ABSTRACT

There are various ways to determine the soil pH. Soil pH is essential for the
growth of the plant which determine colour of flower and also their growing state. Hence,
to study the effect of soil nature on crops that grow and to determine the types of crops
growth based on different soil pH, a natural way (red cabbage) is used as an indicator.
Red cabbage contains anthocyanin which will give rise to different colour in different pH
solution. Anthocyanin pigment is extracted from red cabbage using blender and immerse
it in hot distilled water. The initial colour of red cabbage solution is said to be neutral and
different solution of soil sample was tested using red cabbage solution. The result is then
analyzed.

INTRODUCTION

Soil nature is simply the chemical characteristic of the soil either acidic or
alkaline. Soil acidity and alkalinity basically determine the plant nature that grow at the
soil such as color of flower of the same species plant. Different species of plant will grow
base on different soil nature.

Although typical garden soil pH never hit the extremes, slight change in acidity
and alkalinity can affect the health and hardiness of your plants. Extremely alkaline soils
and extremely acidic soils tend to stunt plant growth because plants cant take up
nutrients effectively within these ranges. Highly acidic environments leach off plant
nutrients while highly alkaline soil locks up nutrients in the soil.

In this project, red cabbage juice is used as indicator to determine the soil either is
acidic or alkaline. Red cabbage juice contains anthocyanin which give the cabbage dark
red in color. Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red,
purple, or blue depending on the pH. They belong to a parent class of molecules called
flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway; they are odorless and nearly
flavorless, contributing to taste as a moderately astringent sensation. Anthocyanins occur
in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.
Anthoxanthins are clear, white to yellow counterparts of anthocyanins occurring in
plants. Anthocyanins are derived from anthocyanidins by adding sugars.

Anthocyanins can be used as pH indicators because their color changes with pH;
they are pink in acidic solutions (pH < 7), purple in neutral solutions (pH ~ 7), greenishyellow in alkaline solutions (pH > 7), and colourless in very alkaline solutions, where the
pigment is completely reduced. Anthocyanin generally degraded at higher pH to give a
lighter color solution.

Method of preparing red cabbage juice to test the acidity and alkalinity of a
chemical mixture is by Mr. James Watt, Engineer; it is announced and communicated by
Sir Joseph Banks, Bart, P.R.S on May 27, 1784. "The syrup of violets was formerly the
test of the point of saturation of mixtures of acids and alkaline, which was principally
used; but since the late improvements in chemistry it has been found not to be sufficiently
accurate, and the infusion of turnsole, or of an artificial preparation called litmus, have
been substituted in the place of it. Having occasion in winter to repeat some experiments,
in which the phlogisticated nitrous acid was concerned, I found my stained paper almost
useless. I was, therefore, obliged to search for some substitute among the few vegetables
which then existed in a growing state; of these I found the red cabbage (brassica rubra) to
furnish the best test, and in its fresh state to have more sensibility both to acids and
alkaline than litmus, and to afford a more decisive test ..."

Problem Statement:
What is the effect of soil nature on crops that initially planted?

Objective:
i) To study the effect of soil nature on crops that growth.
ii) To find the types of different medium of soil based on the soil.

METHODOLOGY
Material and apparatus:

5 types of different soils (River Soil, Swamp Soil, Garden Soil, Forest Soil &
Farm Soil.)

red cabbage

knife

boiling distilled water

distilled water

filter paper

One large glass beaker

250 ml beakers or other small beakers

NaOH (aq)

Vinegar

Procedure:
1. Chop the cabbage into small pieces until you have about 2 cups of chopped
cabbage. Place the cabbage in a large beaker or other glass container and
add boiling distilled water to cover the cabbage. Allow at least ten minutes for the
color to leach out of the cabbage.
2. Filter out the plant material to obtain a red-purple-bluish colored liquid. This
liquid is at about pH 7.

3. Pour about 50 - 100 mL of your red cabbage indicator into each 250 mL beaker.

4. Add vinegar, NaOH(aq) to two beakers of the red cabbage indicator. NaOH(aq) is
alkaline while vinegar is acidic.

5. Record down the colour change and determine the colour of acidic and alkaline in
the red cabbage indicator.

6. Five types of 50g soil are prepared and pour into 5 plastic cups. Then 100 ml of
distilled water is poured into each plastic cups. Filter out the soil solution with the
volume of 50ml.

7. Add the five types of soil solutions into each of the beaker which containing the
red cabbage indicator, observe and record down the final colour change.

RESULT
Type of soil
Swamp soil
River bank soil
Forest soil
Farm soil
Highland soil

Observation

Result

Reddish purple to blue

Alkaline

Remain unchanged

Neutral

Remain unchanged

Neutral

Reddish purple to red

Acid

Remain unchanged

Neutral

DISCUSSION
When swamp soil solution is poured into red cabbage solution, the initial reddish
purple colour of red cabbage solution turns blue. The result show that swamp soil is
alkaline as the anthocyanin degraded from quinonoidal base (reddish purple) to anionic
quinonoidal base (blue).Thus, mangrove plant growth better in swamp soil as it is
alkaline. Whereas soil solution of river, forest and highland do not show obvious changed
of red cabbage solution. Hence we deduce that river, forest and highland soil are neutral.
Example of mango trees usually growth in almost neutral soil. Farm soil solution changes
the red cabbage solution to red. This shows that farm soil is acidic as anthocyanin of red
cabbage degraded to flavyliumcation (red). Example of paddy plant is growth better in
farm soil as it is acidic.
Swamp soil is usually alkaline as its near seaside whereas farm soil is acidic due
to human activity. River, forest and highland soil are neutral because this contains
numerous mineral such as calcium carbonate which neutralize the soil and maintain its
neutrality.
In this experiment we have shown that colour of anthocyanin changes based on
different soil pH. Gardener usually cultures their plant in specific pH to control the
growth of their plant or to obtain different colour of flower. In example, hydrangeas
changes its colour based on soil pH from blue in acidic medium to red in alkaline
medium.

CONCLUSION
Usually, paddy plant growth better in farm soil as it is acidic. Whereas mangrove
plant growth better in swamp soil as it is alkaline. While mango tree usually growth in
almost neutral soil like river bank soil, forest soil and highland soil.

REFERENCE
Website
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbase1/a/red-cabbage-ph-indicator.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_cabbage
http://www.instructables.com/id/Red-Cabbage-pH-Indicator/

Books
Plant Soil Interaction at low PH: Principles and Management (Date R.A)
Field Experiments and Natural Experiments (Robert E. Goodin)