Senior High School Department
Laguna Campus
Effect of Different Amounts of Volcanic Ash from the Taal Volcano Eruption to the Growth of
Ocimum basilicum ​(Basil)
Ferma, Rance Gershon, B.
Pineda, Roberto Miguel, T.
Remigio, Pierre Aaron, M.
Tan, Jean Yuliong, C.
Update
1st Trimester, AY 2020-2021
September 18, 2020
Abstract & Table of Contents are missing.
Place this in DLSU “paper” (the one with border) even if this is just a draft.
Formatting will take so much time later on.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Every so often, volcanic activity occurs. Mt. Pinatubo, known for its global scale effect,
has affected and devastated thousands of humans and thousands of other species, such as plants.
Disasters like volcanic eruptions have a tremendous impact on an area that often leads to
property destruction, injuries, and even death. One specific effect this research wants to
potential beneficial effect… not yet sure if volcanic ash is beneficial
emphasize is not on the negative ones, but the beneficial effects unique to volcanic eruptions. As
humans have already studied and experienced first-handedly, ash clouds will cover the
atmosphere, leading to an abundant amount of volcanic ash everywhere when a volcanic eruption
occurs. Depending on the magnitude of the explosion, its range or eruption radius may vary
drastically. However, volcanic ash is commonly depicted as a terrible substance for the
environment. Since it is heavy and acts as a sun-resistant layer over plants, it strongly hinders
edit
photosynthetic activities and transpiration from commencing. Volcanic ash is fragments of
magma and consists of minerals, and volcanic glass made up of SiO​2​, TiO​2​, Al​2​O​3​, FeO, MnO,
MgO, CaO, Na​2​O, and K​2​O (Nakagawa & Ohba, 2002). This eventually leads to the death of the
Long sentence.
Shorten/simplify.
affected species; this is mostly the case with volcanic eruptions; it will kill nearby plants and
destroy the environment. Due to the uncommon occurrences of ashfall throughout history,
humans could still find uses for volcanic ash such as high-temperature tolerant cement or
abrasives for soap. However, volcanic ash does not only have practical benefits, such as the
Is sulfur the only contributing factor that makes the volcanic ash acidic?
aforementioned byproducts. Mention other elements or minerals that could possibly cause lower pH
of volcanic ash.
1
In the field of botany, ash could potentially have effects that could change the way people
In the paper of Nakagawa et al., there’s no mention of sulfur. Find a supporting literature.
grow plants and vegetables. With a composition of high sulfur levels, integrating ash into the soil
could prove beneficial to acid-loving plants. According to the Natural Resources Conservation
Year?
Service (NRCS), acid-loving plants prefer pH soil levels of 6.5 and below. Due to the ash's
elevated sulfur levels and low pH level, non-acidic plants may not survive, while acid-loving
plants may thrive from its low pH nature. Acid-loving fruits grow more efficiently on soils with
a pH level of 4.0 to 5.0, while some acid-loving vegetables will prefer a pH soil level of 4.5 to
5.5. In addition to this, soils succeeding in a volcanic eruption yields the most fertile and
productive soil (Fiantis et al., 2019). Individual plants grown in such soils could thrive and
develop into healthy, high-yield plants. With the addition of ash with characteristics such as
sulfur and a fine-grained nature into soils within the affected radius, pH levels drop due to rapid
oxidation (Fiantis et al., 2019). In 1991, the explosion of Mt. Pinatubo paved the way for the
commencement of several studies looking into the spewed product's composition. According to
Shoji et al. (2002), the ash coming from the volcano mixed with the surrounding soils create
opportunities for vegetation, grass, and leguminous growth due to high amounts of P​2​O​5​.
