The mung bean which is scientifically referred to as Vigna radiate or Phaseolus aureus is a legume that is believed to have its native origin in India (Pearce 79). The mung beans are mostly grown in Asia in India, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and Taiwan among other nations. The objective of this horticultural science project is to investigate if the amount of water given to a mung bean seed affects its rate of growth. The investigative experiment will be conducted by watering different sets mung seeds with varying amounts of water. Observations will then be made as it pertains to their rate of growth. The time required to perform this experiment is approximately one day, while the period required for making observation and recording data amounts to a total of 30 days. Specifically, the experiment requires that the observations are recorded at day 10, day 20 and day 30 of the experiment.
Hypothesis Statement
Fast growth of the mung seeds is determined by the amount of water the seeds get. In other words, the greater the amount of water the mung seeds get, the faster the germination and growth of the mung seed.
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"Does the Amount of Water Given to a Mung Bean Seed Affect Its Rate of Growth?".
Literature Review
Water is an essential element because it sustains the life of all living organisms. As such, both plants and animals die without. In the absence of water, plants become dry and eventually die. The specific amount of water required to sustain the growth of a plant is dependent on various factors. The factors include the type of soil in which the plant is planted, the plant’s species, and the size of the pot in which the seeds are planted (Celik and Turhan 173). Equally important, the determining factor of the amount of water required to sustain the growth of a plant, is determined by the water retention properties of the soil used. A soil with poor water retention capabilities means that frequent watering will be required (Rasaei and Saeidi 120). On the other hand, good water properties translate to a reduced watering frequency.
Materials
The materials required to effectively conduct this experiment includes a packet of mung beans, nine small plastic pots, enough soil to fill the pots, water, and a measuring cylinder. For this experiment the amount of water is the independent variable, at 25ml, 50ml and 100ml used two to three times daily. On the other hand, the height of the mung bean sprout serves as the dependent variable for the experiment. The type of soil, plant species, size of the pot, and seeds environment are control variables.
Experiment Procedure
The nine pots are filled with soil and an equal amount of soil. The mung bean seeds are then placed in the pots. Using the marker, the ten pots are labeled with “once” or “twice” indicating the watering frequency. The labels are followed by 25ml, 50ml or 100ml indicating the amount of water for each pot. Then the seeds are watered according to labeled watering frequency -“once”, “twice” or “thrice”, and according to the amount indicated on each pot. This procedure is repeated for the next 30 days. Observations on the size of the sprouting seedlings are recorded for each pot at day 10, 20 and 30 of the experiment.
Observation Results
The observation made from the experiment indicate that 50ml watered at the frequency of twice daily is the optimum amount of water required for mung beans seed growth. The observation illustrates a slower growth rate for the mung bean seeds in pots that were watered with 25ml at a frequency of once a day.
Conclusion
The observations derived from the experiment results are in support of the hypothesis that mung bean seeds require an adequate amount of water. However, when the mung bean seeds are overwatered or insufficiently watered the plants growth rate is slowed substatially. In conclusion, even though water is essential in sustaining the growth rate of plants, it is safe to say that excess amounts of water do not favor the optimum growth rate of plants. Excessive amounts of water mean that the roots are covered and constantly “drowning”, as such, the plant fails to receive adequate oxygen. Consequently, the roots rot and destroy the plant (Palta & Turner 145). Oxygen and water are equally important for the growth of plants. Similarly, type of soil determines the amount of water required to sustain optimum plant growth.
- Ali Rasaei and Saeidi M. Waterlogging and its effects on nitrogen of soil and plant. Biotechnology Reviews, 2012. Print. 3(1):119–124.
- Celik G, and Turhan E. Genotypic variation in growth and physiological responses of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings to flooding. Agency for International Development, 2011. Print.
- Palta JA, and Turner N.C. Effects of transient subsurface waterlogging on root growth, plant biomass and yield. Agricultural Water Management, 2010. Print.
- Pearce, Gardner F. Physiology of crop plants. The Iowa state University Press, 2012. Print.
