ECO Bottle Lab

Introduction: Seed Germination is the process, which a plant grows from a seed. S. (2015,
December 26). The seed (surrounded by a seed coat) needs moisture, warmth, nutrient rich soil,
sunlight in order for it to grow to as nice big healthy plant. As the seed absorbs the moisture
needed, the enzymes inside the seed are activated, the embryo inside the seed is nourished to the
point it starts to grow. As it grows and grows, then breaks the seed coat to reach sunlight, and
began photosynthesis and the roots anchor down into the ground to feed on nutrients and food in
the soil. Finally, it grows into a baby plant with leaves and completes the germination process.
Now because plants soil in order to grow, the physical, chemical, and biological properties can
affect plant growth. Physical aspects such as soil porosity and pore space can affect the amount
of water, air, and nutrients the plant needs for growth. Chemical properties from inorganic and
organic fertilizers can propel plant growth for a longer time but without it, plant growth will
cease. As long as good physical and chemical properties, supply the right environment and
sufficient nutrients to the organisms for optimal biological activity. Another huge deciding factor
is the depth of soil for the root to plant itself in and to feed on the soils nutrients. Limitations like
bedrock, cemented layers, high water table, other root barriers and thickness of soil can affect the
length of how far the roots go into the ground and how big the plant will be. There are many
different types of fertilizers that can affect the rate of growth at different times, how big they will
be, to make them grow slow, etc.

Experimental design:

ECO Bottle Lab

Problem Question How can we determine the difference of seed growth rate in fertilizer versus
topsoil?
Hypothesis If we analyze seed growth in fertilizers and soil, the seeds in the fertilizers will
germinate twice as much as the seed in soil because the fertilizer has more nutrients for rapid
seed growth.
Independent Variable The seed, soil, and fertilizer
Dependent Variable Seed growth
Control Group- Topsoil
Experimental Group Fertilized groups

Materials and Methods:

Our process of answering our question through collecting and data research starts off by getting 4
bottles, cutting them in half and combining them together to make two big bottles and filling one
with topsoil, one with a certain amount of fertilizer to collect data over a period of time about
how that seed grows inside that bottle in its different environments. This will be a closed system
so that we would not have to come and risk over watering it everyday and the water would
evaporate to the top and rain down on that plant and self water itself.
Work Cited
S. (2015, December 26). Seed Germination. Retrieved November 01, 2016, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE6xptjgNR0.
Feagly, S., Baker, M. L., & Haby, V. A. (n.d.). Vegetable Resources. Retrieved November 03,
2016, from http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/guides/texas-vegetable-growershandbook/ chapter-iii-soils-fertilizers/