1.2
Problem Statement
With the recent eruption of the Taal Volcano, many have witnessed its effects with
accompanying terror from the rare phenomenon. Acres of land and water completely engulfed by
ash, thousands of crops killed, and hundreds of homes rendered uninhabitable are just some of
the catastrophic effects of the eruption. The aftermath of such events led to stockpiles of ash left
2
on the streets. Several cleanup operations have already finished since January, leaving the streets
of the affected areas relatively clean. The problem is that all that ash was rendered useless by
disposing of it rather than looking for ways to make use of its unique composition. As of today,
volcanic ash is known to be a great material for the structural integrity of bricks as compared to
the usage of cement (Salamah & Maryudi, 2016). Volcanic ash could potentially open many
doors to new developments in different areas. With the utilization of the excess volcanic ash, the
growth of acid-loving plants could improve. As studies have shown, the composition of volcanic
ash leads to its high acidic nature. The problem arises: does volcanic ash indeed aid in the
development/growth of acid-loving plants?
1.3
This part of the manuscript is a statement (not question).
This part should answer the research gap.
What has not been done yet according to the literature that you
have read about the possible use of volcanic ash?
Revise this part.
Objectives
Avoid this form in writing scientific paper In research, it’s not always successful. Revise.
Discuss directly to
the point.
This study's primary goal is to undergo a successful experimentation process to prove that
fresh?
unfiltered volcanic ash has botanic advantages. Being a study focused on plant development
through natural means, hypothesized results could pave the way for future researchers to perform
their trials with variables unique to their experiment. To achieve the projected outcome of this
research, the researchers’ general objective in conducting this study is to determine the effect of
utilizing volcanic ash on basil’s growth. The research will put emphasis on utilizing volcanic ash
and how it affects acidic loving plants. To break down the group’s general objective, the
Present specific objectives in numbered or bullet forms.
researcher group has provided specific objectives in conducting the research: To characterize
pure loam soil, volcanic ash, and soil mixture by determining its acidity (pH), to prepare
different concentrations(weight/weight) of loam soil and volcanic ash, to conduct the
experimental procedure using the different amounts of volcanic ash and lastly to tabulate the and
3
analyze observations taken from all individual trials. The research will also conduct multiple
trials to be able to find the most effective soil concentrations.
1.4
Use past tense at this point.
Significance of the Study Improve. Observe carefully how scientific papers were written.
This study's findings can be used as supporting evidence towards volcanic ash's overall
knowledge, a resource regarded as pollution. This will be benefiting the agricultural sector as this
Not sure if this paper will be beneficial at all.
could be used as an excellent addition to loam soil when growing acid-loving plants. Since
volcanic ash contains sulfur, the addition of this to loam soil may lower the overall soil's pH
level, creating an acidic soil composition that is benefited by acid-loving plants. This innovative,
costless, and inventive soil composition with volcanic ash could drastically reduce the expenses
of those looking to grow acidic loving plants when choosing an efficient soil composition. This
allows more funds to be allocated toward everyday essentials such as food, water, electricity, and
more, especially now that we are in a pandemic that has given birth to more plant enthusiasts.
Furthermore, this provides a framework for further studies regarding volcanic ash's
feasibility as soil, thus making this particular soil composition evidence-based. If the research is
successful, volcanic ash will prove an effective way to maximize available resources—making
volcanic ash a more sought after product when growing acid-loving plants. This paves the way
for acid-loving plant research and studies. Continuous research could investigate safety and
health issues regarding volcanic ash's toxicity as soil, significantly when growing about
consumable plants. However, until there is a reliable and sustainable volcanic ash source, a
product cannot be born from this concept due to volcanic eruptions' uncommon occurrence.
4
Discuss directly what delimits the study.
Delimitations are set bounderies (or fixed parameters during experimentation). By not
fixing those parameters, the results may be impossible to replicate by other
researchers. Ex. You only tested these particulary amounts of volcanic ash, no
addition of commercial fertilizers, etc.)
