The Effect of Acetylsalicylic Acid on the Transpiration of Ocimum basilicum

Dry climate can often be an enemy to agriculture. With limited access to water and high temperatures, crops grown in such environments experience difficulty in remaining sufficiently hydrated. The inevitable process of transpiration, which is the loss of water through the opening pores in leaves, largely contributes to this issue. However, this process can be inhibited through the application of a chemical treatment. Though many such treatments exist, not all are affordable or safe to handle. Acetylsalicylic acid is one of the rare treatments that is safe and inexpensive. To truly affirm the effect of this treatment in reducing transpiration, an experiment was performed testing its influence on Ocimum Basilicum.

The experiment performed required the growth of 60 Ocimum Basilicum plants. These plants were placed in sealed bags that only revealed the stems and leaves, ensuring that any water loss was due to transpiration. 30 of the plants received no treatment, while 30 received a treatment of an Acetylsalicylic acid spray. These plants were then massed for 3 days, with the percent change in mass being calculated. This value would indicate any water lost through the leaves, which subsequently indicates transpiration.

The results of this experiment were then analyzed with a 2 sample t test. The mean percent mass loss of the control group was compared to the mean percent mass loss of the treated group. The analysis concluded with a rejection in the null hypothesis, implying that there was evidence that on average, the application of an Acetylsalicylic Acid treatment causes a significant reduction of transpiration in Ocimum Basilicum.

Research Conducted By:

Nikki Qureshi
Fitzgerald High School

 

 

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