Growing in Salt - print version

L a n d L e a r n : Growing in Salt

image: clover

image: seeds

image: petri dish

Growing in Salt

Victorian Essential Learning Standards Domains and (Levels):

Science (3,4,5)

Duration: 15 minutes for set-up, plus 5 minutes every 2 days over 1-2 weeks.

Materials Required

Seeds (eg. clover / rye / lawn grass / tomato seeds) - Visit your local nursery to see what they can offer

Five petri dishes with lids

Filter papers or cotton wool

Distilled water or tap water

Five salt solutions in 500ml "squeeze" bottles
Note: non-squeeze bottles with pipettes or eye-droppers can also be used

A	Distilled/tap water	no salt added	0 - 100 EC
B	Fresh water	20 grains salt	approx 200 EC
C	Low EC	1 pinch salt	approx 1 400 EC
D	Brackish water	1/2 teaspoon salt	approx 7 800 EC
E	Sea water	5 teaspoon salt	approx 50 000 EC

Method

» Put filter paper or cotton wool in the bottom of each petri dish.

» Label petri dishes "A", "B", "C", "D", "E"

» Sprinkle clover seeds on the filter papers or cotton wool of petri dishes labelled A to E.

» Ensure the same number of seeds are spread in each dish (approximately 50 seeds, less for bigger seeds).

» Add solution A to the petri dish labelled "A". Add enough just to moisten the seeds. Do not add too much or they will rot. Add solution B to the petri dish labelled "B". Repeat this with all other solutions.

» Cover each petri dish with a lid. Place the dishes on a bench in a safe place. They do not have to be in direct sunlight.

» Check your dishes every two days. Add the correct solution to keep the seeds moist but not soaking.

» Each time you check your seeds, count the number of germinated seeds.

» Keep checking your dishes for the next one or two weeks. Record your data in the results table.

Results
Record your results in the tables below:

table: results table

1.	Draw a bar graph to show the germination of seeds over time for each of the salt solutions.
2.	What effect did salt have on seed germination?
3.	If a farmer had salt-affected land, brainstorm as a class or individually, what problems might they have?
4.	Investigate the highest salinity tolerance of clover (or the type of seed you used). Did your results reflect this? Information regarding tolerance of some species can be found at (http://www.landlearn.net.au/fieldwork/braeside_park/braeside_park_information.pdf)
5.	Repeat this experiment using different types of seeds to compare the impact of salinity on germination on different plants.
6.	Find out what farmers are doing to minimise and manage the effects of salinity and design a poster showing your discoveries.

(Activity taken from 'A salty diet' in Pride in Victorian Farming (1996) Department of Natural Resources and Environment)

Salinity References

» Agriculture and Land Management Fieldwork Kit (2001) Dianne Hanna & Ann Fagan, Food & Agriculture in the Classroom, Department of Natural Resources & Environment.

» Assault on salt: a resource kit on salinity in the Goulburn Valley (1992) Shepparton Geography Teachers' Network (Can be borrowed by contacting LandLearn at Landlearn.program@dpi.vic.gov.au)

» Catchment Education Resource Book (1998) Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

» Dynamic agriculture: Book Three (Second Edition) (2001) Lisle Brown et. al., McGraw-Hill Book Company, Sydney (pp 275-277)

» Monitoring Ecosystems - VCE Environmental Science Units 1 & 2 (2001) Lisa Birkett, Veronica Thorp & Marion Van Gameren, Victorian Association for Environmental Education Inc. (pp 46, 50-51)

» Salinity - Environmental Education Resource (2003) North Central Catchment Management Authority

Hardcopy also available to Download:

» Salt: Nature in the Balance (2003) Australian Conservation Foundation & Southcorp Alliance Website: www.acfonline.org.au Select: Salinity

» Salinity in Port Phillip Catchment - Braeside Park Fieldtrip (2003) - LandLearn Website: http://www.landlearn.net.au/ Select: Fieldwork > LandLearn Fieldwork > Salinity in Port Phillip Catchment - Braeside Park Fieldtrip

» Managing salinity in Victoria - An aerial View (1992) Malcolm Brown (Ed.), Salt Action Victoria Website: www.sheppstc.org.au/community/srco/index.htm Select: Regional Data > Management Plans > Managing salinity in Victoria - An aerial View (most of the booklet can be found at this site, however some links do not work).

Downloads & Websites

» Saltwatch - A resource book for schools (1997) Department of Natural Resources & Environment Download from: www.saltwatch.org.au/saltwatch/info_resources.htm

» Salinity Indicator Plants: A Guide To Spotting Soil Salting.
Website: www.dpi.vic.gov.au Select: Victorian Resources Online > Salinity Indicator Plants

» Victorian Resources Online: Indicators of Urban Salinity
Website: www.dpi.vic.gov.au Select: Victorian Resources Online > Indicators of Urban Salinity.

» Salt - The magazine of Australia's National Dryland Salinity Program (Printed bi-annually) CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity
Website: www1.crcsalinity.com/ Search: Publications > Salt magazine

» Habitat: Salinity Supplement (June 2001) Australian Conservation Foundation Website: www.acfonline.org.au Select: Publications > Habitat > June 2001

» Murray Darling Basin Commission
Website: www.mdbc.gov.au/ Select: Education > Land Degradation > Water and Land Salinity

» Department of Primary Industries
Website: www.dpi.vic.gov.au Select: Land & Water management > Land > Salinity

» Salinity Resource Centre Online
Website: www.sheppstc.org.au/community/srco/index.htm