1.5
Scope and Delimitations
& many more like this (’s)
Considering basil’s planting requirements, such as soil acidity, the effects of the volcanic
ash only from the Taal Volcano eruption is to be tested. Because of the method of gathering the
volcanic ash, it may not be considered pure. Other small particles, such as dust or dirt, may have
been mixed in with its composition. By using an initial and final measurement for each setup
containing different volcanic ash concentrations, the height difference signifies a change in
development in the plant. "Plant height is also an important part of a coordinated suite of
life-history traits including seed mass, time to reproduction, longevity, and the number of seeds a
plant can produce per year (Moles & Leishman 2008)." (Moles et al., 2009). Succeeding the
experimentation phase of the research, definite conclusions are necessary to determine whether
there is indeed an effect of including volcanic ash into basil growth. With thorough
experimentation, whichever setup yields the best results in terms of growth development will be
deemed the most efficient concentration mixture (volcanic ash and acidic soil).
The study's different contributing variables will be determined to maximize the effect of
growth on the plant to see evident and definite observations. Precisely, variables such as volcanic
How to control exposure in light?
ash in soil, the amount of exposure in light, and the amount of water will be controlled. The
chosen seed, basil, will come from one source to ensure no differences in seed variety. The
selected variables that follow the criteria will be used because these are essentials to plant
basil that has already been germinated for (time period)
development. This research will use only basil as the experiment's subject as it is easy to grow
and high in demand as an ingredient for meals. According to Al-Maskari, et al. (2012), Ocimum
basilicum or basil is known to prefer acidic soil (6.4 pH ), making it into an acid-loving plant.
I get what you’re trying to say but consider revising.
5
With this in mind, the researchers will revolve around the 6.4 pH soil level when conducting the
experiment trials to ensure growth and accurate results.
This could be in the methodology part.
Due to the safe nature of the materials and procedures used in this experiment, this
research contains no potential risks to the environment and the researchers. The researchers can
experiment without putting each other in any form of danger due to the absence of dangerous
chemicals or harmful pesticides related to the investigation.
1.6
Definition of Terms
Add introductory paragraph for the table. Also, put a proper caption to the table below.
Acid-loving plants
Prefer a pH level of 6.5 and below. (NRCS, 1998)
Basil
Has a culinary importance all over the world and can also be used for
medical purposes, it is an aromatic plant that comes from species of
herbs and shrub species belonging to genus ​Ocimum ​L.(Lamiaceae)
(Singletary, 2018).
pH
Is a measure of acidity or alkalinity in the soil. It is also called soil
reaction (NRCS, 1998)
Soil composition
According to Kalev and Toor (2017), "A soil normally contains
approximately 45% solid material, 5% organic matter, and 50% pore
spaces, which are occupied by an equal proportion of water and air."
This is an example of soil composition.
Volcanic Ash
Ash. Fine fragments of magma released when an eruption happens
primarily containing minerals and volcanic glass (Nakagawa &
Ohba, 2002)
VA​x
Volcanic Ash ​amount of ash in kilograms
Time 0
The day when the plants were transplanted (start of experiment)
6
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter contains the different studies supporting the researchers' research using
unfiltered volcanic ash as mixture to soil for the plant basil. These related literature involve
volcanic ash, integration to cement mixtures, volcanic ash properties that contribute to plants'
development, the importance of soil acidity, and the plant basil.
2.1
Volcanic Ash
Often regarded as a calamity or nothing but destruction, volcanoes have been around for
a long time, and since then, there have been multiple eruptions around the world. With every
great calamity, it is also essential to look at the bright side of things. When an eruption occurs, it
spews volcanic ash, which is fine fragments of magma consisting of minerals and volcanic glass
(Nakagawa & Ohba, 2002). Due to its abundance of minerals, it has a lot of different
applications. Similar research mentioned above includes the following: integration of volcanic
ash to strengthen further cement blocks, volcanic ash soils, and other products such as hand soap,
toothpaste, etc. Significant results like the effect of tephra and different kinds of fertilizer are
?
