INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

Submitted By:
Ma. Phoebe T. Subo
Mary Camille Samson
Mary Agnes Jardeleza
EFFECT OF THE NUMBER OF
EARTHWORMS ON THE
GROWTH OF BUSH SITAW
(Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis)
 I. PROBLEM

How does the number of

earthworms affect a plant’s
growth?
 II. HYPOTHESIS

I think that if there are more

earthworms, then the plant will
grow faster.
III. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
 a. CONTROLLED VARIABLES
• Type of plant
• Type of soil
• Size of worms
• Size of pots
• Amount of sunlight
• Time for recording the growth
• Time for watering
• Amount of water
• Amount of soil
 b. MANIPULATED VARIABLE

• Number of worms in each pot

 c. RESPONDING VARIABLE

• Bush Sitaw’s growth

 IV. MATERIALS
• 12 identical plastic pots
• 60 Sitaw seeds
• 15 kg of soil
• 36 earthworms
• Water
• Ruler
• Measuring cup
• Weighing scale
• Garden soil
• Sunny area
 V. PROCEDURES
1. Measure 1.25 kg of garden soil using the
weighing scale and pour into plastic pot.
Repeat for each pot.
2. Place the earthworms in pots according to
treatment:
Control – none
Treatment A – 2 earthworms
Treatment B – 4
Treatment C – 6
7. Each treatment should be replicated three
times.
8. Label the pots accordingly.
1. Place 5 Sitaw seeds in each pot.
2. Pour one (1) cup of water into each pot.
3. Place the pots in a sunny area so that
they receive the same amount of sunlight.
4. As soon as the seeds germinate and has
fully developed its two (2) leaves, select
three (3) healthy plants and pull the two
(2) remaining. Three (3) Sitaw plants
should be used as samples for each pot.
5. Start recording the number of leaves
developed and plant height one day after
thinning.
10. Recording of the number of leaves and
plant’s height should be done thrice a
week.
11. Watering of plants should be done in the
morning at 11:30 and in the afternoon at
2:30.
VI. RESULTS
 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Earthworm, name given to more than 1000
species if worms in the Oligochaeta class pf the phylum
Annelida. It has a cylindrically shaped, segmented body
that tapers off at both ends. Earthworms live in deep,
dark, long, and narrow tunnels or burrows under the
ground.
By its burrowing actions, the earthworm is of
great value in keeping the soil structure open, creating a
multitude of channels which allow the process of both
aeration and drainage to occur.
Earthworms also increase the productivity of
many soils. They do this by improving the structure of
the soil, by bringing up nutrients to the surface layers of
the soil from deeper down and assissting in the
breakdown of organic matter in, or on the surface of the
soil.
 After digestion, earthworms produce excrement
about the size of a pin head. This excrement is called
‘casting’ or ‘vermicompost’ and is an excellent soil
conditioning material.
Investigations in the US show that fresh
earthworm casts are 5 times richer in available
nitrogen, seven times richer in available phosphates
and 11 times richer in available potassium than the
surrounding upper six inches of soil. In conditions
where there is plenty of available humus, the weight
of casts produced is greater than 4.5 kg per worm per
year.
When Earthworms die, usually in the dry
summer, the organic material making up their bodies
is gradually released, providing additional nutrients
for plants. These minerals are essential to healthy
plant growth.
 SEPT. 17
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 4.5 2

TREATMENT A 4.5 2

TREATMENT B 4.6 2

TREATMENT C 4.8 2
 SEPT. 19
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 11.13 2

TREATMENT A 9.2 2

TREATMENT B 9.8 2

TREATMENT C 9.4 2
 SEPT. 21
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 12.01 2

TREATMENT A 10.6 2

TREATMENT B 13.03 2

TREATMENT C 14.11 2
 SEPT. 23
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 14.73 3

TREATMENT A 13.52 3

TREATMENT B 14.42 3

TREATMENT C 16.2 3
 SEPT. 25
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 16.44 4

TREATMENT A 15.41 4

TREATMENT B 16.67 4

TREATMENT C 18.04 5
 SEPT. 27
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 16.5 5

TREATMENT A 15.77 4

TREATMENT B 16.77 5

TREATMENT C 18.53 5
 SEPT. 29
PLANT # OF LEAVES
HEIGHT (cm)
CONTROL 23.4 5

TREATMENT A 23.4 5

TREATMENT B 25.5 5

TREATMENT C 27 5
The results show that the plant’s
growth has no difference in the
Control and treatment A pots.
However, there is a difference in
the plant’s growth between
Treatment A, B, and C.
 VII. CONCLUSION
• The results show that my hypothesis
should be accepted for even though there
is no difference in the plant’s growth
between Control and Treatment A, there is
a difference between Treatment A, B, and
C. The plant with the fastest growth is the
Treatment C while the plants of Control
and Treatment A have the slowest growth.