Byron Nunez 1 Introduction Since the beginning of modern agriculture, farmers and home growers alike have looked

d for ways to increase crop yield, and to better protect their plants from diseases and harsh climates !ne way that humans have used to strengthen plants over the ages has been to fertilize the soil in which the plants grow "ertilization as it pertains to plants is when nutrients that plants use in growth and development are either deficient or none#istent in the soil are replaced by e#ternal means by enriching the soil $dictionary%& In fact it has been estimated that between '()*+() of crop yield is attributed to commercial fertilizer use $,ibb, -honston, Smyth, Stewart .ournal /0 pg 1*+& 1nowing these facts, it is imperative that as a community we understand how fertilizers work to better develop fertilizers that can further increase crop yield and in turn feed millions of people

In order to better understand .ust what fertilizer is, it is important to understand how it works and what it specifically does to plants and the soil "ertilizer is not truly 2plant food3 as many would have you think4 in fact plants synthesize all the energy they need from a process called photosynthesis 5hotosynthesis is the process by which ultraviolet light energy from the sun enters the chloroplasts cells in the plant, and through the use of water and the fi#ation of carbon dio#ide the plant converts this ultraviolet light energy to glucose, which is a type of sugar 6his glucose is then stored in non water* soluble starch granules within the plant and it is these starch granules that form the food that we get from so many plants Now one may be wondering .ust how does fertilization increase crop yields if all the energy is produced through photosynthesis "ertilizers

Byron Nunez 7 work on plants because the plant through the soil or the air absorbs nutrients found in fertilizers 6his means that the nutrients within the fertilizer must already be in a form that plants can absorb ,umping a large amount of calcium or phosphorus on a plant will not help plants 8hen the nutrients are absorbed by the plant, they are used in a different day*to*day process such as the lubrication of cells and the strengthening of cell walls In addition, not all fertilizers are e9ual In fact, different fertilizers may have altered effects on some plants than on others 5lants are living organisms and as such re9uire a wide variety of nutrients in order to effectively carry out day*to*day processes So for instance, in an area where the soil is low in nitrogen and a farmer adds fertilizer to his crop yield, the farmer may not achieve the desired effect because the fertilizer may be lacking the amount of nitrogen that is re9uired to properly nourish the plants in the nitrogen baron soil :owever, not all nutrients within the soil are needed in e9ual 9uantities4 some plants re9uire vast amounts of specific nutrients while other plants re9uire very minute amounts of specific nutrients

6he amount of a certain type of nutrient that a plant needs to absorb classifies it as either a macronutrient or a micronutrient ;acronutrients are nutrients that plants absorb in large 9uantities due to the e#tensive range of functions that they are re9uired for in the plants cells Because of the large amount of macronutrients being absorbed by plants, it puts and incredible strain on the soil Such soil is often depleted of macronutrients very 9uickly If these nutrients are not replaced, serious short term and long term health issues may arise in the plant $N<=>? plant nutrients& Some common macronutrients are potassium, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus $N<=>? plant nutrients& ;icronutrients,

Byron Nunez @ however, are the opposite of macronutrients in terms of the amount that plants absorb them 6his, however, does not mean that they are less important to plant function than macronutrients Aike macronutrients, micronutrients are vital in a plethora of plant functions such as the coating used on cells for absorbing water and other nutrients Bnlike macronutrients, micronutrients are not depleted nearly as rapidly as macronutrients 6his does not mean that micronutrients are not depleted If micronutrients are depleted, health problems can 9uickly develop Some common micronutrients are boron, copper, iron, and chloride $N<=>? plant nutrients& 1nowing how plants absorb nutrients and how much of a nutrient plants re9uires in certain time frame, make it possible for large fertilizer companies to produce top 9uality fertilizers with even more advantages than their predecessors