I believe you can do better in writing this manuscript.
also mentioned above. This research paper would like to review this literature because it
Th i s i s a l r e a d y o b v i o u s .
L i tprovide
erature review should
dramatically benefits this paper’s objectives and goals. These works of literature
provide readers idea on the
how the researchers come up
essential information on volcanic ash, thus helping reinforce the researchers’ hypothesis.
with their hypothesis. Thus, no
need to say this.
According to Nakagawa & Ohba (2002), prevalent and essential minerals can be found in
tephra. Tephra is a term for rock fragments or particles that are emitted during a volcanic
7
eruption. When integrated into the soil, it not only renews the earth but sustains its productivity
Noted. Part of the NPK.
as well (Fiantis et al., 2019). One of the significant essential plant nutrients (potassium) can be
found in volcanic ash (Nanzyo, 2002). The application of potassium has been observed and
Text
found to make improvements to growth and yield. But this will have significant improvements
when the mineral, potassium, can not be found on the plant (Ahmad et al., 2016). Though it may
be a minor component to ash, it will still pave its way to soil development. Similar research
regarding soil development will always discuss how there is a relation between volcanic ash
infused soil and soil fertility. In an experiment conducted by Tsuyuzaki & Moral (1995), the land
plots for the experiment were found using vegetation near the volcano.
Needless to say.
Previous literature regarding volcanic ash has been the basis of this research. The
research’s hypothesis was made with combined knowledge from multiple sources. This includes
volcanic ash properties to volcanic ash soils. With the benefits, ash can bring and its accessibility
Fiantis?
to a specific mass. Plants will primarily develop because of these. As Fiatnis et al. (2019) states,
the spread of ash during an eruption is essential to the global carbon cycle. Not only that, but
arguably, the most significant benefit of an eruption despite its destruction is that all soils
affected by volcanic ash will renew after some time. Thus, the use of volcanic ash will benefit the
masses in a big but subtle way.
2.2
Soil pH
Being wary of the long-term effects of soil management practices on soil pH is required
for healthy plant growth. Soil pH plays an essential role in multiple soil processes. These include
8
solubility and availability of plant nutrients, microbial activity and decomposition of soil organic
matter, sorption of contaminants, and various physicochemical processes involved in
biogeochemical cycling. Soil pH serves as an index of soil weathering and mineral
transformation. It is one of the most measured parameters. It also measures the soil quality and
establishes pedotransfer functions, the predictive roles of individual soil properties using data
from soil surveys (Kogge et al., 2018). Soil pH is frequently referred to as a "master variable" by
soil chemists as it controls ion exchange, dissolution/precipitation, reduction/oxidation,
adsorption, and complexation reactions (Mcbride, 1994; Kogge et al., 2018). As soil pH is a
measurement of acidity or alkalinity (NCRS, 1998), it is a critical factor in determining the soil
quality towards this research as basil is an acid-loving plant.
The research about soil pH will guide learning the proper way of integrating the volcanic
ash into the soil to have the right soil composition. Having an adequate amount of pH level in the
soil is crucial in bringing the plant's best condition. Basil grows well in soil with a pH range of
4.3 to 8.2, and it has the desired pH value of 6.4 (acidic) (Al-Maskiri et al., 2012). This would
mean that basil would have a better growth with acidic soil. For a soil to become an acidic soil,
In chapter 1, it was sulfur.
the soil should contain high parent material elements such as silica (rhyolite and granite)
(McCauley et al. 2017). High levels of sand should be present to resist the change of pH level in
Did you put high levels of sand in your setup to prevent significant changes in pH? Just wondering.
the soil. Acidic types of soil are most commonly found in the regions with high amounts of
precipitation ( Jones et al., 2017)
9
2.3
Start new sentence.
Basil
Ocimum basilicum ​or sweet basil is one of the most popular herbs grown globally; it is
called one of the "kings of herbs" along with ginseng, reishi mushroom, soma, and tarragon.
