Term Paper on "Effects of Organic Amendments on Growth"

Term Paper 8 pages (2079 words) Sources: 8

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Soil Amendments and Yellow Bean Production

Effects of Organic Amendments on Growth of Phaseolus vulgaris

Compost is an important element in organic production systems. The use of compost can reduce waste and improve plant yields in a farm production. This study examined the effects of four soil amendments on the growth and yield of phaseolus vulgaris (yellow beans). The results of this study revealed that manure had the greatest positive effect on bean production and yield. Sugar as a soil amendment produced plants that were weak and spindly. Leached leaf litter did little to improve plant yield and growth. Straw mulch had a slight effect, but manure proved to be far superior.

The results of this study suggested that manure was a superior compost agent. The results of this study corroborated the results of other studies as well. However, it was also found that field conditions, such as the amount of rainfall and disease also affected the results obtained in actual field trials. Further field studies are suggested to determine if the results of this study can be applied to an actual production setting.

Introduction

Composting on the farm makes sense from several perspectives. Composting reduces farm waste by turning it into a soil nutrient. Adding compost to the soil allows plants to utilize this waste, improving productivity and yield. The type of compost needed depends on the needs of the particular crop and the conditions of the native soil. This research explored the affects of three different soil/compost combinations on the germination, growth, and yield of yellow beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).



Compost can contain a number of ingredients to meet the needs of the crop being produced. Common components of compost include leaf matter, weeds (without seed heads), straw and manure. Sugar stimulates growth in plants and can be added to the organic mixture as well. Legumes, such as the beans used in this experiment, have nitrogen-fixing bacteria growing in nodules in their roots. Other plants have specialized components as well. Finding the proper compost mixture for the type of plant is the key to healthy plants. Healthy plants are more productive and resistant to disease than plants that do not have the proper nutrients for their particular growth needs.

This study examined four different soil amendments on the growth of yellow beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The four soil amendments are sugar, cow manure, leached leaf litter (leaf litter tea), and straw. This study will support the following hypotheses.

H1: Soil amended with sugar will produce more vigorous Phaseolus vulgaris plants than soil alone.

H2: Soil amended with cow manure will produce more vigorous Phaseolus vulgaris plants than soil alone.

H3: Soil amended with leached leaf litter will produce more vigorous Phaseolus vulgaris plants than soil

H4: Soil amended with straw will produce more vigorous Phaseolus vulgaris plants than soil alone.

The null hypotheses will state that no difference in growth will be found between plants that have any of the four amendments, when compared with soil alone.

The objective of this project is to examine the differences bean growth among the different soil amendments. This study furthered our understanding of how differences in these four soil amendments affect plant growth. It will be useful for increasing production of legumes and for improving operational efficiency by reducing waste in farm production.

Methods and Materials

Experimental Design

The study design tested the affect of four different organic materials on plant growth. The four materials were:

Sugar. (Designated SS)

Cow manure. (Designated SM)

Leached leaf litter. (Designated SL)

Straw (Designated SW)

The independent variable consisted of soil only. The dependent variable consisted of soil, in combination with one of the four soil amendments. The soil mixture consisted of a standard commercial mix of humus, peat moss, perlite, and limestone. In addition to the standard mix additional perlite and vermiculite were added to the soil mixture to make emergence of seedlings easier. This created a mixture similar to standard commercial seed starter mixes.

The study consisted of five different soil treatments. Ten samples of each treatment were used. Growing media for SM, SL, and SW treatments were a volumetric mixture of 50% soil and 50% compost. The SS mixture was made by adding 20g refined white sugar to the surface of the soil. Leaching action carried the sugar to the roots of the plant, much in the same way rain washes nutrients to the roots of plants in the field.

Pots were filled with approximately 400 ml growth medium in each of the 50 plastic pots. Initially, four beans were placed in each pot. Seeds were placed in the corners to minimize crowding as the plants matured. Pots were then placed on a table at room temperature, under fluorescent lights. Seedlings were misted with standard tap water for five consecutive days.

Seedlings began to emerge on day 5. A 430 W. high pressure sodium lamp was suspended 50 cm above the tops of the pots. The light was set on a regime of 16 h on and 8 h off to simulate light at the height of the growing season for this zone. As the plants grew, the lamp was raised to facilitate proper leaf and stem development. As the plants grew watering was changed to 50 ml per day, once per day by sprinkler. Pots positions were changed randomly after each watering to assure that they had an equal chance for light. After 12 days, the pots were thinned to one plant / pot. The strongest plant was selected and the weaker three were removed. The watering and light routine was carried out for the entire 45 day growing period.

Data Collection

Recording of plant growth began on day fifteen after planting. Canopy width and stem height were recorded every five days through 45 days. After 45 days, the plants had reached their maximum growth in the pots. Canopy width was measured as the horizontal distance between the farthest leaf extremities. Height was defined as the distance from the soil surface to the highest stem dichotomy. Flower bud development was recorded after 30 days, as they began to appear. Flower bud development was measured by counting them.

After 45 days growth, all roots and shoots were separated at the soil line and placed in bags. They were dried at 70°C for 2 days. Roots and shorts were cooled in a desecrator and weighted to determine oven-dry mass.

Data Analysis

Data was analyzed using a two-way Analysis of Variance. This analysis was based on time and the treatment applied (SC, SS, SM, SL, and SW). This was followed by Tukey's Multiple Comparisons test to separate significantly different treatments. Dry masses of toots were analyzed using one-way Analysis of variance, followed by Tukey's Multiple Comparisons test.

Results

The results of this analysis revealed significant differences between the various treatments as far as germination was concerned.

Germination/Emergence Over Time

The manure soil mixture performed significantly better, as far emergence of seedlings is concerned than the other four methods. There was a significant spike in emergence on the sixth day of measurement for all test groups. The soil/manure group had almost double the emergence of other groups on this day. However, on all other days, the soil/manure groups performed comparatively similar to the other groups. The only statistically significant difference in emergence was on 4/5/2007 with the soil/manure group.

As far as canopy development and growth were concerned, there was a significant visual difference between the SS, SM, and SW groups. Plants in the Soil/Sugar group appeared weak and spindly, as compared to the other groups. Growth in the Leaf litter tea grew more slowly than those in the other groups. No statistically significant differences were observed between the amended groups. The control group appeared to reach a greater final height than the amended soil groups. There might be several reasons for this. The first is that this group might have erroneously received more light. It may also be that nutrients in the amendments were not in a form that was easily absorbed by the plant. For instance, the manure might not have been completely composted, or the leaf litter tea might not have rendered the nutrients into a form that could be absorbed. Further analysis is needed to explore the reasons for these results.

As far as the number of flower buds, the sugar and leaf litter groups developed significantly fewer leaf buds than the control, manure, and straw groups. Canopy width revealed a similar pattern.

Flower Bud Development / Final Canopy Width

Dry mass comparisons between shorts and roots corresponded to canopy width and bud development results. Manure and the control group demonstrated significant differences in the total dry mass of root. However, they demonstrated comparatively smaller root mass. Lead litter and straw resulted in a more balanced plant, with significantly smaller differences between shoot and root mass development.

Discussion

Conclusion

References

Discussion

The results of this study revealed that manure demonstrated slight improvement in overall plant growth and development as compared to other soil… READ MORE

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