6he purpose of this e#periment was to find the optimal amounts of potassium and calcium to be applied to the soil that would lead to the greatest growth of the test plants By finding the optimal levels of potassium and calcium and the interaction that the two have with each other, better fertilizers could be produced to improve the hardiness of plants and increase photosynthetic output thus increasing crop yield In order to further e#plain the rest of the e#periment and the reason why potassium and calcium were chosen, it is essential to review what role they play individually in the growth and development of plants

5otassium is macronutrient, meaning that plants absorb it in large 9uantities 5lants generally deplete potassium in the soil very 9uickly It is why potassium is one of

Byron Nunez ' the primary ingredients in many fertilizers 6he reason plants absorb such massive 9uantities of potassium is due to the fact that it plays a key role in the efficiency of water usage in plants and their general hardiness to disease, insects and climate $Schwartzkopf& 5otassium works almost as a transport in plants allowing for water, carbohydrates and other nutrients to be transported around the plant efficiently $Schwartzkopf& Some problems that can occur when potassium levels are inefficient are yellow or white stripes at the tips of leaves on plants and the accumulation of dead tissues near the upper end of the plant $?ehm Schmitt&

6he second nutrient to be tested in the e#periment is calcium Aike potassium, calcium is a macronutrient and as such it is absorbed in large 9uantities through the soil ,ue to the fact that calcium is absorbed in such a large amount, many fertilizers contain calcium as one of their main ingredients as well <alcium is similar in function to potassium in the fact that it improves resistance to climate and disease4 however it plays another role on the cellular level $:epler& !n the cellular level calcium plays a key role in maintain the cell walls structural rigidity and the cell membranes permeability and ability to absorb nutrients Some symptoms of calcium deficiency in plants is cracked or curled roots, leaf necrosis, poor fruit storage and water saturation

By knowing the roles that potassium and calcium play in the growth and development of plants, they were chosen as the two variables to be tested in the e#periment 6his was due in part to the fact that they are both macronutrients and as such would be easier to observe the effect of them in a short*term setting

Byron Nunez C

6he e#periment was carried out on ?aphanus Sativus plants $radish plants& ?adish plants were chosen due to the fact of their rapid germination and growth both, which are ideal when conducting a short*term e#periment on growth In order for the plants to receive the nutrients potassium and calcium, supplements were ground up into a powder form 6he reason for choosing the supplements was due to the fact that finding pure potassium or pure calcium on its own without being fi#ed to another compound is near impossible !nce in powder form, the pill dust was mi#ed with 1( ml of water and then each plant was watered with the mi#ture 6he plants were separated into different groups, each of which would be watered at the same time but with different levels of potassium and calcium contained within the 1( ml of water :eight was the variable used and was measured to determine how the plants were responding to the treatment :eight was chosen because unlike color and plant hardiness, height could be measured accurately and consistently without bias 8hat one person considers a deep green color, for e#ample, may be considered a lighter shade or green to another person "ollowing the e#perimental guidelines, the procedure was carried out for 1 week and data was recorded every two days and analyzed at the end of the e#periment

Byron Nunez +

5roblem Statement 5roblemD :ow does the presence of 5otassium and <alcium in soil affect the growth of Raphanus Sativus $radish plants&E :ypothesisD If a Raphanus Sativus plant is given a large amount of 5otassium and <alcium, then the Raphanus Sativus plant will grow taller than the Raphanus Sativus plant given small amounts of 5otassium and <alcium ,ata ;easuredD 6he two independent variables are the amounts of 5otassium and <alcium, both measured in milligrams $mg& 6he dependent variable is the growth in the height of the plants measured in centimeters $cm& 6he statistical method used to analyze the data was a two*factor ,esign of F#periment $,!F&

Byron Nunez 0

"reshmen ?esearch F#perimental ,esign ;aterials

1((ml beaker G liters of soil G( 7++ @ml ,i#ie cups G( Raphanus sativus seeds <alcium H Iitamin , +(( mgJ '(( iu Supplement $1(( pills& 5otassium =luconate Supplement C/Cmg $1(( pills& C + liters of tap water Small hand shovelJspoon 5aper towel to clean mess <entimeter ruler to measure growth 5ill crusher OHAUS >nalytic Balance 1( ml graduated cylinder

