Salinity

Depending on the landscape or plant species under consideration, different environmental factors influence plant development. Environmental conditions affect plant growth by deciding the availability or uptake of important nutrients for plant growth (Lieth and Al Masoom 278). Simultaneously, the factors can result in environmental conditions that influence the physiological functioning of the plants. Temperature, soil conditions (salinity and pH), and light are some of the abiotic factors that influence plant development.

The aim of this experiment is to look into the impact of salinity on the growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants. Salinity affects the growth of plants negatively. Salinity is the amount of dissolved salts in soil water. A large amount of dissolved salts reduces the ability of the plants to uptake water leading to dehydration of the plants and growth inhibition.

Wisconsin Fast Plants

Wisconsin Fast Plants are plants with a really short life cycle. The plants were first engineered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by a plant pathology professor who was looking to develop plants that are resistant to diseases. The first fast plant was developed by cross-breeding fast growing plants (from brassica family) with other plant types. The typical life cycle of a fast plant is 40 days after which the seeds can be harvested. Due to the short life cycle, fast plants are useful for education and research purposes (Williams 1). In a laboratory setting, various aspects of the plant growth can be demonstrated by the use of such plants while for research the plants can be used to test for various conditions such as disease and pest resistant as well as drought tolerance ability of the specimen under study. The importance using the fast plants for learning is noted in the ability of the learners to observe the various changes in the specimen. It can also be noted that the changes are measurable and thereby allowing for better understanding of the effect of a variable on the growth and development of a plant type.

Salinity

Salinity is the independent variable in this experiment. Salinity in the soil is caused by various factors such as natural causes and human-induced salinity. The dissolved salt existing naturally in the soil occurs due to the accumulation of salts over a long time. The accumulated salts can result from weathering of rocks or oceanic salt transfer (Lieth and Al Masoom 279). Human induced salinity result from activities such irrigation with salty water, maintenance of poor drainage system, burning of land and other farming activities. The salinity of soil in a given area can be measured through the utilization of the soil electrical conductivity. A salt solution is an electrolyte capable of conducting electricity through the Na+ and Cl- ions. High concentration of salt (NaCl) is indicated by a higher the electrical conductivity that is measured in dS/m (Lieth and Al Masoom 280). The measurement is achieved in the laboratory by passing the electric current between two electrodes in a salinity meter containing the soil or water sample.

Significance of the Experiment

The effect of salinity on plant growth and development is mainly experienced in the reduced crop productivity and yield. Various researches are therefore being conducted to improve water quality while reducing the soil saline levels, especially in the agricultural sector. The present experiment will provide a laboratory-based quantification of the effect of salinity on plant growth and therefore lead to a better understanding of the concept.

Works Cited

Lieth, Helmut, and Ahmed A. Al Masoom, eds. Towards the rational use of high salinity tolerant plants: Vol 1: Deliberations about High Salinity Tolerant Plants and Ecosystems. Vol. 27. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Williams, P. H. “Wisconsin fast plants manual.” Carolina Biological Supply Company, Burlington, North Carolina, USA (1989).