The Effect of physical agents( laser and EMR) on germination and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Effect of physical agents( laser and EMR) on germination and biomass production of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

• A. Goertel

Mentors- P. C. Josekutty, M. Tofighi, M. Li Penn State Harrisburg NSF REU 2011

Switchgrass

• Energy crop
• pellets and bio-ethanol
• Cool season grass
• Marginal land
• Carbon sink
• Perennial
• 17% germination percentage
• Stimulate overall cell proteinogenic

activity

• Stress responses
• Energy
• Chemical methods
• Toxicity + cost

Physical agent stimulation

Objective

• Determine the effect of infrared and microwave radiation on germination rate

and biomass production of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)

• 830 nm IR Laser
• flesh-penetrating
• refraction in water
• heating
• Continuous Microwave Signal

Generator (Anritsu)

• 2.425 GHz, 0.1341 W, 21.27

dBm

• boosted
• patch antenna
• heating

Physical Treatments

Date Treatment Exposure Distance Intensity 6/13 !R 20 min 19 cm Full 6/20 IR 20 min 19 cm full 6/21 IR 30 min 30 cm partial 7/1 IR 20 min 30 cm full 7/7 IR 20 min 19 cm full 7/11 IR 20 min 19 cm full 7/18 IR 30 min 19 cm full 7/19 IR 30 min 19 cm full 7/21 IR 30 min 30 cm partial Date Treatment Exposure Distance Intensity 7/26 EMR-wet 20 min 5 cm 21.3 dbm 7/29 EMR-wet 20 min 5 cm 21.3 dbm 7/29 EMR-dry 20 min 5 cm 21.3 dbm 8/4 EMR-wet 20 min 5 cm 21.3 dbm

Planting and Quantification

• ~100 seeds/ pot
• Tween 20 surface wash
• Soil type
• variation due to supply issue
• 30 day nutrient usage
• Shoot count
• Aboveground clipping, harvest
• Fresh + dry weight

Germination Percentage and Biomass Data

Date

• Avg. Treated %

Germ

• Avg. Control %

Germ t (two tailed)

• Avg. Treated Mass

(g)

• Avg. Control

Biomass (g) t 6/13 5.8 0.26 0.0127 X X X 6/20 19.1 31.4 0.113 0.044 0.115 0.0383 6/21 23.3 11.1 0.039 0.031 0.013 0.118 7/1 26.7 31.5 0.429 0.147 0.156 0.764 7/7 26.0 27.7 0.595 X X X 7/11 7.8 3.1 0.221 X X X 7/18 42.4 45.7 0.665 X X X 7/19 45.9 42.6 0.385 X X X 7/21 39.3 35.3 0.316 X X X 7/26 28.1 22.2 0.127 X X X

Results

• No significant difference
• IR laser
• Possible deleterious effect
• High variation
• Insufficient EMR data
• <1week
• Wet vs. dry germination

Duration, Distance Dates

• Avg. Treated %

germ

• Avg. Control %

germ T test 20 min, 19 cm 6/13, 6/20, 7/7, 7/11 21.9 22.3 0.926 30 min, 30 cm 6/21, 7/21 34.1 33.7 0.896 30 min, 19 cm 7/18, 7/19 21.4 20.1 0.853

Analysis and Conclusion

• Two tailed t-test
• No significant effect on

germination, biomass

• EMR

Thank You

• Dr. Sairam, Dr. Josekutty, Dr.

Tofighi

• Jason Li
• Deepkamal Karelia, Diego

Morales, Julianne Dauber, Mike Chennavasin

• Allison Shule
• Penn State Harrisburg
• NSF