Student research projects

What combination of conservation practices best protects soil? Four “test plots” were created in aluminum trays to figure it out. The first “test plot” was plain soil: a conventionally tilled field of bare dirt. The second “test plot” was plain soil…

Acidic soil severely inhibits legume nodulation and devastates crop yields worldwide. Among the many phytohormones that regulate nodulation, indole-3-acetic acid is known to improve the nodulation and stress tolerance between specific legumes and…

This project studied the effects of Phosphorus, Potassium, and Nitrogen on the nodule growth on the root system of a soybean plant. The objective was to compare the nodule population on the roots. This was done while also testing the soil in each…

The purpose of this project was to continue to explore whether it was possible to create a GPS-like device on a small scale that was both inexpensive and accurate. This project uses the same idea as GPS, called trilateration, where the location of…

The purpose of this investigation is to find out how the pH and amount of each ingredient in a chemical fertilizer would affect the height of soybean, watermelon, and pumpkin plants. It is expected that fertilizers containing more nitrogen will…

The concept for this project arose from pure curiosity. Almost everyone relies on weather forecasts to schedule their daily activities. In the world of business, many companies, whether corporate or small and family-owned are dependent on accurate…

The purpose of the project is to determine which type of water makes soybeans grow the fastest when watering the plants with tap water, calcium water, and distilled water. The hypothesis states that the soybeans watered with calcium water will grow…

Biofuels are the next generation of renewable fuel sources that are less harmful than conventional non-renewable fuel sources. With the growing knowledge of harmful environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry, biofuels serve as an attractive…

The purpose of conducting this experiment was to learn more information about the problem of fertilizer runoff and its relation to soil compaction as well as exploring possible solutions to both of these issues. A variety of research has been done…

The Effects of Feed Type on ​ Tenebrio molitor​ Weight The purpose of this project is to determine if ​ Tenebrio molitor​, commonly known as mealworms, can gain weight on a diet of soybean stover, a byproduct of farming soybeans, with the intention…

With a growing population, humans are now using more resources than ever before. In using such a high quantity of resources, it is inevitable that we have more waste than ever before. Global plastic pollution has increased at a dramatic rate in the…

In this project, multiple bags of soybeans were dropped from different heights and then germinated to test if improper handling has an effect on germination. First, the seeds were bagged, counted, and then dropped from their various heights of 150…