Buckwheat Seeds

ABSTRACT. Seeds being able to germinate while being exposed to various levels of salt concentration is vital to its survival. In this experiment, Buckwheat seeds were examined with different concentrations of NaCl to see the rate at which they germinated, if germination took place at all. Every day for a week, a log was kept with the conditions/environment the seeds were kept in and to see if any changes had occurred. The results of the experiment showed that the Buckwheat seeds grew best with a lower concentration of salt.

INTRODUCTION

Salt and the effects it has on plants in the germination of seeds has been studied for years. There are various factors involved in seed germination like water intake and salinity. Osmosis, "movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semipermeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration," has always been a significant process in the intake of water for plants. Without the process of osmosis, plants would have been extinct by now. Salt can be either beneficial or detrimental to seed

These seeds have been known to grow better during warm weather, and was chosen for this experiment because students had a better outcome with this species. The experiment also called for the use of Ziploc bags, paper towels, 0.05 solution of salt water, distilled water, and 20 Buckwheat seeds (10 for each bag). In the experiment before, a 0.2 solution of salt water was used, and the results were unfavorable, so now, less salt solution was used in the hopes that most of the seeds would germinate. These seeds were placed in a dorm at room temperature with no access to sunlight or artificial light. Although the seeds were not exposed to light like they would be in a natural environment, they still managed to bud. The temperature of the room affected moisture of the seeds and the rate of