Planting Materials

• Brassica rapa seeds - Handle small seeds with care.
  
• Quads - Four-celled planting styrofoam units for growing plants to maturity.
  
• Fertilizer pellets - Slow release source of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K).
  
• Potting Mix - Specially formulated, soil mix for growing B. rapa.
  
• Wicks - Conduct water from water mat to potting mix in quad cells.
  
• Water Mat - Conducts water from reservoir to wicks.
  
• Fluorescent light bank - Provides continuous lighting, necessary for successful growth.
  
• Reservoir - Maintains a constant supply of water.
• Pipets - To water cells from above when necessary.
  
• Plant labels - To label each cell according to the seed type planted, seed generation and experiment Number.
  
• Dried Honeybees - Used to make bee stick pollinators.
  
• Anti-algal squares - Contain copper sulfate to prevent algal growth in reservoir.
  
• Wooden stakes and plastic support rings - To support the plants, if necessary.
  
• Grower's Calendar - Used to plan the scheduled of experimental activities for each experiment.
  
• Light Bank Growing System - A light bank of six, 4-foot, cool-white fluorescent bulbs is required for fast plants to complete their 35 day life cycle. The height of the lights above the plants must be constant; tips of the plants should be 5 to 8 cm from the bulbs. Therefore, the lights must be raised as the plants grow. Fast plants also require 24 hours of continual light.
  
• Seed Envelopes - Used for storing harvested seeds. Seed envelopes should be labeled with names of investigators, Experimental Number, date of harvest, type of seed stock, generation.
  
• Index cards - to separate "like" plants from pollinating each other.

Main Page | Introduction and Objectives | Scientific Investigation | Experimental Procedures | Writing Procedures | Mendelian Inheritance |  Monohybrid and Dihybrid Exercises | Reference | Miscellaneous | Materials | Planting Seeds | Pollinating Seeds | Harvesting Seeds | Germinating Seeds | Experiment One | Experiment Two | Experiment Three | Experiment One - Table 1 | Experiment One - Table 2 | Experiment One - Table 3 | Experiment Two - Table 1 | Experiment Three - Table 1 | Experiment Three - Table 2 |