Ocimum ​comes from the ancient Greek word okinom, which means smell. It is an annual herb
belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). O.basilicum has been grown for over 5000 years and
is indigenous to India and other areas in tropical Asia. Its desired conditions are found in
Noted.
countries with a warm climate. According to Al-masakari et al. (2012), "Warmth, light and
moisture are the key ecological requirements for basil cultivation." O. basilicum is an erect,
branching herb, 0.6–0.9 m high with high smooth stems and branches, usually green but
sometimes purple. The leaves are simple, and oppositely, they are 2.5–5 cm or longer, ovate with
an acute tip; the margins are entire, more or less toothed or lobed (Jayaweera, 1981, cited by
Bilal et al., 2012). The petiole is 1.3– 2.5 cm long. Basil is used as a sweet-smelling herb and is
?
an impressively aromatic plant. After seven days, germination shows can already be found and
Meaning the plant is already mature.
can be harvested 30-35 days after planting (Hamasaki et al., 1994). Different variables, including
aroma, and taste, are used to describe a variety of basil ecospecies. The height of plant ranges
and leaf color depends on its species (Hiltunen and Holm, 1999 & Al-maskari, 2012). Basil has
different uses ranging from culinary use, insecticide, and traditional medicine. In terms of
culinary, basil as a gastronomic herb could be found in multiple dishes, vegetables, poultry, and
fish (Makri et al., 2008). It could be blended with other herbs such as garlic, oregano, and many
more with basil's flexibility. Some evidence suggests that basil has powerful insecticidal
properties. There was research wherein ​Ocimum basilicum​ essential oil repelled the red flour
beetle (Mohiuddin et al., 1987; Nahak et al., 2011 & Al-maskari et al., 2012). According to
10
Al-maskari et al. (2012), "Basil leaves have been used to treat fever, coughs, flu, asthma,
influenza, bronchitis, colds, chickenpox and diarrhea, and they can lower the cholesterol level in
blood and act as anti-stress agents."
11
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
Add introductory paragraph.
3.1
Materials/Equipments
Add introductory paragraph.
Table 1: ​Materials Used
Classify items. For equipment, place brand/model.
Qty.
Item
Description
Price (₱)
16
Pot
16 identical pots measuring D:11in, H:9in.
960
16
Basil seedlings
X weeks old seedlings
1,120
X
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash was harvested during the Taal
eruption and different amounts (g) will be
used in 2/4 setups.
0
Loam
Each member gets 10 kg of loam. Loam
will be used because it is the most basic
form of garden soil
560
4
Jollic pH indicator
Each member will receive identical pH
level indicators for measurement of soil
acidity with their respective trials.
976
1
Escali Gram Scale
To be used for mass concentration
calculations to be done by one member.
0
4
Net
To minimize or eradicate pest infestations,
net usage will protect the plant.
766
4
Ruler/Meter stick
To measure the growth height of the plant
in centimeters
0
40 kg
Total:
3.2
4,382
Appendix for prices.
Procedure
Amidst this pandemic, the options to carry out a successful experimental research are
now extremely limited. In the absence of a physical meeting, the researchers decided to conduct
This could be part of the script when presenting. In paper, go
straight away with the presentation of the procedure.
12
the experiment individually. To gather the materials necessary for the completion of the
experiment, the group acquired the equipment and the components from one source, through
physical and online purchases. Each member of the group has designated tasks in doing the
experiment. There are 16 pots in total, and since there are four members in the group, each
member received and tended to 4 pots throughout the entire experimentation period. Before the
researchers proceed to the planting of basil, measurements of the pot's soil capacity commenced.
Since every setup will be identical, measurements on one pot shall suffice, and the procedure
will be replicated on the rest of the setups.