5rocedure (to be completed in a 1 week time*span&

Preliminary 1& 5lace one of the 7++ @ml cups on a table

Byron Nunez G 7& ;easure out C(ml of soil in the 1((ml beaker @& 5lace soil in cup that is on the table '& 5lace 7 Raphanus sativus seeds on the soil in the cup C& ;easure out C(ml of soil in the 1((ml beaker +& 5lace C(ml of soil on the Raphanus sativus seed in the cup 0& ?epeat steps 1*+ for remaining cups and seeds G& Separate cups into C groups $1+ cups per group& /& Name one of the C groups 2standard3 1(& Name one of the C groups $H,H& 11& Name one of the C groups $H,*& 17& Name one of the C groups $*,H& 1@& Name one of the C groups $*,*& 1'& 8ater each seed with 1(ml of water 1C& <reate data table showing one week of growth in each group for ;onday, 8ednesday, and "riday

Preparation of Pills 1& !pen both containers of pills $potassium and calcium& 7& Separate pills into groups $H,H& $H,*& $*,H& $*,*& and Standard @& 5ut 7C pills of each $potassium and calcium& in the $H,H& group '& 5ut 7C pills of potassium and 1C pills of calcium in the $H,*& group

Byron Nunez / C& 5ut 1C pills of potassium and 7C pills of calcium in the $*,H& group +& 5ut 1C pills of each $potassium and calcium& in the $*,*& group 0& 5ut 7( pills of each $potassium and calcium& into the standard group G& ;easure the weight of one pill of each on the OHAUS analytic balance /& 8rite the weight of each pill down 1(& <rush potassium pills in pill crusher while pills remain in proper group 11& 5ut the dust of the each set of pills into the respective groups 17& ?inse pill crusher with water 1@& ?epeat steps 1(*17 e#cept with calcium

Measuring Plant 1& ;easure plant before watered 7& 5lace 2( cm3 end of ruler on top of soil at base of plant @& Straighten stem '& ;easure length of stem above soil C& Stop the measurement at the end of stem $do not include leaf& +& 8rite down the length of stem in data table

Caring for Standard Group 1& 8ater each cupJseed in group with 1(ml of water with graduated cylinder 7& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ7' of the weight of one pill of potassium @& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ7' of the weight of one pill of calcium '&?epeat steps 1*@ on 8ednesday and "riday

Byron Nunez 1( C& ;easure length of stem as described +& ?ecord data for 1 week

Caring for !"!# Group 1& 8ater each cupJseed in group with 1(ml of water with graduated cylinder 7& 8hen watered, give each seed 7CJ/+ of the weight of one pill of potassium @& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of calcium '& ?epeat steps 1*@ on 8ednesday and "riday C& ;easure length of stem as described +& ?ecord data for 1 week

Caring for !"$# Group 1& 8ater each cupJseed in group with 1(ml of water with graduated cylinder 7& 8hen watered, give each seed 7CJ/+ of the weight of one pill of potassium @& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of calcium '& ?epeat steps 1*@ for 8ednesday and "riday C& ;easure length of stem as described +& ?ecord data for 1 week

Caring for $"!# Group 1& 8ater each cupJseed in group with 1(ml of water with graduated cylinder 7& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of potassium @& 8hen watered, give each seed 7CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of calcium

Byron Nunez 11 '& ?epeat steps 1*@ for 8ednesday and "riday C& ;easure length of stem as described +& ?ecord data for 1 week

Caring for $"$# Group 1& 8ater each cupJseed in group with 1(ml of water with graduated cylinder 7& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of potassium @& 8hen watered, give each seed CJ@7 of the weight of one pill of calcium '& ?epeat steps 1*@ for 8ednesday and "riday C& ;easure length of stem as described +& ?ecord data for 1 week

Analysis 1& >ssess data filled out data table 7& <reate chart to compare data @& >nalyze all data '& <lean up mess with paper towel after all dirty work

