. You are interested in continuing the work of Dr Mendes. What is one additional question that you might logically ask about this issue? Justify the question that you propose by logically describing why this is an important question to ask. Design and describe how to run an experiment to test the question you proposed. Be very specific. Make sure that the design is feasible (no growing plants on Jupiter). Include the following: · Independent and dependent variables · Control variables · Equipment and supplies needed · Outline the basic protocol to follow. · Describe WHY and HOW you will manipulate variables
here is the full question:
Do soil microorganisms protect against crop disease?
The rhizosphere, the soil layer surrounding plant roots, is a complex community in which archaea, bacteria, fungi, and plants interact with one another. After plants are attacked by fungal or bacterial pathogens, soil from the rhizosphere may protect plants from future attacks. Such protective soil is called disease-suppressive.
Researchers investigated whether microorganisms were responsible for the protective effects of disease-suppressive soils. Disease-suppressive soil was obtained from an agricultural field in the Netherlands in which sugar beet crops had previously been attacked by a fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani. Other soil was collected from the margin of the field. The researchers predicted that soil from the margin would not offer protection against pathogens.
The researchers then planted and raised sugar beets in greenhouses, using 5 different soil treatments. Each soil treatment was applied to 4 pots, and each pot contained 8 plants. The pots were inoculated with Rhizoctonia solani and placed in greenhouses kept at 20°C with a 16-hour light: 8-hour dark cycle. After 20 days, researchers determined the percentage of infected sugar beet seedlings for each soil treatment. The results of the experiment are shown in the table.
Soil Treatment
Percentage of Seedlings
with Fungal Disease
Disease-suppressive soil
3.0
Soil from margin of field
62
Soil from margin of field
+10% disease-suppressive soil
39
Disease-suppressive soil heated
to 50âC for 1 hour
31
Disease-suppressive soil heated
to 80âC for 1 hour
70
(Data from R. Mendes, et al. Deciphering the rhizosphere for disease-suppressive bacteria, Science 332: 1097-1100 (2011)).
. You are interested in continuing the work of Dr Mendes. What is one additional question that you might logically ask about this issue? Justify the question that you propose by logically describing why this is an important question to ask. Design and describe how to run an experiment to test the question you proposed. Be very specific. Make sure that the design is feasible (no growing plants on Jupiter). Include the following: · Independent and dependent variables · Control variables · Equipment and supplies needed · Outline the basic protocol to follow. · Describe WHY and HOW you will manipulate variables
here is the full question:
Do soil microorganisms protect against crop disease?
The rhizosphere, the soil layer surrounding plant roots, is a complex community in which archaea, bacteria, fungi, and plants interact with one another. After plants are attacked by fungal or bacterial pathogens, soil from the rhizosphere may protect plants from future attacks. Such protective soil is called disease-suppressive.
Researchers investigated whether microorganisms were responsible for the protective effects of disease-suppressive soils. Disease-suppressive soil was obtained from an agricultural field in the Netherlands in which sugar beet crops had previously been attacked by a fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani. Other soil was collected from the margin of the field. The researchers predicted that soil from the margin would not offer protection against pathogens.
The researchers then planted and raised sugar beets in greenhouses, using 5 different soil treatments. Each soil treatment was applied to 4 pots, and each pot contained 8 plants. The pots were inoculated with Rhizoctonia solani and placed in greenhouses kept at 20°C with a 16-hour light: 8-hour dark cycle. After 20 days, researchers determined the percentage of infected sugar beet seedlings for each soil treatment. The results of the experiment are shown in the table.
| Soil Treatment | Percentage of Seedlings with Fungal Disease |
| Disease-suppressive soil | 3.0 |
| Soil from margin of field | 62 |
| Soil from margin of field +10% disease-suppressive soil | 39 |
| Disease-suppressive soil heated to 50âC for 1 hour | 31 |
| Disease-suppressive soil heated to 80âC for 1 hour | 70 |
(Data from R. Mendes, et al. Deciphering the rhizosphere for disease-suppressive bacteria, Science 332: 1097-1100 (2011)).
