i hate science projects. please help!?

Question

Im trying to figure out if microorganisms effect the rate the plant grows. Im using Lima Beans (is that good?) im going to plant them in 2 pots, bake one (to kill the microogranisms) then record what i see...
my question is...i want to make it seem more superior than what it seems. ive never put my all in science projects, and sorry, i dont have enough time to put much...
i know about nitrogen fixation. is there a website? or can any of you please help me? :[
its my senior year, and im in ap bio. i need it.

Answer 1

Phaseolus lunatus is a legume so adds its own nitrogen to the soil if it has the bacteria to become its symbiont. The nitrogen fixing rhizobia bacteria, (Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium), are available commercially as a pretreatment. The inoculum is applied directly to the seed prior to planting. The commercial rhizobial strains are selected for maximum fixation potential.
You could test several inoculants and an untreated control plant. Ideally you will grow at least two to three plants for each treatment and controls. This way you can average the results across several plants for greater accuracy in your results.
Will Phaseolus lunatus grow better with rhizobial innoculation? Compare commercial inoculums against the standard plant grown without inoculation in sterile media for optimal plant growth.

Possible plant variables:
Ambient temperature day and night.
Light intensity and duration.
Humidity
Nutrients in the soil.
Water and air in the soil.
Soil texture.
Soil pH
Buy enough sterile potting media to grow all the plants. (You do not want to introduce the variable of two bags being different somehow.) Use a matched set of sterile pots. If you are not sure the pots are sterile use alcohol to wipe them out after washing. Weigh out the same amount of soil for each pot so every plants gets the same.
Decide if you will want to add fertilizer or not and how that will effect your results. If you do choose to use any it must be added before planting so all plants receive the identical amount.
Give each plant the same measured amount of water. Use a moisture meter to measure the soil saturation, if you can, & keep a daily log.
Give each plant the same amount of light for the same amount of time. Control for the amount of light with a set of grow lights rather than daylight. Use a timer so the plants get the same amount each day. Adjusting the initial distance from the source so each plant gets the same exposure. Measure with a light meter each day and record the data if you use natural light.
What you are trying to do is reduce the possible differences in the plants environment so you are left with the one variable you are testing. If you can't use lights then you must try to place the plants so they each receive equivalent exposures.
You need to decide how you will measure growth differences. With bush beans one plant might grow taller while another was bushier so size is difficult. It may be better to harvest your plants at the end of their growth period. Remove them from the soil, wash the soil from their roots and weigh the entire plant. Examine the roots. Is there a visible difference in the inoculated plants, do they have nodules.

You will need research to show the validity of your work. Here are some example papers.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=425609
http://www.springerlink.com/content/h1v860u3k37tt67k/
www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/84/4/1309.pdf
http://www.fao.org/agris/search/display.do;jsessionid=4C1713BAE527FABA8760682BABA58950?f=./1989/v1510/GH8900054.xml;GH8900054

Answer 2

Well you can easily make it sound more superior by complicating the name. Use the scientific name for the lima bean you are using. Also, don't just put in microorganisms that are helpful but also pathogens. Don't forget to complicate the names because that is what makes it sound good in terms of other students. Now when it comes to teachers, they will see right through you so you still need to have a good experiment. I suggest using more then just a lima bean so that you can control that microorganisms don't just affect lima beans.

Answer 3

What form of popcorn is waiting the quickest? solid success Please do no longer purely blow it off. that would not be solid you additionally can ask your instructors. There job is to be happy to help.