Byron Nunez 17

Diagram

"igure 1 ;aterials for F#periment

"igure 1 shows the materials used in the e#periment 6he graduated cylinder is used to measure the water for the Raphanus sativus plants 6he first cup to the left in "igure 1 is filled with the two Raphanus sativus seeds along with the 1((ml of soil 6he beaker in "igure 1 is used for measuring the soil while planting the ?aphanus sativus seeds 6he cup on the right in "igure 1 contains crushed up pills that was measured to give the Raphanus sativus plants a calcium and potassium supplement

Byron Nunez 1@

6able 1 Fffect of 5otassium and <alcium on the =rowth of ?adish 5lants :eight of 5lant $cm& $5otassium, <alcium& $*,*& $*,H& 7C 10 71 71 1+ 7@ @G 11 7+ 1/ '' 71 7+ 7 ( 7@ 7@ ( 1/ 1+ 17 (/ ( 1' 1' 1 G/@0C 77 11 ( (' 11 ( 10 1 @0C

,!F 5lant 1 7 @ ' C + 0 G / 1( 11 17 1@ 1' 1C 1+ >verage

$H,H& 1' ( 11 ( ( 1G (/ (/ 1+ (/ ( 11 ( ( ( ( ( +(+7C

$H,*& 7/ 7@ @@ 71 11 70 ( ( 71 1'

Standard 1' 1+ 1' ( 1+ 71 71 71 1C ( ( 7G 71 10 7C 7/ 1 +17C

7@ (/ 17 17 10 11 1 +'@0C

,ata and !bservations ,ataD

Byron Nunez 1'

6he ,!Fs were completed at the same time 6hey were all run at the same time 6he averages were calculated as any average would be If the table were looked over 9uickly one could see that the $*,*& had the most growth along with the greatest height overall Fach day before the plants were watered, the plants were measured in centimeters > single group would be picked first, measured, the measurements would be promptly written down, and then following that they would be watered with 1( ml of water along with the proper amount of calcium and potassium designated for that plant

Byron Nunez 1C

6able 7 ,esign of F#periment Ialues <alcium $g& $*& Standard ( 7/ g ( @+ g $CJ@7& $CJ7'&

$H& ( 'C g $7CJ/+&

$*& ( 11 g $CJ@7&

5otassum $g& Standard ( 1' g $CJ7'&

$H& ( 1G g $7CJ/+&

6he levels that were chosen were fractions of the original weight of one pill of potassium and calcium 6here were 1(( potassium pills and 1(( calcium pills 6here were five groups, those being $H,H&, $H,*&, $*,*&, $*,H&, and standard 7 $H& values for each group, 7 $*& groups and the standard measures It was figured 7C pills for the $H& groups, 1C for the $& groups, and then 7( pills for the standard groups In a math sentence that would beD 7CH7CH7(H1CH1CK1(( So using that method the pills were distributed e9ually 6his means that the amount of nutrients contained in each pill were distributed according to the different plant groups according to value of nutrient re9uired for the standard, high and low values So because there were 1+ plants in each group and, the plants were watered + times 6he way the numbers were figured for how much of each nutrient should be distributed for each value for each group was as follows 6he number of pills over the number of plants times the number of times the plants were watered In math terms that would beD $pills&J$plants%number of times watered& Bsing that e9uation the variables could be altered in accordance with how many times one would want to water the plants or even the number of pills that were used in the e#periment

Byron Nunez 1+ !bservationsD

6able @ !bservations ,ate 77*;ar 7@*;ar 7+*;ar 70*;ar !bservation No growth !nly 1 day after seeds were initially planted and watered Still no growth !nly 7 days after plants were plantedJwatered 5lants were watered again with calcium and potassium pill powder 5lants grew over weekend Standard and $*,*& group have the most growth $H, H& group shows little growth ;ost plants same color ;ore significant growth occurring >ppears as if there will be a high range of standards Still little growth in $H,H& group =roups given high amounts of potassium have developed a somewhat red stem > significance in growth is showing $H,H& group is showing a little more growth 8atered today $*,*& and standard groups are showing most growth by far =roups given high amount of potassium have developed a deep blood*red stem color Aast day of data collection 5lants have all developed an e#tremely deep green color !nce again like the days prior $H,H& has shown little improvement 6he $H,H& group has in fact the deepest green color of all of the plants, along with the deepest red stem of all the plants 6he standard and $*,*& groups have grown the most plants and have the tallest stems

