Sunday, February 19, 2012

Planting, Building, and Sprouting
On February 16th we planted our vernalized seeds. First we watered the soil with our test solutions, or just plain water, depending on the conditions we wanted. 


We tested wild-type seeds watered with
1) plain water (our control)
2) 1/4 tsp NaCl in 800mls
3) 1 tablespoon NaCl in 800mls
4) 350 mg crushed aspirin in 800mls 
5) 1 tsp table sugar in 800 mls
6) plain water (These seeds will get bat guano after germination because bat guano might inhibit germination.) 






We also planted mutant seeds in cells moistened with plain water.


The seeds were so small we had to pick them up in water with an eyedropper.


Each condition was tested in three separate "cells" of a multi-welled growing tray. The mutants were planted in six cells. Test conditions were separated by a row of plain dirt cells with no seeds.
Planting seeds


Picking up seeds

On Feb. 19th we noticed that the seeds were sprouting.
We counted the number of seedlings in each cell:

Wild type
water                                2,1,2 (5 total)
water (for bat guano)        2,2,0 (5 total)
low salt                             3,2,3 (8 total)
high salt                            0,0,0 (0 total)
sugar                                 0,1,0 (1 total) cell #1 moldy
asprin                                0,0,0 (0 total)


Mutants  
row 1                               1,1,1 (3 total) all cells moldy
row 2                               1,3,4 (8 total)

We concluded that high salt, sugar, and aspirin were inhibiting germination. 

Next, we hung some grow lights in a basement closet and put the germinating seeds under them. 

Our growing seedlings


          









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