Title : Growth patterns of maize plants (zea mays).

Aim : To study the growth patterns of maize plants.

Problem
statement: What is the growth pattern of maize plants.
Hypothesis: The growth pattern of a maize plant represented by a graph of the mass of maize
seedling against time is a sigmoid curve.
Variable: Manipulated: Time of growth.
: Responding : Mass of seedling.
: Constant : Amount of water, fertilizer
Materials: 50 maize grains of the same size and type, soil and tissue paper.
Apparatus: Oven, weighing scale and seedling tray.
Technique
used : Measure the mass of seedling using the weighing scale and measure the data.
Procedure: (1) 50 maize grains and seedling tray was prepared.
(2) 3 maize grains were weighed and dried an oven (100C). The dry mass was recorded.
(3) The remaining maize grains were sown in the seedling tray at a distant of 15 cm from one
another.
(4) The seedlings was watered every day.
(5) 3 seedlings were obtained at random every week and washed and dried. The seedling
were weighed.
(6) The seedlings were dried in an oven and the dry mass recorded.
(7) The above steps were repeated over 12 weeks.
(8) Results were recorded and a graph of fresh mass and dry mass against time was plotted.










Time Mass of seedling (g) Mass of seedling (g)
(weeks) Fresh Dry Fresh Dry
0 0.90 0.60 0.30 0.20
1 0.60 0.45 0.20 0.15
2 0.90 0.60 0.30 0.20
3 1.20 0.90 0.40 0.30
4 2.40 1.80 0.80 0.60
5 4.20 3.15 1.40 1.05
6 6.00 5.25 2.00 1.75
7 8.85 7.50 2.95 2.50
8 11.40 10.20 3.80 3.40
9 14.10 13.20 4.70 4.40
10 15.30 14.70 5.10 4.90
11 15.90 15.00 5.30 5.00
12 16.20 15.30 5.40 5.10

Discussion: (1)The growth pattern is a sigmoid growth curve.
(2)Week 5 to 8 shows the fastest rate of growth.
(3)The growth rate from the beginning from week 1 because the germinating seed used the
food which is stored in the endosperm. Week 1 to week 4 shows slow growth rate
because young leaves are starting to grow and photosynthesis has just begun. Week 5 to
week 8 shows the highest growth rate. The growth rate slows down from week 8 onwards
because the plant has reached maturity.
Conclusion: The hypothesis is accepted. The mass of the seedling increases with time forming a
growth pattern of a S shaped curve (sigmoid curve).