AIM:

TO STUDY ESSENTIALITY

OF
MINERALS
AND
DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS OF ESSENTIAL MINERALS ON
PLANT GROWTH.

REQUIREMENTS:
CULTURE SOLUTIONS, GRAM OR MAIZE SEEDLINGS,
STERILISED BOTTLES, WEIGHING BALANCE.

THEORY:
PLANT REQUIRE MINERALS FOR NORMAL GROWTH
AND DEVELOPMENT.
MINERALS WHICH ARE NEEDED IN LARGE
QUANTITY ARE CALLED MACRONUTRIENTS. FOR
EXAMPLES, C, H, O, N, S, P, K, Ca, Mg AND Fe.
MINERALS WHICH ARE NEEDED IN SMALL
QUANTITY ARE CALLED MICRONUTRIENTS. FOR
EXAMPLES, Mn, Zn, B, Cu AND Mo.
HYDROPONICS= SOIL LESS CULTURES= TO RAISE
THE PLANTS IN SOLUTION CULTURES WITHOUT
USING SOIL.

HYDROPONICS IS USEFUL:
(a) IN AREAS WITH THIN, FERTILE ANDDRY SOILS
(b) TO FIND OUT THE ESSENTIALITY AND
DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS
OF
VARIOUS
MINERALS.
CRITERIA FOR ESSENTIALITY OF AN ELEMENT
IS:
(a) IT IS NECESSARY FOR GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT AND IT IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED
IN PLANT METABOLISM.
(b) IT CANNOT BE REPLACED BY ANY OTHER
ELEMENT.
(c)

DEFICIENCY OF THE ELEMENT PRODUCES

DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS.
DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS OR HUNGER SIGNS INCLUDE
CHLOROSIS, STUNTED GROWTH, NECROSIS,
PREMATURE
LEAF
FALL,
MALFORMED
LEAVES.
ESSENTIALITY
OF
MINERALS
CAN
DETERMINED BY GROWING PLANTS IN:

(a)

BE

KNOPS AND SACHS CULTURE SOLUTION

WHICH CONTAIN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT SALTS

IN SPECIFIC RATIO DISSOLVED IN DISTILLED

WATER.
(b)

SAND CULTURE, i.e. , WELL WASHED,

HEATED PURE QUARTZ SAND, MIXED WITH
CULTURE SOLUTION CONTAINING SPECIFIC
SALTS.

PROCEDURE:
1.PREPARE THE SACHS CULTURE SOLUTION BY
DISSOLVING THE FOLLOWING IN 1000ml
WATER.
NORMAL
SOLUTION
KNO3- 1g
CALCIUM
PHOSPHATE0.5g
MAGNESIUM
SULPHATE0.5g
CALCIUM
SULPHATE0.25g

-N
-Ca
-Fe
-Cl
SOLUTIO SOLUTIO SOLUTIO SOLUTIO
N
N
N
N
-------1g
1g
1g
0.5g
------0.5g
0.5g
0.5g

0.5g

0.5g

0.5g

0.25g

---------

0.25g

0.25g

SODIUM
0.25g
0.25g
0.25g
-------CHLORIDE0.25g
FERROUS
0.10g
0.10g
------0.10g
SULPHATE0.10g
2.GROW FEW GRAM SEEDS TILL THEY BECOME
SEEDLINGS.
3.

TAKE 5 STERILISED CONTAINERS A, B, C, D, E.

FILL CONTAINER A WITH NORMAL CULTURE
SOLUTION, B WITH (-N) SOLUTION, C WITH (Ca) SOLUTION, D WITH (-Fe) SOLUTION, E WITH
(-Cl) SOLUTION. COVER THEM WITH SPLIT
CORK LID.

4.PUT ONE SEEDLING IN EACH BOTTLE THROUGH

SPLIT CORK AND PROVIDE NORMAL LIGHT,
TEMPERATURE AND OXYGEN TO LET THEM
GROW.
5.RECORD YOUR OBSERVATIONS AGTER SOME
INTERVALS OF DAYS.

OBSERVATIONS:
SEEDLINGS

1st observation

2nd observation

3rd observation

RESULT AND
DISCUSSION
1.BOTTLE
A
GROWTH.

SHOWS

NORMAL

SEEDLING

2.BOTTLE B SEEDLING SHOWS DEFICIENCY

SYMPTOMS FOR NITROGEN LIKE CHLOROSIS
STARTING FROM OLDER LEAVES, DTUNTED
GROWTH.
3.BOTTLE C SEEDLING SHOWS DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS FOR CALCIUM LIKE STUNTED
GROWTH OF SEEDLING, NECROSIS AND
CURLING OF LEAVES.
4.BOTTLE D SEEDLING SHOW DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS FOR IRON LIKE INTERVIENAL
CHLOROSIS AND REDUCED GROWTH.
5.BOTTLE E SEEDLING SHOWS DEFICIENCY
SYMPTOMS FOR CHLORINE i.e. , LEAF WILTING,
CHLOROSIS AND NECROSIS; SWOLLEN ROOT
TIPS.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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TOGETHER WITH BIOLOGY LAB MANUAL

BIOLOGY
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

MADE BY
D Vardhan Raj
XII Science