Salinization Experiment
Soil Salinization is a serious threat to agriculture. Excessive salinity costs the United States billions of dollars each year. As new land comes into use, it is often in arid areas, which are highly susceptible to the problems associated with soil salinization. Irrigation water contains a variety of dissolved salts including NaCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, etc. When a field is irrigated, much of the water can evaporate, leaving these salts behind as a thin layer on top. Over time, salts build up on fields until the soil is so salty (salinized) that seeds will no longer germinate in the soil.
Problem:
How does increasing salt concentration affect the germination of plants?
Experiment:
The purpose of this lab was to determine what effect salt had on the process of seed germination. Groups used different amounts of salt concentration to determine how it affects germination.
