Planting without soil, how possible is this to you ? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when my lecturer, Dr. Lawal, announced that we would be testing crop viability without using soil. During my 100-level days in school, most of our classes were virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If not for that, I would have likely discovered many unbelievable things about agriculture much earlier. One particular course, Plant Physiology (PCP 111), required us to conduct practical experiments, and the most amazing one was growing crops using alternative mediums like cotton buds, sawdust, and tissue papers.
During the practical experiment, I was appointed as the assistant group leader, responsible for carrying out the experiment and keeping records. This hands-on experience not only helped me gain practical knowledge but also garnered a lot of engagement on my WhatsApp story once I completed the test.
To conduct the experiment, I gathered the necessary materials, including the bases of empty soft drink bottles like Fanta, Coca-Cola, and Mr. V, as well as cotton buds, tissue papers, sawdust, a knife, water, sharp sand, corn seeds, A4 papers, and a pen. I began by perforating the base of each bottle to ensure proper aeration for the plant’s roots and to prevent water logging. Next, I scarified the maize seeds by gently rubbing them with sharp sand to break their dormancy. I placed a cotton bud in one bottle, a tissue paper in another, and sawdust in a separate bottle. After adding a little water, I placed 3-4 maize seeds in each bottle and covered them with their respective mediums.
Initially, there were no noticeable changes, except that the bases of the bottles I used were overly perforated, causing the water to drain quickly. However, I quickly found replacements for the damaged seeds. Since I started keeping records from day 3, I wasn’t too concerned.
On the third day, I observed that the seeds had grown slightly bigger and started to crack. A few days later, they began germinating vigorously. To my surprise, the germination rates differed among the different mediums. The seeds in sawdust germinated the fastest, followed by those in cotton buds. The seeds in tissue paper also germinated, but at a slower pace compared to the others.
The purpose of the experiment was to observe the germination rate for two weeks. After the two weeks, I decided not to discard the plants but instead leave them to see if they would grow without transplanting. However, due to the lack of soil nutrients, the leaves started turning yellow and weak. Eventually, I had to dispose of them. Nevertheless, this experiment was one of the most fascinating things I learned during my 100-level days, and I was proud to receive an A in the course.
At the end, I learnt that there are different ways to plant crops and conditions necessary for growing crops differ as i tried using the same method for Corchorus olitorius, popularly know as ewedu seed but ends up not germinating which made me realize that there are different approach to growing crops without soil, starting from the scarification method you choose.
This experiment has Opened my eyes to the possibility of alternative ways for growing crops. It was indeed an invaluable experience which i hope to know more about as a student of Animal Breeding and Genetics as plants are the main source of energy for our livestock. We need to put into consideration what we feed them.
All images used in the content is mine
