iNTRODUCTION
The most vital items a plant needs are sunlight, water, oxygen and soil to extract the nutrients from. However when you take away a necessity like soil a subsitute such as Hydroponics is used. "Hydroponics is simly the production of crops without soil [ . . .]" (Storey, 2014). The concept hydroponics is nothing new to scientist nor farmers. According to Danko:
The modern history of hydro begins in the 17th century when Jean van Helmont's flawed yet hugely significant "Willow Tree Experiement"
proved that plants obtain substances from water. Horticultural scientist soon
began a struggle aimed at separating roots from dirt and uncovering new ways
to provide nutrientes to crops grown in non-traditional enviornmnets (Danko, 2016).
Correspondingly the substances that are extracted from the water are hard to transport considering the long distances and obstacles the plant faces when hauling diverse substances throughout its body. The transportation of nutrients is made possible by the mechanism osmosis. "Osmosis is the transfer of water through a membrane driven by a difference in concentration of the solution on either side of the membrane. [ . . . ] It results in the system trying to achieve equilibrium, that is, to make the solution on both sides the same" (Donnan, 2014). Although water enters root hair cells by osmosis "water and minerals that pass from the soil into the root cortex cannot be transported to the rest of the plant until they enter the xylem" (Campbell, 2015, p.850). Xylem is one of the two vessels used to supply the plant with the required nutrients it needs. The chief function of xylem is to conduct water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots. But what nutrients and minerals are the plants transporting? Plants absorb numerous inorganic nutrients from the soil through their root structures. "To determine which chemical elements are essential, researchers use hydroponic culture. [. . .] Such studies have helped identify 17 essential elements needed by all plants" (Campbell, 2015, p. 868). Nine of the seventeen essential elements form macronutrients because the plant requires heavy quantities of it. The macronutrients include Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. In the case of our experiment, calcium was removed from the experimental tomato plants. The purpose of the experiment was to test out hypothesis that if we remove the nutrient calcium from the experimental tomato plants then the plants will exhibit a stunt in growth and wither away.
The modern history of hydro begins in the 17th century when Jean van Helmont's flawed yet hugely significant "Willow Tree Experiement"
proved that plants obtain substances from water. Horticultural scientist soon
began a struggle aimed at separating roots from dirt and uncovering new ways
to provide nutrientes to crops grown in non-traditional enviornmnets (Danko, 2016).
Correspondingly the substances that are extracted from the water are hard to transport considering the long distances and obstacles the plant faces when hauling diverse substances throughout its body. The transportation of nutrients is made possible by the mechanism osmosis. "Osmosis is the transfer of water through a membrane driven by a difference in concentration of the solution on either side of the membrane. [ . . . ] It results in the system trying to achieve equilibrium, that is, to make the solution on both sides the same" (Donnan, 2014). Although water enters root hair cells by osmosis "water and minerals that pass from the soil into the root cortex cannot be transported to the rest of the plant until they enter the xylem" (Campbell, 2015, p.850). Xylem is one of the two vessels used to supply the plant with the required nutrients it needs. The chief function of xylem is to conduct water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots. But what nutrients and minerals are the plants transporting? Plants absorb numerous inorganic nutrients from the soil through their root structures. "To determine which chemical elements are essential, researchers use hydroponic culture. [. . .] Such studies have helped identify 17 essential elements needed by all plants" (Campbell, 2015, p. 868). Nine of the seventeen essential elements form macronutrients because the plant requires heavy quantities of it. The macronutrients include Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. In the case of our experiment, calcium was removed from the experimental tomato plants. The purpose of the experiment was to test out hypothesis that if we remove the nutrient calcium from the experimental tomato plants then the plants will exhibit a stunt in growth and wither away.
