Observe the Natural Fertilization Created by Bacteria.
- Determine the effects of Rhizobium on plant growth
- Practice slide preparation techniques
- Includes a teacher's guide
Provide your students with an exceptional example of a symbiotic relationship with easily observed results. The bacterium Rhizobium converts nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that legumes such as beans and alfalfa use as a fertilizer. Students will grow bean and radish plants inoculated with Rhizobium bacteria, observe the specificity of these symbiotic relationships, and then test for nitrogen content after several weeks. As an added benefit, students practice slide preparation by preparing microscope slides of the root nodules to demonstrate the presence of bacteria. You get enough materials for ten setups, a teacher’s guide, and student copymaster.