Names of Research Team Members
Hunter Soltis, Victor Makali, Allison Poole, Lucy Monigle
Topic of the Grant Proposal
The purpose of our experiment is to determine the effect rainfall has on plants from three diverse ecotypes: Zloc-1, Can-0, and NZ1. When plants from the same ecotype are given differing amounts of water, we will see how changes in weather patterns affect the growth of the plant after it has germinated.
Background Information
Arabidopsis is known as a universal plant because it is found in almost every part of the world. It has been observed that particular Arabidopsis ecotypes have adapted to thrive in specific environments. These environments have varying climates, and the amount of water the plants expect depends greatly on the ecotype. We would like to know exactly how rainfall will affect the growth of three Arabidopsis ecotypes. These ecotypes are: Zloc-1 from Bulgaria,
NZ1 from Hamilton, New Zealand and Can-0, from the Canary Islands, Spain. The
selection of these ecotypes are based on the amount of water they have access to in
their given habitats. The Zloc-1 plant has adapted to a temperate environment, with regular rainfall equal to about 25.6 inches per year (http://www.wordtravels.com). The NZ1 plant has adapted to the high amounts of precipitation in its region, with more than 48 inches per year (www.climate-charts.com), while the Can-0 plant had adapted to thrive in a region with low precipitation, with average yearly rainfall rarely exceeding 10 inches (www.brittanica.com). If the plants from the different ecotypes are able to survive under atypical conditions, like under-watering or over-watering, then the durability and adaptability of the plant will be shown.
Hypothesis
We believe that atypical watering conditions, similar to real-life drought or monsoon conditions, will have a negative effect on the growth of the plant, specifically in the size of the stems.
Materials and Methods
· 18 seeds of ecotype Can-0
· 18 seeds of ecotype NZ1
· 18 seeds of ecotype Zloc-1
· Water
· Measuring glass
· Grow lights
· Soil
· 9 planting pots
· Caliper or millimeter stick
We will place six seeds of ecotype Can-0 in the soil of each of three pots, pot C-1, pot C-2, and pot C-3. Repeat for ecotype NZ1 into pot N-1, pot N-2, and pot N-3. Repeat for ecotype Zloc-1 into pot Z-1, pot Z-2, and pot Z-3. Germinate seeds for 2-4 days or until all seeds have germinated, under a photoperiod of 16hrs light/8hrs dark. Plants from N-1, Z-1, and C-1 will be the control group in the experiment, and they will be watered every other day with 20-25 mm of water per pot. Plants from N-2, C-2, and Z-2 will be under drought conditions, and will be watered every fourth day with 20-25 mm of water per pot. Plants from N-3, C-3, and Z-3 will be under monsoon conditions, and will be watered every day with 20-25 mm of water per pot. All plants will be kept under the same photoperiod of 16hrs light/8hrs dark, with the temperatures kept between 20° C and 25° C. We will measure the stem lengths of each plant once a week with a caliper or measuring stick.
Anticipated Results
We predict that all the plants from the drought group will be smaller than those from the control group. We predict that the plants from the control group will have the largest stems, with plants from the monsoon group and drought group reacting negatively to the atypical conditions they have been placed under. If plants from the drought and monsoon groups have smaller stems than the control group, the data will support our hypothesis. Additionally, we expect plants from the different ecotypes to perform best under conditions they are accustomed to. For example, Can-0 should perform best amongst the plants under drought conditions, NZ1 should perform best under monsoon conditions, and Zloc-1 under the control conditions. If the Can-0 plants are largest in the drought group, Zloc-1 in the control, and NZ1 in the monsoon group, then the data will support our hypothesis. Potential problems include the possible death of the plants from reasons related to the rainfall. Additionally, plants from C-3 and N-2 will face conditions that are the most extremely different from their environments. This may skew the data, but will more clearly show whether the hypothesis is correct. Our graphs will have an X axis with each pot (C-1, N-1, Z-1, C-2,...), and the Y-axis will show the average stem length for the plants in that pot. We will have a graph for both weeks, and a table with more comprehensive values that show every plant's stem length.