INTRODUCTION

The method of growing plants is commonly known

as “HYDROPONICS”. Probably you know that
just as we get our nutrients from food, generally
plants get their nutrients from the soil. To thrive,
plants need both macronutrients (like carbon,
nitrogen, and phosphorus) and micronutrients (like
iron, sodium, and zinc). Soil can contain all of
these. Hydroponics is a method for growing crops
without soil where water serves as the substrate
for growing the plants with the addition of
fertilizers to supply the plants' essential nutrients
and promote its commercial success.

Although research projects to raise crops in a

fertilizing solution began as early as 1933 with an
initial formula for concentrations of 12 essential
nutritional elements in a solution, it was only fifty
years later that this idea of cultivating the crops
directly in a solution with no soil moved forward
from research projects to modern farming
applications. This Hoagland solution, first
developed by Dennis Robert Hoagland University
of California, Berkeley has been upgraded and
modified over the years in line with the different
crops and farming methods.
Growing plants in a nutrient solution offers a
number of advantages such as

o Applying plant nutrients in fertilizers directly

to the roots without the problems associated
with the soil's composition or the fertilizer's
inability to infiltrate into the root system;
o No need for heavy machinery to prepare beds
for seeds or planting;
o Weeds and diseases can be controlled without
spraying chemicals and no irrigation systems
have to be installed for cultivation.
o Erosion of the soil by repeated cultivation is
avoided.
 Objective
To grow plants in nutrient solution and Compare
the rate of growth and plant vigor of hydroponically-
grown plants to plants grown conventionally with
soil.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

. Plastic tub and polystyrene

 Plastic glasses
 Knife
 Pebbles
 Aquatic seeds
 Pair of fish to absorb ammonia content which
is present in the water, due to this the seed
grows well enough.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of

gratitude of my teacher Mrs. Gajalakshmi as
well as Head of the Biology department who
guided me to finalize the project successfully.

I would also thank my parents who supported

me to finish the project.
 Experimental procedure

Setting up the hydroponics experiment

Break the rock wool carefully into four equal

pieces (cubes). Notice that each cube has an
indent in it.

1. Soak all four rock wool cubes in filtered water

in the bottom of the terrarium for 24-36 hours.
Put enough water in the terrarium to completely
cover the rock wool cubes.
2. After the time has elapsed, place each rock
wool cube into a net pot. Do not wring the rock
wool dry. Make sure that the indent in each
rock wool cube is facing up. Drain the
terrarium.
3. Place three lettuce seeds in the indent in each of
the rock wool cubes.
4. Snap the rack into the bottom part of the
terrarium. Then, place a net pot into each of the
openings in the rack. Shut the terrarium with
 the clear dome so that the tabs on the dome and
the bottom are side by side.
5. Put the terrarium in front of a south-facing or
west-facing window that gets plenty of light.
If natural sunlight is unavailable, use a grow
lamp to provide light for the seeds.
Now plant the lettuce seeds in the four pots.
Using a hand trowel or scoop, place some
seedling mix into each of the pots. Place three
lettuce seeds into each of the pots, and lightly
cover them with a thin layer of soil.

a. To avoid introducing
unwanted variables use the same package of
lettuce seeds in both the hydroponics
terrarium and the pots of soil.
2. Place the four pots at the same location as the
hydroponic terrarium. Numerically label each
pot and note the labels in your lab notebook.
3. In your lab notebook, record when you started
growing the lettuce seeds in the pot, the depth at
which the seeds were planted, and the brand of
seedling mix that you used.
Growing and feeding instruction

1. Monitor the hydroponics terrarium to see when

the seeds start to sprout. Once they do, wait
one more day to make sure that as many seeds
sprout as possible.
2. Once all of the seeds have sprouted, remove the
rack of net pots, follow the instructions, and
mix the nutrient solution in the bottom of the
hydroponics terrarium. You will need to warm
four to five cups of water to make the nutrient
solution. You can warm the water in the
microwave or on a cooktop in a pot. The water
should be lukewarm, or cool enough for you to
put your hand in comfortably.
3. Place the rack of net pots back into the
terrarium, and re-cover it with the clear dome.
Put it back in the window.
4. Check the soil of the lettuce seeds in the pots
every day. Do not let it get dry, but it should
not be too wet either. If the soil is dry, use the
watering can or measuring cup and water the
pot(s). Water each pot until a few drops of
water come out from the bottom.
5. Check both the sprouts in the hydroponics
terrarium and the pots every day at about the
same time. Check to see how the sprouts look
in the hydroponics terrarium. Note the date
each seed in the terrarium and the pots sprouted.

OBSERVATION

The hydroponic cultivation, observing the

root system has loss of a problem through the
roots may sometimes be more difficult to
retrieve. Simply open a bag of substrate or
clear a channel to view a portion of the roots.
The health status of these will be
representative of the other roots buried within
the substrate. It may also be advisable to
consider extracting some of the “water roots”.
It cultures in NFT (NUTRIENT FILM
TECHINIQUE), the absence of substrate makes
observation easier. The condition of the base
should also be examined.
RESULT

As a result I found that, the plant then

uses this saved energy to grow faster and to
produce more fruit or vegetables. Hydroponic
plants also have fewer problems with bug
infestations, funguses and disease. In general,
plants grow hydroponically are healthier and
happier plants. Hydroponic gardening also offers
several benefits to the Environment.
SYNOPSIS:

*INTRODUCTION

*OBJECTIVE

*MATERIALS REQUIRED

*Experimental procedure

*Growing and feeding Instructions

*OBSERVATION

*RESULT

*CONCLUSION

*PRECAUTIONS

*BIBILOGRAPHY
CONCLUSION

The purpose is to determine if the use of a water

and nutrient solution of soil will produce a healthier
plant. With no molecules of unseeded material
hindering a plant’s roots, the nutrients may be
absorbed quicker allowing the plant to grow faster
and healthier. Due to the use of a constant feeding
of nutrients and water, the hydroponic plants have
grown much taller and produced more leaves quicker
than the plants growing in normal soil. Because of
this, the null hypothesis is rejected since the data
does not support its reasoning. The use of fertilizer
at a regular rate throughout the day helped the plants
to grow at a regulated and steady pace. The null
hypothesis stated that the use of a hydroponic
system would no effect on the growth and health of
the plant. As this was not true, the null hypothesis
was rejected and the research hypothesis is accepted.
 PRECAUTIONS

 Sharp gardening implements should be put in a

safe and secure place where they can be easily
accessed only by the gardener. This can prevent
overstretching or other injuries, and accidently
stepping or kneeling on tools. It also keeps
keep them far out of the reach of children.
 Electrical devices should be thoroughly
inspected before use to ensure they are still in
good working condition. For instance, heat
mats should be inspected for any damage that
could cause them to overheat. Cords on grow
lights should be examined for any cracks or
creases that could become large issues.

BIBILOGRAPHY

WIKIPEDIA
WWW.ASK.COM
WWW.1000INSCIENCE.COM
PROJECTS.COM
 biology

investigatory

project

TOPIC: GROWING WATERLILY BY

HYDROPONICS.

NAME: G.AKASH
CLASS: 12 “C”
EXAM NO:
YEAR: 2019-2020