Stem-202 Group Project 4

Participants: Nick Wolfe, Jason Savage, and Brandon Bonvino
Course: STEM Scholars’ Research Lab II, STEM-202-HN01
Professor: Jane Jones
Assignment Title: The Effects of Microwave Radiation on Seed Germination

Assignment Details

As the global population continues to rise, so does the demand for agricultural products. To meet this growing demand, increasing yield efficiency alone is not enough. Innovation and breakthroughs are needed. This study explores the potential of microwave treatment as a method to accelerate seed germination. By exposing the seeds to low amounts of microwave radiation, we aim to determine the optimal microwave exposure without causing thermal damage that would prevent germination. During the study, the seeds, under various amounts of radiation, will be observed for signs of an initial root and the time taken for it to emerge. Results will be compared to a control group of seeds germinating in water alone. If radiation exposure is able to reduce the time for the initial root to emerge, the microwaving technique is said to be successful, and if effective, this technique could offer a simple and scalable solution for increasing crop yield and helping to meet future food demand.

Application

20-25s had the best germination due to releasing enough power to:

• Loosen the seeds shell, making it more permeable
• Break its natural dormancy
• Increase membrane activity
• Accelerate metabolic enzyme activity

Other observations include:

• Lima bean size, water absorption, and how deep the embryo is can cause for data with multiple peaks, causing increments that made seeds break dormancy best:
  • 20s Early responders
  • 35s Delayed responders
  • 55s Deep dormant seeds

In terms of our goal, the 20-25s ranged showed the results we wanted, however due to the difference in seed characteristics, there are multiple peaks in data that shows that not all seeds are uniform and can slightly change when they germinate.

Results/Conclusions

Since the 20-25 second intervals performed better overall, showing there is a possible discussion for using microwaving as a method to speed up seed germination. This technique can help the world produce food quicker and more efficiently in economically poorer countries or places with intense climates.  

Challenges and Successes

Some of the challenges we faced during our assignment were during the data collection stage. Our test variables included varying amounts of water, growth environments and how many seeds per test group. We chose this method of seed germination because we thought it could be executed with the fewest number of variables while still getting valuable results. We did not realize that many of the variables in testing can alternate or make data obsolete. So, we had to revise our testing conditions and procedures to control some of the variables and because of this, we lost a week or two of time redoing tests.