increased growth. By mixing regular potting soil with simple ingredients such as agar, a gelatinous substance chiefly used as a culture medium for microbiological work, finely chopped, or mulched grass, and pearlite we could obtain a healthier, stronger plant than that grown using hydroponics or just regular potting soil. With this easy mixture of regular soil, one could obtain larger, stronger, and overall healthier plants. Anyone could have a "green thumb" so to speak. Robert H. Schuler stated in Poor soil? It can be improved that "added organic material would provide a healthy environment for plant growth and development as well as needed nitrogen. This added organic material will increase water holding capacity as well as provide the necessary soil microorganisms and improve soil tilth. "

The objective of this study would be to 1) determine an optimum combination of ingredients to obtain an increased efficiency in soil productivity, 2) test to see that this optimal combination of ingredients mixed into the soil has a better growth rate than the hydroponics method. We expect to see healthy plant growth in the hydroponics plant simply because it is getting its base nutrients fed directly to the root system. We also expect to see similar growth in the potted plant due to the supplied nutrient that gets mixed with the soil. The ingredients mixed into the soil, along with texture, nutrient, and density of the soil will all have an impact on plant growth. Based upon Shuler's ideas, enriched soil will have a greater impact with over all plant growth.

Hypothesis 1; Manipulating potting soil will result in greater efficiency, resulting in a healthy, strong plant.

Prediction 1-a; moisture in the added ingredients in the soil will enable better the plant growth.

The more moisture the added pearlite and other ingriedients hold, should add to added growth and a healthy plant. Water is an essential element for plant growth. Our text Concepts in Biology states "Water: The Essence of Life" (33), as long as the water moisture held doesn't drown the roots, the plant should thrive. Even with limited watering, the pearlite should hold enough water in the soil to sustain life for a longer period of time.

Prediction 1-b; the more nutrient in the mixed soil, the better the overall plant growth.

The added ingredients mixed in with the soil will bring a good amount of extra food, or nutrient for the plant. Nutrients make the plant healthy and strong. ""Added organic material would provide a healthy environment for plant growth," states Schuler. The added nutrient in the soil should sustain life with regular watering. The nutrient content must be right for the plant, or over feeding could occur and cause the plant to die.

Prediction 1-c; plants contained