7G*;ar

7/*;ar

"igure 7 ?adish seed sample with pill powder in cup "igure 7 shows a radish plant from the $H,H& group, with its pill powder in the cup at the very right 6he height varied for each plant in each group, and the $H,H& group showed little growth It may be visible that if one were to look closely a little plant is popping out of the soil Because of glare itLs near impossible to see the pill powder

Byron Nunez 10 8ithin the ,!F, the different amounts of variables caused the plants to grow to different heights at different rates 6hroughout the ,!FLs the plants of the same combinations had similar heights and similar colors ,ue to the fact that not every stem of the plants are perfectly straight, measuring methods had to be ad.usted 8hen measured $in centimeters&, the plantLs stem had to be straightened out by hand "ollowing being straightened out, a centimeter ruler was placed in the soil, so that the 2( cm3 mark was even with the soil 6hen the stem was measured until the leaf of the plant began Bsing this method gives the appro#imate measurement to the tenths place of the plant

,ate >nalysisD 6able ' ,!F Standards

1+ Standards 1' 1+ 1' ( 1+ 71 71 71 1C ( ( 7G 71 10 7C 7/

6able ' shows the height of each plant in the standard group in $cm&
16 Standards 3.5 Height of Plants (cm) 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 5 10 DOE 15 20 Standards

"igure @ Scatter 5lot of Standard ?uns

Byron Nunez 1G

6he scatter plot along with the table of standard runs show that the standards did in fact grow better than some groups 6hese both show in different ways the height of the Raphanus sativus plants in the ,!Fs in centimeters

6able C <alcium Fffect on :eight <alcium $*& $H& 1 G/@0C ( +(+7C 1 @0C 1 +'@0C >vg K1 +@'@0C >vg K1 17C

"igure ' Aine =raph of Fffect of <alcium "igure ' along with 6able C both show how the calcium had an effect on the height of the Raphanus sativus plants >ccording to the numbers shown in 6able C, the more calcium given to the plants, meant the less they grew "or real use, one should make sure that when watering and planting plants, to not give the plants too much calcium !therwise the plants will more than likely grow less 6he effect of calcium is *( C(/@0C cm 6hat means on average, as calcium increased plant height decreases by ( C(/@0C cm from the low value to the high value

Byron Nunez 1/

6able + 5otassium Fffect on :eight 5otassium $*& 1 G/@0C 1 +'@0C >vg K1 0+G0C $H& ( +(+7C 1 @0C >vg K( //(+7C

"igure C Aine =raph of the Fffects of 5otassium "igure C along with 6able + both show how potassium had an effect on the height of the ?aphanus sativus plants >ccording to the numbers shown in 6able +, the more potassium given to the plants, meant the less they grew "or real use, one should make sure that when watering and planting plants, to not give the plants too much calcium !therwise the plants will more than likely grow less 6he effect of potassium is *( 00G17C cm !n average, as potassium increased from the low value to the high value,

Byron Nunez 7( plant height decreases by ( 00G17C cm

Effect of Calcium
2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -1 Calcium 1

6able 0 Interaction effect of <alcium and 5otassium Potassium $# !# ( 11 ( 1G Solid Segm ent ,otte d Segm ent $H& ( '+ $*& ( 7G 1 +' @0C 1 G/ @0C ( +(+ 7C

Height

Potassium (+) Potassium (-)

Cal%ium

"igure + Interaction Fffect Between <alcium and 5otassium

1 @0C

"igure + and 6able 0 both show the interactions between calcium and potassium 6he effect of calcium versus potassium is *( C1G0C plus ( 7C/@0C e9uals *( 7C/@0C 6his basically means that the more calcium and potassium that the plants are given, means the lower their height will be