To determine how much soil the pot can hold in grams, the pot was filled up to a certain
point with the soil used (loam), and once filled, the soil's weight was recorded. Each pot
contained different amounts of volcanic ash and soil while similar basil plants were planted in
each pot. To meet the optimal pH level that basil thrives in (5.5-6.5 pH), every member of the
research group was tasked to measure the loam soil's pH level in all of the assigned pots,
kg
respectively. The four pots assigned to each member contained 2 kilograms of loam and the
VA-0 perhaps…
following amounts of volcanic ash: pure soil and no ash (Pot VA​0kg​), pure soil and ​0.5 ​kilograms
of volcanic ash (Pot VA​0.5kg​), pure soil and ​1 ​kilogram of volcanic ash (Pot VA​1kg​), pure volcanic
ash and no loam soil (Pot VA​2kg​). Weight per weight percentage allowed the researchers to
express the concentration of the solution. In this case, both the solute (volcanic ash) and the
solvent (soil) are solids. Hence, the utilization of a weight per weight concentration unit. This
concentration helped in showing which concentration percentage has more effect on the plant's
growth. The amount of solute divided by the amount of solution multiplied to a 100% would be
13
the percent composition of the soil. The researchers concurrently planted basil in all pots and
were tasked to report each observation, whether it may be a change in height, damage to a
Do not mention particular month. Period maybe?
specific trial, or perhaps pest infestation every Friday starting from the third week of November
(time 0) until the second week of January (week 8). The research made use of the weight per
weight percentage. The percent by the mass formula will be used: (mass of solute/mass of
solution) x 100.
As for how the measurements were taken for the three parameters, namely plant height,
leaf count, and leaf surface area, tools such as a ruler and ImageJ software were utilized to
effectively gather the data needed over the course of 8 weeks. However, only the plant height
and leaf count were recorded for 8 consecutive weeks. The data taken for the leaf surface area
was only an initial and final measurement; time 0 and week 8 respectively. To measure the plant
height, the base of the ruler was placed and aligned with the base of the basil’s stem (​Figure 1.0).
Measuring the leaf count simply meant counting every single leaf within the pot. Each pot
consisted of either 3 or 4 stalks of basil and counting the leaves was a total of all the stalks
combined. Finally, a java-based program called ImageJ was used to accurately measure the leaf
area. To use it, a picture of the leaf was taken and imported into the computer for the program to
analyze while taking into consideration the focal distance and pixels of the image ​(Figure 1.1).
14
Figure 1.0
Figure 1.1
Add proper captions. Refer to scientific literature that you have read as example.
Table 2: ​Planting Setup (Height of Basil)
How did you introduce the volcanic ash?
Plant height (cm)
temp?
Amount of
Volcanic ash
added (g)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
ΔT
VA0kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA0.5kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA1kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA2kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
15
​Table 2.1: ​Planting Setup (Number of Leaves)
Week 1
Number of Leaves
Amount of Volcanic
ash added (g)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
ΔT
VA0kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA0.5kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA1kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA2kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
Table 2.3: ​Planting setup (Leaf Area)
Leaf Area
Amount of
Volcanic ash
added (g)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
ΔT
VA0kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA0.5kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA1kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
VA2kg
​
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
x​week1
16
3.3
Research Design
This research will undergo a three-month experimentation period covering materials,
planting process, tabulation, and data analysis. According to Cash et al. (2016), an experimental
research design, whether quantitative or qualitative, can be defined as a collection of
observations through recorded operations and in well-defined conditions. Succeeding the
aforementioned description is a thorough analysis of the data collected and relating it to the
hypothesis to test it. By utilizing an experimental research design, the researchers can test the
hypothesis and conclude backed up with valid data from the experiment. This study usage of
experimental design will be used to assess the relationship between volcanic ash and the height
of basil after the experimentation period. The data collected will be the basis for the conclusions
to be made at the end of this research.
