Topic: Germination

Scenario: Three young men just completed their course of study at university. While they are job hunting they decide to farm red peas. Sam is from a flat area in Westmoreland where the soil is predominantly clay. Tom is from the hills of Gordon Town where water is lost from the soil easily because of the slopes and John is from southern St.Elizabeth where it is neither too flat nor too hilly. All three young men prepare the soil in the same way, select the same type of peas and plant them at the same time. There was an abundance of rainfall in all three areas and the temperature in the three areas was relatively the same. 20% of Sam’s peas grew, 50% of Tom’s peas grew and 98% of John’s peas grew. During a discussion all three men suggested that soil conditions contributed greatly to these results.

Hypothesis: Peas will survive and thrive best in loam soil. This is because the conditions and qualities of loam soil are those which are necessary for growth of peas. A few of these conditions are good water retention, good aeration and good drainage, which ensure that the pea gets all the required nutrients, has adequate space for roots to grow while not becoming waterlogged. Peas will not grow as well in silt soil, clay soil or sand soil as none of these contain all the required conditions or qualities needed for growth.

Aim: To investigate which soil type has the necessary conditions for the growth of peas.
Materials and Apparatus: 4 containers (transparent), loam soil, sand soil, clay soil, silt soil, water, 4 red peas, ruler, string, 4 petri dishes

Method: Measure equal amounts of loam, sand, clay and silt and place them into separate containers. Label containers depending on the soil type which each contains. Measure and record length of each pea, then plant one red pea in each container and leave all 4 containers at the same location. This is to ensure that all peas get an equal amount of sunlight and th...