Materials
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Methods
For this experiment a positive, negative and an experimental control solutions was needed. The above items were collected to make the required solution in order to begin the experiment in Hydroponic Growth & Nutrient Deficiencies in Tomato Plants. There were eight tomato plants provided. They had to be removed from the plant pots carefully in-order for the roots to be intact. The soil particles were then washed from the roots with distilled water. Hand towels were fetched to place the wet plants on. Data was collected when they were organized into groups of three. They were measured with a ruler, weighed on a scale, and the colors of these plants was observed and recorded. The calcium and complete solution directions provided in the materials was carefully followed. Three 600ml beakers, two volume metric flasks, droppers and graduated cylinders were gathered to begin the experiment with the calcium solution and the complete solution. 20mls of distilled water was poured in each volume metric flasks. The dropper was used to measure the amount of nutrients needed. It was then poured in the graduated cylinder. Each measured ingredients was poured into the available volume metric flasks which contained the distilled water. Each item had to be stirred in properly before the next ingredient was added. As soon as all the components were added to make each solution, both volume metric flasks was filled with distilled water, up to 1000 ml where the line is located. The solutions were then poured into two separate beakers and the reaming solution was placed in storage. The beakers were ready to hold the plants therefore three separate boar holders were fetched to place the grouped plants in. Cotton balls were used to contain the air and to give the plants balance while the roots were submerged under water. Each beaker was wrapped with foil paper and labeled accordingly. Three tomato plants were placed in two of the beakers and for the positive and negative solution and two plants was placed in the experimental beaker. The plants had to be stored where they are able to get sunlight. This experiment had to be carried out for four weeks. Data had to be collected every week. The plants had to be maintained. The negative control contained pure distilled water. The positive control had the complete solution and the experimental control lacked calcium. Each week the leaved had to be counted the plant had to be measured and the data for the colors had to be collected and most importantly the plant had to be constantly filled with their required solution in order for the plants to survive.
Results
Discussion
The results of the experiment demonstrated that the plants lacking in Calcium was declining during the third week. The complete nutrient solution made the tomato plant grow the tallest in lenght and health. The leaves of each tomato plant showed signs of black and white within the second week. Although, we saw color changes the positive control flourished with the complete solution. After realizing that the experimental tomato plants died, the experiment was repeated using new tomato plants yielding better results. After the required four weeks was up with the new polants we realized that an error was made with the first batch of plants. In the repeated experiment with new tomato plants, the week 3 results differed from the older experimental plants. The lenght, leaves, and color were thriving and properous than its older counterparts.
Conclusion
Calcium is a vital nutrient in plants because "it is involved in the proper functioning of growing points (especially root tips), maintaining strong cell walls and seed set in clovers" ("What Nutrients Do Plants Require," 2015). Calcium deficiency in plants is noticeable around plants with brown outlined and sharp edges. After observing and analyzing the resultes it's fair to say that our hypothesis was supported in stating that if we remove the nutrient calcium from the experimental tomato plants then the plants will exhibit a stunt in growth and wither away. Although our hypothesis did not hold true for the new batch of plants, there are many factors that probably contributed to the varying results of both old and new experimental plants. For example, the factors that probably contributed to the different results were an error in the concocting of the soltuion. The measurements of the elementes needed to make the solution could have been counted incorrectly. In addition to that, another factor that probably caused the results to differ was the age of the plants. In the first experiement the tomato plants were considerably older and quite small in lenght compared to the new plants. "The mineral requirements of a plant may also change with the time of the year and the age of the plant. Young seedlings, for example, rarely show mineral deficiency symptoms because their mineral requirements are met largely" (Campbell, 2015, p. 868). The mean lenght (cm) of the old experiment at Week 1 was 11.7 cm on the other hand the mean lenght (cm) of the new experiment at Week 1 was 25.1 cm. The considerable age difference between the two plants caused a divergent result in both experiments.
References
Campbell, N.A, & Reece, J.B. (2015). Biology: A Global Approach. Boston: Pearson.
Canna, USA. (2016). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://www.canna-uk.com/info-courier_calcium
Danko, D. (2016, September 30). The History of Hydroponics. Retrieved December 01, 2016 from http://hightimes.com/grow/the- history-of-hydroponics/
Donnan, R. (2014, July 02). Is Osmosis the mechanism for water uptake? |Hydroponics. Retrieved December 01, 2016.
Canna, USA. (2016). Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://www.canna-uk.com/info-courier_calcium
Danko, D. (2016, September 30). The History of Hydroponics. Retrieved December 01, 2016 from http://hightimes.com/grow/the- history-of-hydroponics/
Donnan, R. (2014, July 02). Is Osmosis the mechanism for water uptake? |Hydroponics. Retrieved December 01, 2016.