Figure 2: ​Research Design Showing Three Different Parameters per Trial
17
3.4
Data Analysis Strategy
During the three-month experimentation period, constant observations and measurements
will be taken to compute the plant basil's average growth. In measuring the plant, a ruler or meter
stick will be utilized to measure the plant's height in centimeters to show evident changes. The
ruler will be placed from the container's border to the top of the main plant stem. To measure the
plant area, researchers will make use of a program called ImageJ. In comparison, the number of
leaves will be counted and observed usually. The garden soil tends to condense from being
watered over time; that is why measuring from the container's border would give more accurate
data. Using Microsoft Excel to record the data collected, the average height of the plant upon
reaching the harvest will be computed by adding all the records and dividing it by the number of
times the height was recorded. After calculating the basil's average growth height, comparing
which of the following amounts of volcanic ash added has the highest average plant growth.
18
CHAPTER 4
?
4.0
Results
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Classify the results into subparts. Make the specific objectives as guides.
Results & discussions always come together.
As the researchers observed, the plant height had an average increase of 2.01cm per week
for VA​0​, 1.99cm per week for VA​.5kg​, 2.86cm per week for VA​1kg​, and 2.58cm per week for
VA​2kg​. The average increase of the plants’ height was taken through finding the slope yielded by
the trendline of each graph (​Figures ​3.0. 3.1, 3.2​, ​and 3.3​). From this data that the members have
gathered, it can be concluded that VA​1kg has the highest average increase which is 2.86cm per
week. To show a more understandable point of view of the data, the data of each plant is
combined into one graph to compare the growth beside each other ​(Figure 4.0).
For leaf count ​(Figure 5), it is shown in the graph that VA​0 has a continuous increase of
leaves as weeks pass by. For VA​.5kg ​it reached its peak on week 5 and plateaued shortly after.
VA​1kg had
a constant number of leaves within week 2 to week 5 and showed a sudden significant
​
increase in number of leaves. Throughout eight weeks, the number of leaves of VA​2kg shows an
inconsistent increase and decrease in the number of leaves. An increase can be seen in week 3 to
4. Conversely, there was a decrease from weeks 5 to 7 and then a sudden increase in week 8.
The researchers took pictures of the basil leaves and used ImageJ to measure, analyze,
and process the images to gain more accurate results; compared to measuring its surface area
manually using a ruler. With this application we were able to measure the area and compare the
initial leaf area to week 8’s area to know how much it has increased and which pot has the
highest area value. Starting from the pot which has the lowest average surface leaf area, VA​.5kg
with 13.76 cm​2​, VA​0 with 17.95 cm​2​, VA​2kg with an area of 22.71 cm​2​, and the pot with the
19
highest leaf area, was VA​1kg​ with an area of 24.93 cm​2​.
Show R^2 value
cm
Figure 3.0: ​Plant Height of Pot VA​0 in
a Span of Eight Weeks.
​
Figure 3.1:​ Plant Height of Pot VA​.5kg ​ in a Span of Eight Weeks.
20
Figure 3.2: ​Plant Height of Pot VA​1 kg in
a Span of Eight Weeks
​
Figure 3.3: ​Plant Height of Pot VA​2kg​ in a Span of Eight Weeks
21
Revise first everything then let’s see.
Legend:
Figure 4.0: ​Combined Height of Basil Plants in a Span of Eight Weeks
Figure 5.0: ​Combined Leaf Count of Basil Plants in a Span of Eight Weeks
22
4.1
Discussion
The research design formulates three different parameters that manifest plant growth.
With the gathered data from 8 weeks of experimentation period, each trial in each parameter has
shown change between the initial and the preceding week. The increasing parameters may prove
useful to the amount of sunlight the plants receive hence providing more glucose or food for the
plant in order to grow. Each pot gaining varying results on different parameters shows that each
parameter benefits from its own concentration of volcanic ash.
