Investigative Project

Observation: You are a team of agricultural scientists tasked with helping a local farming
community improve its crop production. The community is divided on which type of
fertilizer to use: organic or chemical. Some farmers believe chemical fertilizers are better
because they produce quick results. Plan, design, and execute an experiment to determine
which is better.

Investigative Project Plan

Date: March 1 st,
2025

Observation: Farmers in the local community are unsure whether organic or chemical
fertilizers are better for crop production. Some believe chemical fertilizers produce quicker
results, while others support organic fertilizers. To test this, three different planting conditions
will be compared: 1. Soil only 2. Soil and manure 3. Soil and chemical fertilizer.

Hypothesis: Plants grown in soil and manure or chemical fertilizer will develop more
leaves than those grown in soil alone. Among the fertilized plants, those treated with
chemical fertilizers may initially grow more leaves, but those treated with manure may show
better long-term growth and soil health.

Aim: To investigate the effect of different soil treatments, such as soil with manure, soil
only, and soil and chemical fertilizer.

Apparatus and Material:

 Soil
 Organic fertilizer
 Chemical Fertilizer
 Seeds
 Watering can
 Measuring cup
 Soil Ph Tester
 Notebook
 Cups

Method:
1) Prepare three cups of soil
2) Plant the same amount and type of seed
3) GROUP 1: Soil only (control plant)
4) GROUP 2: Soil and manure (organic plant)
5) GROUP 3: Soil and chemical fertilizer
6) Water equally (control and organic plant will be watered with water while the chemical
will be watered with the chemical fertilizer.
7) Monitor plant growth over a set period.
8) Count and record the number of leaves on each plant daily.
9) Compare the number of leaves per plant in each group

Control:
 Soil Type
 Amount of water given to plant in soil only

Manipulated Variable:
 Type of planting condition

Controlled Variable:
 Type of plant used
 Amount of fertilizer used
 Growth duration

Responding Variable:
 Number of leaves on each plant

Limitations:
 Uncontrolled pests or diseases
 Possible differences in soil composition besides efforts to standardize.

Expected Results:
 The plant in GROU 1 may grow slower and have fewer leaves
 The plant in GROUP 3 may grow leaves faster in the early stages but could
experience soil degradation over time.
  The plant in GROUP 2 may grow steadily and develop more leaves over time due to
improved soil quality.

Interpretation of Expected Results:

• If chemical fertilizers lead to a higher leaf count but negatively affect soil health, organic
fertilizers may be a better long-term solution.

• If organic fertilizers result in the highest leaf count and healthier plants, they may be the
preferred choice for sustainable farming.
 Implementation of the Investigative
Project
Introduction
In agriculture, fertilizers play a significant role in improving crop yield and plant health.
However, there is debate on whether organic fertilizers (such as manure) or chemical
fertilizers are more effective for plant growth. This experiment investigates the effect of
different soil treatments—soil alone, soil with manure, and soil with chemical fertilizer—on
the number of leaves produced by plants.

Aim:
To determine which planting condition—soil only, soil with manure, or soil with chemical
fertilizer—leads to the highest number of leaves on plants.

Materials and Apparatus:

 Soil
 Organic fertilizer
 Chemical Fertilizer
 Seeds
 Watering can
 Measuring cup
 Soil Ph Tester
 Notebook
 Cups

Method:
1) Prepare three cups of soil
2) Plant the same amount and type of seed
3) GROUP 1: Soil only (control plant)
4) GROUP 2: Soil and manure (organic plant)
5) GROUP 3: Soil and chemical fertilizer
6) Water equally (control and organic plant will be watered with water while the chemical
will be watered with the chemical fertilizer.
7) Monitor plant growth over a set period.
8) Count and record the number of leaves on each plant daily.
9) Compare the number of leaves per plant in each group
Results:
Groups Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Total
GROUP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 27
GROUP 2 3 5 7 9 12 15 51
GROUP 3 4 7 10 12 13 14 69

No. of Leaves per Plant per Week

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

Discussion:
Plants grown in soil only (Group 1) had the slowest growth and the fewest leaves. Plants
grown with manure (Group 2) showed steady growth, with an increasing number of leaves
over time. Plant treated with chemical fertilizer (Group 3) initially grew leaves faster but may
have shown signs of reduced soil quality or plant stress over time. The results suggest that
while chemical fertilizers may boost early growth, organic fertilizers could provide more
sustainable benefits.

Sources of Error:
• Variations in soil composition, despite efforts to standardize.

• Possible errors in counting leaves due to overlapping or small leaves.

• Environmental factors such as pests or unexpected weather conditions.

Precautions:
• Ensured equal watering and sunlight exposure for all plants.
• Used the same type and number of seeds to maintain consistency.

• Measured and applied fertilizers carefully according to recommended dosages.

Limitations:
• The experiment was conducted over a limited period (six weeks), which may not reflect
long-term effects.

• Possible uncontrolled external factors, such as soil microbes or insects, that may have
influenced growth.

Reflections:
• Relevance to Society (Sustainable farming practices can benefit both food production and
environmental conservation).

• Impact of Knowledge Gained (Understanding the effects of fertilizers on plant growth

highlights the importance of soil health and nutrient management).

Conclusion
Based on the experiment, organic fertilizer (manure) is better for long-term plant growth and
soil health. While chemical fertilizer led to faster early growth, plants treated with organic
fertilizer produced the most leaves (15 by week 6) and maintained steady growth without
signs of decline. This suggests that organic fertilizers improve soil quality over time, making
them a more sustainable choice for farming and gardening.