The Effects of Fertilizer on Plant Growth
Fertilizers are combination of minerals that nourish plants. However, use of too much fertilizer can have a negative impact on the growth of the crops or plants. That is why this amazing experiment has been designed to find out that how the amount of fertilizer used affects the growth of plants. This project falls under the Botany category and is a perfect science fair project idea for high school students in order to learn science in a hands-on manner. Moreover, this project play vital role in creating awareness about the right use of fertilizers in the proper growth of the plants and crops.
Aim: To find out the impact of fertilizer’s proportion on plant growth
Estimated time project: 10 days
Things you will need to conduct the experiment:
– 15 plant pots
– Soil
– Radish seeds
– Measuring tape
– Calculator
– Graph paper
– Water
Instructions
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1
Fill the pots with soil
Take 15 small pots and fill them with same amount of soil.
Note: You can use the plastic pots or the disposable tins in your home to keep the project a low-budget one. -
2
Add in radish seeds to the pots
Now place one radish seed in each of the pots. -
3
Divide the pots into groups
Now, divide the pots into five groups, three pots in every group. After that, label the groups as A, B, C, D, and E. -
4
Water the pots
Now, make sure to water the pots in group A at least two times in a day with 30 percent of the suggested quantity of fertilizer. Water the pots of group B with 60 percent, group C with 100 percent, group D with 120 percent and group E with 150 percent. -
5
Measure the height of the plants
Keep watering the plants for nine consecutive days and enjoy the various stages of the growth of radishes. Pick a measure tape on the tenth day and measure the height of the reddish plants. Now, calculate the average height for each group and record your findings accurately. -
6
Display your findings
Now, display your findings in a graph paper, showing the effects of the proportion of fertilizers on the growth of the plants. -
7
Why does this happen?
The radishes in group A and B were under fertilized and you can easily notice that the usage of too little fertilizer has limited the growing ability of the plant. What you can conclude from this fact is that “plants need the right amount of fertilizers in order to facilitate healthy growth.”
Now, you can clearly notice that the plants of group C are well nourished as compared to other groups. Check out the size of the radish, you will find them healthy and filling. It shows that the right ratio of fertilizers can have a very good in the growth of plants.
Come towards the plants of group D and E; you will find then leafy but weak and captured by various plant disease. It shows that the use of extra fertilizers leads to a variety of plant problems including, disease defenselessness, plant burn, and most probably plant death.”
