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Kidney Bean Germination and Growth in Different pHs

Jaelyn Shaver

Samantha Kern

21 November 2018

Hypothesis:
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If the kidney beans are grown in acidic and basic conditions as compared to neutral, then the

germination and growth rates will be slower.

Background Information:

The ideal pH conditions for kidney beans to grow in is a pH of six to seven, which is slightly

acidic (1). If the preferred pH level is not met, the seeds germination and growth will be slowed

or halted all together (2). pH levels that are too basic or acidic affect the kidney bean’s ability to

uptake nutrients (2). Basic conditions can leave the kidney bean seed with an iron deficiency,

reducing the ability to photosynthesize correctly, while acidic conditions can wear away the wax

coating on the seed and damage its internal sprout, leaving it more inclined to disease (2).

Materials:

● 16 kidney beans

● 8 plastic bags

● 8 paper towels

● 3 beakers

● 25 ml of distilled water

● 25 ml of vinegar mixed with 25 ml of distilled water

● 25 ml of cleaning solution mixed with 25 ml of distilled water

● pH strips

● Stirrer

● Marker

● Tape

● Ruler
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Procedure:

1.) Measure in centimeters the growth and germination rates of kidney beans placed in
varying conditions on the pH scale for two weeks placed in direct sunlight.
2.) Pour 25 ml of distilled water into one beaker. This is the control beaker.
3.) Pour 25 ml of vinegar into the second beaker and then pour another 25 ml of distilled
water into the same beaker. This is the acidic beaker. Use the pH strips to check its
acidity.
4.) Pour 25 ml of cleaning solution into the third beaker and then pour another 25 ml of
distilled water into the same beaker. This is the basic beaker. Use the pH check its
basicness.
5.) Begin soaking the paper towels in the designated solutions. Use two paper towels for the
control beaker, three paper towels for the acidic beaker, and three paper towels for the
basic beaker.
6.) Squeeze out each paper towel after they have been soaked to ensure that they are not
filled with too much liquid.
7.) Begin folding the paper towels and fit them into the plastic bags. Label each bag for less
confusion and easier tracking.
8.) Place two kidney bean seeds in each bag. Make sure the kidney beans are placed evenly
apart from each other and the edges of the bag.
9.) Close up the plastic bags and be sure to release all of the air before they are sealed tight.
10.) Tape each plastic bag on the window and place them all at the same height. Take
a photo of the setup.
11.) Track the kidney beans every day until they germinate, then continue to determine
the length of the bean’s roots with a ruler while measuring in centimeters.

Results:

The kidney bean seeds in acidic conditions had the slowest growth and germination rates

out of all the different pH conditions. Of the kidney bean seeds in acidic conditions, 0%

germinated and none of them grew, resulting in a final average height of 0 centimeters on Day 12

(See Table 1) . Of the kidney bean seeds in basic conditions, approximately 16.7% of the seeds

germinated on Day 1, 16.7% germinated on Day 3, 16.7% germinated on Day 4, and 50% did not

germinate at all. The final average height of the kidney beans in basic conditions was 1.83

centimeters (see Table 1). Of the kidney bean seeds in neutral conditions, as the control, 50% of
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the seeds germinated on Day 1 and the other 50% germinated on Day 2. The final average height

of the kidney beans in the control group was 13.00 centimeters (see Table 1). The kidney beans

kept in acidic conditions grew at no rate at all, the kidney beans kept in basic conditions grew at

an almost consistent rate, and the kidney beans that were kept in neutral conditions as a control

grew at an unsteady, erratic rate (see Figure 2).

Conclusion:

The hypothesis that if the kidney beans are grown in acidic and basic conditions as

compared to neutral, then the germination and growth rates will be slower was supported. The

kidney bean seeds in acidic conditions did not grow or germinate at all, while the kidney bean

seeds in basic conditions germinated and grew, but at a much slower rate than the control group.

The kidney beans did not germinate or grow in the acidic conditions because acidity hinders the

spread of nutrients in the moist paper towel and the imbalance can impede the kidney beans’

capabilities to absorb those nutrients. Nutrients also dissolve quickly in acidic conditions, leaving

the kidney bean unable to intake nutrients. A reason the seeds blackened on the top is that acidic

conditions can damage the kidney bean seeds themselves and strip the seed’s wax coating,

leaving them more vulnerable to disease. The kidney beans had slowed germination and growth

rates in the basic conditions because nutrients such as phosphorus, iron, and manganese become

less available and constrain the germination and growth rates due to lack of nutrients. The kidney

beans had the ideal germination and growth rates in the control group because in neutral

conditions, nutrients are able to be easily absorbed by the plant and bacterial activity in the moist

paper towel is at an optimal level.

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Errors made in the experiment could have been differences in the levels of acidity

or alkalinity used for the kidney beans. For example, vinegar has a pH of about two while the

cleaning solution used had a pH of about ten. Since the vinegar is highly acidic and the cleaning

solution was only mildly basic, this causes mistakes in the results since it is an inaccurate

representation of conditions of acidity and basicness. Another error made could have been if a

paper towel in an individual plastic bag was not wrung out enough, leaving it too soaked and

drowning the seed. This may have caused “Bag 3- Basic” to not germinate or grow at all (see

Table 1). To improve the design, further research into the products used to create different pHs

should have been done. Having bags made with solutions of different levels of acidity and

alkalinity (low acidity, mild acidity, high acidity, low alkalinity, mild alkalinity, high alkalinity),

would have made the results of the experiment more reliable. In the next experiment, conditions

made with solutions of different levels of acidity and alkalinity should be used as well as

different percentages of the acidity or alkalinity used. For example, one bag for conditions of

acidity could be 80% vinegar and 20% distilled water, while another could be 20% vinegar and

80% distilled water. This would provide much more accurate results by going in further depth of

effects of pH number on germination and growth rates of kidney bean seeds. The absorption of

nutrients should also be tracked using advanced equipment, to provide insight into why pH

affects kidney bean seeds, not just how.

Questions/Answers:

1.) Define homeostasis as it pertains to ecosystems.

Homeostasis in ecosystems is the establishment of a state of balance among living members in

an ecosystem and its changing environmental conditions.

2.) What environmental conditions (inside the bag) affected seed germination?
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Moisture in the paper towel provided the kidney bean plant with water for photosynthesis.

Limited space affected the plant’s ability to grow, as it could only grow as tall and have roots as

wide as the plastic bags height and width. The different pHs inside the bag also affected seed

germination. The acidic conditions created using vinegar stunted seed germination completely

and the basic conditions using cleaning solution hindered seed germination. The control bags

with neutral conditions rendered swift germination.

3.) What environmental conditions (outside of the bag) affected seed germination?

Sunlight affected the plant’s photosynthesis. Depending on the amount of sunlight, it could have

limited or expanded growth in the plant. The temperature of the room also affected the growth of

the kidney bean plant. Kidney beans grow best in temperatures of 70℉-80℉, which was about

the range of the classroom. Because some kidney beans germinated by the first day, this means

that the temperature of the classroom was ideal.

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Setup:
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Works Cited

1. How to Grow Kidney Beans | Guide to Growing Kidney Beans. (2016, May 27).

Retrieved November 21, 2018, from http://www.heirloom-

organics.com/guide/va/1/guidetogrowingkidney.html

2. The Effects of pH Levels in Water on Bean Germination. (2011, August 15). Retrieved

November 21, 2018, from https://www.ehow.com/info_10067314_effects-ph-levels-

water-bean-germination.html