A rather well made presentation by Patrick Reilly
• This experiment served a practical purpose for my
Mom, a gardener
• I had very good tools for this experiment
• Who doesn’t love basil?
Which type of fertilizer should my mom use?
Compost, or Commercial fertilizer?
If plants are grown with compost, then they
will grow taller than plants grown with
commercial fertilizer
• Fertilizer: A special type of soil enriched in nutrients.
Can be natural or artificial
• Nitrogen: A main need for plants, nitrogen deposits
make enriched soils.
•
Compost: A way of recycling natural vegetable fruit, and
plant waste. Simply put say banana peel in compost
pile, and the decomposition adds nitrogen to the pile
making it a good fertilizer
• Basil: Scientific Name is Ocimum Bascilicum. It is a plant
commonly found in Mediterranean. Has many different
types like lemon basil. Grows very fast. Ideal for this
experiment.
Final Design Diagram:
TITLE: The Effect of fertilizers on plant growth
HYPOTHESIS: If plants are Grown with compost, then they will
grow taller than plants grown with commercial fertilizer.
IV: Fertilizer type
LEVELS Compost
Commercial Fertilizer
( 50% Soil 50% Miracle-Gro)
Unfertilized soil
TRIALS thirty basil plants
plants
thirty basil plants
thirty basil
DV: Plant growth ( height, in cm)
CONSTANTS: Amount and intensity of light, amount and
temperature of water, temperature and humidity of air, and
amount of soil/fertilizer.
Procedure:
1) Fill ALL rows in 3x10 planters with compost in one
planter, the commercial fertilizer and soil mixture and in
another, and plain soil in yet another different planter.
2) Plant one seed per cubicle 60 mm deep.
3) Turn on 120 volt 40 watt sunlamps (will be hanging
over plants about 1/3 Meter above
4) Before germination, spray a fine mist over seeds to
keep evenly daily. When germinated, give 15-20mL water
to each plant every other day. Once basil has grown
2.5cm, Water from the bottom of the planter once every
three days or until all water is gone
5) Once germinated (5-10 days after planting), measure
height in cm once every other week on Wednesdays and
Saturdays at 3:30PM.
6)Record results
Commercial
Fertilizer
Final
Results
Taken on
January 1
2011
Each cell
represents
9.5 cm
6 cm
8 cm
2.5 cm
7 cm
8 cm
7.5 cm
DEAD
4 cm
8 cm
7 cm
7 cm
4 cm
Compost
Final
Results
Taken on
January 1
2011
9 cm
6 cm
5.5 cm
7 cm
6 cm
DEAD
8 cm
One Plant
The
average
Plant
was
6.533 cm
tall
5 cm
10 cm
3 cm
DEAD
11 cm
9.5 cm 2 cm
7 cm
6.5 cm
5 cm
7.5 cm
DEAD
10 cm
11 cm
9 cm
11 cm
10 cm
Each cell
represents
One Plant
The
average
Plant
was
5.55 cm
tall
7 cm
5 cm
8 cm
7 cm
7 cm
DEAD
7 CM
8 cm
6 cm
5 cm
7 cm
DEAD
8 cm
6 cm
DEAD
7 cm
8 cm
DEAD
9 cm
4 cm
DEAD
7 cm
9 cm
Control
Final
Results
Taken on
January 1
2011
Each cell
represents
One Plant
The
average
Plant
was
1.3667
cm tall
DEAD
2 cm
2 cm
1.5cm
DEAD
DEAD
2.5cm
2cm
DEAD
2 cm
2 cm
DEAD
3cm
DEAD
1cm
1cm
DEAD
3cm
DEAD
1cm
2.5cm
2cm
DEAD
3.5cm
2cm
DEAD
1.5cm
2cm
3.5cm
1cm
charts
7
6
5
4
3
Height
2
1
0
Commecial
Fert.
Compost
Control
ANOVA test proves Null
Hypothesis right =(
Anova: Commercial v. Compost
SUMMARY
Groups
Count
Sum
Average
Variance
commercial
30
196
6.533333
11.17126
compost
30
166.5
5.55
9.350862
ANOVA
Source of Variation
SS
df
MS
F
1.413515
Between Groups
14.50417
1
14.50417
Within Groups
595.1417
58
10.26106
Total
609.6458
59
P-value
0.239319
F crit
4.006873
Anova: Single Factor
SUMMARY
Groups
Anova: Single Factor
Count
compost
30
dirt
30
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
Between
Groups
SS
262.5042
Sum
166.5
Groups
5.55 9.350862
41 1.366667 1.36092
df
MS
F
P-value
58 5.355891
Total
59
Count
dirt
30
commercial
30
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
Between
Groups
Within
Groups
SS
400.416
7
363.433
3
Sum
Average Variance
1.36666
41
7 1.36092
6.53333 11.1712
196
3
6
F crit
1 262.5042 49.01223 2.92E-09 4.006873
Within Groups 310.6417
573.1458
SUMMARY
Average Variance
Total
763.85
df
MS
F
P-value F crit
400.416 63.9021
4.00687
1
7
4 6.27E-11
3
6.26609
58
2
59
In the end, my null hypothesis was proved right instead of my hypothesis. This
is because my results were not significant enough to prove a difference
between compost and fertilizer. I did end up proving what should have been my
hypothesis in the first place: If plants are grown with fertilizer, then they will
grow taller than plants without fertilizer. My ANOVA tests completely
supported that hypothesis.
What Went Wrong: Errors and likewise stuff
• Sunburn on Plants?
• Sunlight lamps do not simulate real sunlight; sunlight isn’t
24/7
• Mold in CF
• Other plants growing in compost and control
• Mistakes in measuring, watering, temperature, humidity,
etc.(AKA Human error)
• The Effect of Fertilizers on Plant Weight
• The Effect of Fertilizers on Root Depth In Plants
• The Effect of Fertilizers on Plant Water Absorption
I have a funny hat