5rediction e9uationD

Byron Nunez 71

M K grand average H $effect of calciumJ7& %$<a& H $effect of potassiumJ7& %$1& H effect of $interaction of calcium and potassiumJ7& %$<a& %$1&

Byron Nunez 77 8ith substitutions this becomesD

M K 1 @0/+/ H * C(/@00J7 % $<a& H * 00G17CJ7 % $1& H * 7C/@0CJ7 % $<a& % $1&

<heck answerD $H,H&

M K 1 @0/+/ H * C(/@00J7 % $1& H * 00G17CJ7 % $1& H * 7C/@0CJ7 % $1& % $1& K ( +(+7C

InterpolateD $ C, C&

M K 1 @0/+/ H * C(/@00J7 % $ C& H * 00G17CJ7 % $ C& H * 7C/@0CJ7 % $ C& % $ C& K 1 (7C@/ ?ange of StandardsD 7 / <heck if any values are significantD 7%7 /KC G * C(/@00J7D no * 00G17CJ7D no * 7C/@0CJ7D no

5arsimonious F9uationD M K 1 @0/+/

Byron Nunez 7@ InterpretationD

6he first variable used in this e#periment was calcium $<a& and the second variable was potassium $1& as shown in 6able 7 >fter e#amining all data, the high amount of calcium given to the plants caused the plants to grow less and have a shorter height as shown in 6able C and "igure ' 6his was more than likely due to the fact that the Raphanus sativus plants were given such a high amount of the actual pill that had oversaturated and almost killed them 6hat fact that the Raphanus sativus plants were oversaturated and almost killed is also true for the potassium measurements 5otassium $1& is the second variable used in this e#periment as shown in 6able 7 >ccording to the data in 6able + and "igure C, the potassium levels also had a negative effect when the levels were high 6he negative effect that is given to plants was that the plants would not grow as much or as high <ombined, the two variables of calcium and potassium had an even worse effect on the plants overall >ccording to 6able 0 and "igure + the plus slope of the calcium was *( C1G0C and the minus slope of the calcium was *( 7C/@0C which when combined gave a total interaction effect of *( 7C/@0C 6his implies that when combined the plants are still saturated in the pill substance and causes the Raphanus sativus plants not to grow as high 6he scatter plot in "igure @ shows that our standards varied greatly pointing at the fact that there could have been variables that were not controlled in the e#periment 6hese variables could be anything from temperature in the green house $which was altered on one day but not by us& or the placement of the seeds in the sunlight

Byron Nunez 7' <onclusion 6he original hypothesis that was created claimed that the radish plants given the high amount of <alcium $<a& and high amount of 5otassium $1& would have the greatest amount of growth4 however this hypothesis could not be accepted 6his was because the radish plants given the high amounts of <alcium and high amounts of 5otassium displayed the least amount of overall growth 6he radish plants that displayed the greatest overall growth were the radish plants that were given the least amount of <alcium and the least amount of 5otassium

6he ideas behind this e#periment were that the radish plants were to be thought of as any common plant that your average home =ardner could grow or that if necessary production could be scaled to meet the demands of an industrial farmer 6his e#periment also gave key insights into whether or not fertilizers high in potassium or calcium should be used to have the greatest overall positive impact on growth Flements were researched to their relations to the growth of plants and how those elements would help the plants to grow

6he results were achieved because the high amounts of 5otassium were suspected to have not allowed the water to diffuse into the plant and be soaked up through the roots 6o put that simply, the plants were oversaturated with the 5otassium 6he high amount <alcium did not assist the growth of the plants either, doing the same thing the 5otassium did, but not nearly as severe 6his conclusion can be drawn because the two groups of radish plants given the high amounts of 5otassium had displayed the least overall growth

