Alaina Couch
Effect of Salinity on Seed Germination and Plant Growth
During this experiment, we tested the effects of soil salinity on the germination and growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants. Wisconsin Fast Plants, also called Brassica rapa, are closely related to brussel’s sprouts, kale, cauliflower and other vegetables of the Brassica genus. These plants were bred by Dr. Paul Williams and under favorable conditions, they have the ability to complete their entire life-cycle in just 28 short days (Williams, 1997, p. 1). Sodium Chloride, also known as salt, is a naturally occurring compound on planet Earth. Due to the evaporation of some water, salt is sometimes found in soil where seeds are planted. Generally, plants that are found in soil contain
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1). In 1963 an experiment was conducted by Dr. Kaushik of Utah State University titled The Influence of Salinity on the Growth and Reproduction of Marsh Plants. Dr. Kaushik hypothesized that high levels of salinity in plant water may be lethal to plants. He tested this hypothesis by administering 5 different salt water concentrations, ranging from 0% to 60%, to 3 different types of seeds including cattail, hardstem bulrush, and alkali bulrush seeds. He then monitored the germination and growth of the seeds over the course of 2 years. Upon the conclusion of his experiment, he found that the salt concentration was most likely to blame for the reduction of seed germination due to less absorption of water. He also found that the plants who were exposed to the high salt water concentrations had notably less root growth than those that were not exposed (Kaushik, 1963, p. 115). Dr. Kaushik’s report was similar to my experiment in that we both were studying the effects of salinity on plant growth. In Kaushik’s experiment he added different concentration levels of salt water to his plants and kept one control group, 0% NaCl, as did I. I chose this report to support my hypothesis because