4.1.1
Plant Height
For the first week, there was a sudden increase in height for all trials with a ​ΔT range of
6-8 cm. It was hypothesized that the sudden increase might be natural plant growth since the
initial height (time 0) was based off of seedlings, or newly germinated seeds. The sudden
changes started to mellow down starting from week 3 and continued to grow at a constant rate of
2-3cm per week until week 8. A possible cause for this occurrence is the basil plant nearing its
maturity stage. Pots VA​1kg and VA​2kg have a significantly higher difference in average growth per
week as compared to the average growth rate per week of pots VA​0kg and VA​0.5kg​. Pot VA​1kg
averaged 2.86 cm of growth per week. Being the highest out of all four concentrations, pot VA​2kg
came in second with an average growth per week of 2.58 cm. As observed, the two pots with the
highest concentration of volcanic ash had the highest average increase in plant height growth.
The experimentation period ended at week 8 with pot VA​1kg being the tallest plant with an
average height of 31.7 cm; which may prove the presence of a snowball effect on the height of
the basil. Basically, the taller the plant, the more sunlight it may receive which may affect its
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plant growth. The second tallest plant is VA​2kg,​; which could prove that a more concentrated
amount of volcanic ash is potentially beneficial to the height of acidic plants. Although, since the
focus of this research is on basil only, it is unknown whether other acidic plants will also benefit
from higher concentrations of volcanic ash in terms of plant height. Adding to this, pot VA​0.5kg
resulted in having the lowest height with a total average height of 23.7 cm. The researchers
hypothesized that this might be because of the loam-ash mixture not equating to a pH level of
<6.5. As for pots VA​1kg and VA​2kg had a pH level reading of <6.5; hence, fitting the definition of
acidic soil.
4.1.2
Leaf Count
The basis behind including basil leaf count in the parameters is the concept of “more
leaves means more sites for glucose production”. Unlike the plant height, the average leaf count
per week was a gradual increase; meaning there is no evident sudden increase in the number of
leaves. In week 3, the rate of increase in leaf count began to slow down. In general, both leaf
count and plant height’s development showed signs of slowing down. It can be said that starting
from week 3, the basil plant’s growth slowed down because it was approaching maturity. The pot
that ended with the highest leaf count is VA​0kg ; which had 40 leaves in average of all three trials.
From week 0 to week 8, there was an increase of 17 leaves. The second plant with the highest
leaf count is VA​1kg​. It had 39 leaves in average of all three trials and had an increase of ~18
leaves from week 0 to week 8. Though VA​0kg ended with the highest number of leaves, it had a
lower increase of leaves from initial to final as compared to VA​1kg​. As observed, VA​1kg has the
highest increase of leaf count with 18 leaves, with VA​0kg being second to that. The researchers
hypothesized that since VA​1kg is the tallest, its height had an effect on the number of leaves
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increased since a higher plant height equates to more exposure to sunlight. This proves that leaf
count is directly related to the plant height or the amount of exposure to sunlight the plant
receives.
4.1.3
Leaf Surface Area
Similar to the leaf count, the size of the leaf plays a role in how much glucose could
actually be produced by the plant; for the main goal of this research was to prove volcanic ash’s
positive effects on basil’s growth. At time 0, VA​1kg​ had the highest initial leaf surface area. It
was able to maintain its lead ending with a highest final leaf surface area of 24.932 cm​2​. VA​1kg
also had the highest change in leaf surface area out of all the pots. There is a small difference
between the increase in surface area from week 0 to week 8 of VA​1kg​ and VA​2kg​ with both
numbers rounding up to 16.5 cm​2​. With this, we are able to say that a higher concentration of
volcanic ash in the soil composition will lead to a high leaf surface area increase as compared to
VA​0kg and
VA​0.5kg​. Similar to the case in leaf count, the researchers observed that a higher plant
​
height overall increased the growth of the leaf in terms of surface area.
25
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For chapter 2 :)
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_052208.pdf
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/management/soil/soil-properties/ph-levels#:~:text=Soi
ls%20can%20be%20classified%20according,5.5%20are%20considered%20strongly%20acidic.
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