Byron Nunez 7C out of all of the trials in the ,!F 6he fact that high amount of <alcium did not assist very much was drawn from the trial in which the <alcium was high and the 5otassium was low 6hat trial grew the third tallest, behind the standard trial in second, and the low, low trial in first for the height of the plants

>n error that occurred during the e#periment was that the window to the greenhouse in which the plants were being kept for the trials was kept open overnight, dropping to e#tremely cold temperatures for those types of plants >lso the electronic balance that was used in the e#periment only rounded to the hundredths place > more accurate measurement of the pill powder could have been made to more accurately 2feed3 the radish plants

6he watering of the plants was not followed as it was written in the procedures 6he radish plants were watered by putting in the powder for one plant in a cup and then promptly putting in 1( ml of water into the cup full of the pill powder for a plant and shaking that cup into the water and powder had formed a cloudy li9uid which the plants were watered with 6his could have been prevented if the easiness and speed of how things needed to be done were thought of while making the actual procedure

> suggestion for further research and other e#periments using the same variables would be to lengthen the time of measurement of the plants 6hat being instead of one week, lengthen to procedure to at least two weeks >lso, it may be a suggestion to plant three seeds into a cup rather than two4 that way there is a greater chance of the ,!F

Byron Nunez 7+ number to have a germinated seed If one were to do that though, days of watering with simply plain water may be necessary, to ensure that the plants are given enough nutrients to grow

;any people, especially farmers, are worried about giving their plants enough nutrients to help the plants ma#imize growth 6he data recorded from this e#periment can be further put to use in the development of soil compounds for growing any sort of plants 6he data shows that adding 5otassium can ensure a healthy stem to a plant, to prevent it from being broken down in the wind :owever it also shows that when a plant is oversaturated with potassium it can have a negative effect on the growth of plants as well >lso the addition of <alcium may be able to give a plant a deep green color to help marketing the plants freshness 6he data can be used by farmers and plant growers alike to assist in the growing of plants for home or commercial use

>fter conducting e#periment it is much easier to comprehend the growth of plants and what happens to nutrients that the plants are given Now one more thing to assist the growth of plants is known >lso for future e#periments a better log of data will be kept to remember data Not doing so in this e#periment cost more money than was necessary

Byron Nunez 70 <itations

;otavalli, 5eter 5 , 1eith 8 =oyne, and ?an.ith 5 Bdawatta NFnvironmental Impacts of Fnhanced Ffficiency Nitrogen "ertilizers N &nvironmental 'mpa%ts of &nhan%ed$ &ffi%ien%y (itrogen )ertili*ers $7((G& &nvironmental 'mpa%ts of &nhan%ed &ffi%ien%y (itrogen )ertili*ers Bniversity of ;issouri, @( -uly 7((G 8eb 17 ;ay 7(17 OhttpDJJwww plantmanagementnetwork orgJpubJcmJsymposiumJenhancedJimpactsJP

Schwartzkopf, <arl N5otassium, <alcium, ;agnesium * :ow 6hey ?elate to 5lant =rowth NUSGA Green Se%tion $1/07&D 1*7 ;SB 8eb 17 ;ay 7(17

?ehm, =eorge, and ;ichael Schmitt N5otassium for <rop 5roduction N Potassium for Crop Produ%tion Bniversity of ;innesota, 7((7 8eb 1G ;ay 7(17 OhttpDJJwww e#tension umn eduJdistributionJcropsystemsJdc+0/' htmlP

:epler, 5eter 1 N<alciumD > <entral ?egulator of 5lant =rowth and ,evelopment NCal%ium+ A Central Regulator of Plant Gro,th and -evelopment >merican Society of 5lant Biologists, 7((C 8eb 17 ;ay 7(17 OhttpDJJwww plantcell orgJcontentJ10JGJ71'7 fullP

8ebsterLs ,ictionary

Byron Nunez 7G >cknowledgments ;r Scot >cre provided assistance when analyzing the numbers throughout the e#periment :e gave a push to the right direction to come up with the correct e#perimental values to complete the actual e#periment :e also pointed out errors in the graphs and proofread the different parts to the e#periment