The Future of Education

Especially in recent years, due to climate change, the globally significant increase in the food demand, and particularly the dangerous consumption of farmlands, the wish for harmless as well as environmentally friendly food commodities have initiated the search for an alternative biological approach that can satisfy this demand. Chitosan, obtained from chitin, is a natural biomaterial found to be effective in agricultural use in increasing the crop productivity and showing sufficient resistance against pathogens without the need for hazardous chemical substances. Chitin is found in various organisms, such as fungi, marine, and freshwater sponges as well as in the exoskeleton of arthropods, and can be extracted easily from the waste shells of crabs or shrimps produced by seafood manufacturers. Moreover, this natural polymer is the second largest renewable carbon source, making the production of chitosan an economic interest. Chitosan-based materials are being investigated by researchers to be used in agricultural purposes. We did two different experiments to observe the effect of chitosan solution in plant growth. In the first experiment, we tested the effect of chitosan on the germination period and growth rate of two different kinds of wheat, Triticum aestivum and Triticum monococcum. It was observed that seeds soaked in chitosan germinated earlier than the seeds soaked in water. In the second experiment, tulip bulbs were given different concentrated chitosan solutions. Both experiments showed that chitosan positively affects the germination and growth rate of plants that were tested. As AP Biology students, we have been learning about plant development, organic molecules, and human impact on ecosystems. The scientific skills that we’ve gained through the year helped us express ourselves in different areas such as research and projects beyond exams. Environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection are the biggest challenges of the future. With this project, we aimed to see the effects of alternative methods in plant growth by using an organic waste derivative– chitosan –and the importance of sustainable agricultural methods for the future of humanity.

Keywords: chitin, chitosan, wheat, tulip;

References:
[1] Fatima, Boukhlifi, and Razouk. “Chitin/Chitosan’s Bio-Fertilizer: Usage in Vegetative Growth of Wheat and Potato Crops.” Chitin-Chitosan-Myriad Functionalities in Science and Technology, 2018, doi:10.5772/intechopen.75208.
[2] Zeng, Defang, and Xinrong Luo. “Physiological Effects of Chitosan Coating on Wheat Growth and Activities of Protective Enzyme with Drought Tolerance.” Open Journal of Soil Science, vol. 02, no. 03, 2012, pp. 282–288., doi:10.4236/ojss.2012.23034.
[3] El-Kenawy, Mosaad. “Effect of Chitosan, Salicylic Acid and Fulvic Acid on Vegetative Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Thompson Seedless Grapevines.” Egyptian Journal of Horticulture, vol. 44, no. 1, 2017, pp. 45–59., doi:10.21608/ejoh.2017.1104.1007.
[4] Massimo, Cerana. “Recent Advances of Chitosan Applications in Plants.” Polymers, vol. 10, no. 2, 2018, p. 118., doi:10.3390/polym10020118.