environmental science LAB REPORT WATER SUSTAINABILITY

Name: Jane Doe

Date: July XX, 2014

Instructor’s Name: Beverly Hamilton

Assignment: SCIE XXX Lab Report

Title: Using Scientific Method

Purpose

The purpose of this lab is to be to determine how much fertilizer is needed to

yield the most amount of Maize.

Introduction

Why is soil such an important part of cropping/ framing? In a paper prepared as

background in “Soil Biodiversity and Sustainable Agricultural” it clearly states that “the

improvement in agricultural sustainability requires, alongside effective water and crop

management, the optimal use and management of soil fertility and soil physical

properties..... Consider the issue of soil biodiversity and soil ecosystem management of

great importance to the achievement of sustainable, resources-efficient and productive

agriculture” (soil-biodiversity, 2013). So it is safe to say that soil is so important because

it is essential to our survival. Soil play a large role in one of our major food sources and it

doesn’t just affect human but animals as well.

Arable soil is commonly used in agriculture, which is due to its ability to grow various

kinds of crops. Nonarable soil however is not appropriate for agricultural purposes.

Nonarable soil is unsuitable because of reasons such as, lack of water, abundance of salt

or sand, high precipitation, etc. Nevertheless, nonarable soil can harvest crops so long it

is properly fertilized. Both arable and nonarable lands have been chosen as an

experimental cultivation site near the city of Melle, Germany where the yield of maize

Comment [BH1]: This should be a single sentence.

Comment [BH2]: This paragraph talks about the importance of soil.

was observed from 1990 through 1998. The climate variations have also been carefully

recorded on equally sized lots of both types of land.

Nitrogen is the key ingredient of proteins, which are the most important molecules of life.

“The use of nitrogen fertilizer is essential in modern agriculture because it increase the

crop yield by stimulating the growth rate of any plant. As nitrogen is accumulated, the

plants synthesize their proteins more efficiently” (M.U.S.E., 2013). The nitrogen

fertilizer helps produce plants it strengthens their structure and the plants become

immune to its environment even if the environment is inhabitable.

Hypothesis/Predicted Outcome

Based on the material collected, I trust that if arable and nonarable soil is

supplemented with the equal amounts of nitrogen fertilizer, the crop grown on arable soil

will grow healthier than that growing on nonarable soil.

Methods

The method of testing will involve the use of mineral nitrogen fertilizer in 10 arable and

10 nonarable sandy loam soils plots of the same size over the course of a year. Each plot

will have a different amount of nitrogen fertilizer added to the soil to measure the amount

maize growth to the amount of fertilizer. Starting with the controlled plot with no

fertilizer that will increase in amounts by 20kg per 100 acre plot ending with 180kg.

For this experiment two tables were used. Table 1, indicates the affect that nitrogen

fertilizer had on the crop in arable soil. Table 2, shows the impact of the nitrogen

fertilizer had on the crop, which grew on nonarable land. The fertilizer was controlled

and increased in increments of 20kg, beginning with zero kg per 100 acres until 180 kg

per 100 acres. The result of fertilization was calculated by the yield of Maize in

milligrams of dry mass per 100 acres per year.

Results/Outcome

Table 1: Maize Yield From Arable Soil

Comment [BH3]: This paragraph talks about the two types of soil.

Comment [BH4]: This paragraph talks about nitrogen and fertilizer.

Comment [BH5]: This should be a single sentence.

Comment [BH6]: This summarizes how the experiment was performed.

Amount of Mineral Nitrogen

Fertilization (kg per 100 acres)

Yield of Maize (mg of dry mass per

100 acres per year) in Arable Soil

0 8

20 10.7

40 13

60 15.2

80 16.4

100 18.2

120 19.2

140 20.8

160 20.4

180 20.1

Table 2: Maize Yield From Nonarable Sandy Loam Soil

Amount of Mineral Nitrogen

Fertilization (kg per 100 acres)

Yield of Maize (mg of dry mass per 100

acres per year) in Nonarable Sandy Loam

Soil

0 15.6

20 10.7

40 13

60 15.2

80 16.4

100 18.2

120 19.2

140 20.8

160 20.4

180 20.1

Discussion/Analysis

In conclusion, the numbers collected indicated that the nonarable soil produced

more Maize than arable soil. As the fertilizer was supplemented, still the nonarable soil

continued to produce more crops, as to the crop grown on arable soil. Furthermore, both

crops maxed growth when added 140 kg per 100 acres of nitrogen fertilizer. Both crops

yielded fewer crops when added 180 kg of fertilizer per 100 acres and bore the exact

same amount of crops that year.

References

AIU MUSE (My Unique Student Experience) 2007 Unit 1 Course Materials. Retrieved from

http://coursebuildercontent.careeredonline.com/Content.aspx?sun=6638

Agriculturalist, (N.D.). Arable and Nonarable Land. Retrieved from: http://www.agriculturalist.co.uk/Arable_and_Non_Arable_Land/

Arable. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/arable

Editorial Board, (N.D.). Biology. Words of Wisdom, LLC. eTextbook. CourseSmart Solutions. Retrieved from: American Intercontinental University Online.