Formaldehyde as a stimulant to plant growth

University of Massachusetts - Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 Dissertations and Theses 1919 Formaldehyde as...
1 downloads 0 Views 4MB Size
University of Massachusetts - Amherst

ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Dissertations and Theses

1919

Formaldehyde as a stimulant to plant growth Linus Hale Jones University of Massachusetts Amherst

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Jones, Linus Hale, "Formaldehyde as a stimulant to plant growth" (). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. Paper 1242. http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/1242 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected].

UMASS/AMHERST

3120bb 0530 33S5

5

THESIS

FORMALDEHYDE AS A STIMULANT

TO PLANT GROWTH LINUS

H.

JONES

PORMALERHYia AS A

ANT TO PLANT 3R0VTH

Linus H. Jones Thesis submit ted for the degree of

Master of Science Massachusetts Agricultural College Amherst

June,

1A9.

BOTV

Contents*

Page 1

Introduction Acknowled#aent (footnote)

1

Toxicity* toleration* and stimulation

1

Direct and Indirect stimulation

1

Previous studies with formal uehyde

2

Object of the thesis

2

Review of the literature

2

Partial sterilization of soil and stimulation

2

ulation by formaldehyde introduced into the atuos* phere

3

Soil absorption of formaldehyde

4

5f ect on ensymee

5

Resistance of different plants to formaldehyde

5

Experimental

6

Preparation of uolutlons

7

jdy with radicles of peas

Formaldehyde polymerised by sunlight Preparation of the radicles Results .udy with herbaceous cuttings exposed to formaldehyde 24 hours Results tudy vith dormant wood cut rings exposed to formaldehyde 24 ours Results udy with herbaceous cuttings ex;, o red to formaldehyde continuously Formaldehyde poisoning described i

esults -udy with dormant wood cuttings exposed to formaldehyde continuously esults Pea seedlings in formaldehyde and nutrient solution Results

Conclusions bliograjphy

8 8 9 11

13 13

14 14

15 15 16 1

18 20 21 24 2b

A

yon::ALX3!MYI» AG

STIItfJLAJJT

TO V

;HO\7TH.*

Introduction *

1.

nt to plant tjrowth

o action of for ~_iiuehyde as a cti

revives

so-ouiiod law or h>

t »

esle of Arndt (l)** that bud-

stances to;.io to the living plant

|

in very dilute ccncentra*

,

In general, between the toxic

tions, uct ae a stimulant.

ation of

and Bti.nulu.tive concentrations there is the former

is

latter*

i*

•toleration'

1

.

i

|

ruj erly be called

rdi (l to £0,000)

aiuali

onous

Bill poisonous fa of

nte is

t

jle

im

ef it la

on May

(See flat* 1.)

u very

.

£

tlie

rny (2).

§f1

n ant

v.cll

ii

reserv

«.

i

.uue



it

t

can act directly ae a stimulant io the object of the experimental vorJk of this paper.

Indirect ntl:aulation is veil

but little or

hM

i.o

attention

*.;:own,

been paid to the tiiroct

a-

ence of this che.aicul on the growth of the plant. There hue been done

c one ider able

formaldehyde In its rei

This Vincent

a to the plafctg

but the greater num-

estod to the writer by ^rofesoor A.

study wao

un s Head of the apartment of I'otany of the Masnachu-

setts Agricultural Or ton L«

experimental work with

olieje,

.

iiorat, UaesaohUBette.

rofesoor

Clarki in charge of the Plant Ihy Biology courses ,

many valuable suggestions. ter wishes to express

Mb

i:iade

To both of these teachers the wri-

sincere appreciation.

*»Con^ult Bibliography.

ber of the studies has been tnade with the green parte of plants.

These ettewpte have been made in the direction of establishing the Intermediate synthetic compounds between carbon dioxide and the starches through jiiotoayn thesis,

the formaldehyde being

present in the atmosphere in connection with uunlijfrt.

The objeet of the following experiments was to ascertain if formaldehyde, in weak solutions, would in any way stimulate

root growth*

If such a stimulation could be determined it is

only natural to suppose that, because of the increased feeding

area thus obtained, the green parts above would be proportionally

greater than untreated plants, •

II. He view o£ the Literature .

Many have noted that where soil is treated with formal* dehyue as a sterilising agent* the subsequent growth exhibits a

seeming stimulation as compared with the untreated soil.

Ap-

parent stimulation has been obtained with lettuce from soil treat-

ment with formaldehyde at the Uaesaohusette Agricultural Kxperi-

ment Station (3)«

Jormaldehyde has been advantageous ly used

for tne partial sterilisation of soils for experimental purposes as well ae for ooa erciul gardening.

Buddin (4) has found

that "Consistently &ood results have been obtained in pot experi-

ments from the treatment of soils with formaldehyde for the growth of tomatoes, the crop obtained being both earlier and

greater in bulk."

Buddin, in attempting to explain hie posi-

tive results, has induced hie readers to believe that the in-

creases are due to the relation of

trie

chemical to the flora of

-3-

HI* conclusions

the soil*

ire

derived from the numbers of bac-

teria, protosoa, and the amount of ammonia and nitrate present

in treated and untreated soils.

Thus, he has obtained an indi-

rect benefit, for the flora of the soil influenced the amount of the avail

iXfl

nutritive substances in the treated soil to such

an extent that a mar-ed increase was ob tuined over the untreated soil.

Orafe and Porthelm

(|>)

made studies with and without for-

maldehyde gas under bell Jars on various seedlings and twigs. the experiments running frost 7 to 16 days.

A stimulating ef-

fect was obtained as far as the ejlootyl and primordial leaves

were concerned with the

,-

Aa

;

were better without the gas.

but the hypocotyl and internodes With the gus the roots were de-

cidedly shorter and lees developed than when grown under normal conditions.

These investigators oonolude that formal dehyde

acts either as a stimulant or food to organisms bearing chlorophyll.

Here, for the first time, we find an allusion to the

effect of formaldehyde on roots j but the formaldehyde was used in the atmosphere and not in solution.

iss Baker (6) found that formaldehyde seemed to stimu-

late respiration in the dark.

In the lijfrt she found evidence

that it was assimilated.

Benedicentl and de Tonl (7) have made extensive researches and con end that f orraaldehyde is highly injurious to plant life. It is true that they obtained a stimulus which was measured by

increased res iratory activity but later this fell greatly below the normal and the detriment al effect on the plant could almost

-4-

be measured directly from the amount of formaldehyde used and A* in the work of other in*

the duration of the treatment*

vest! gators these men introduced the formaldehyde into the

atmosphere.

Tnat formaldehyde is hi«jhiy concentrate one i« well known. for disinfection purposes.

in comparatively email

tc;.ic

oe,

it hue widespread use

This hi^i.ly to*ic

;,

rty lends

its use to the partial sterilisation of soils.

Used at the

rate of 1 to 100, a gallon per square foot,

ao toxic to

.

t is

plant growth that 4 to 7 days must elaj se before seeds are

planted or a crop oet*

That formaldehyde will be retained

by the soil for a fairly long time io

;.

roved by aoae of Buddin's

According to his reoulte "Sohiff's reagent

(A) experiments.

showed that with the higher doses acme remained in the soil

throughout the experiment and kept the soil in a practically sterile condition.

These higher doses mentioned refer to The

U/10, M/50, and j4/-00 concentrations of formaldehyde.

length of one

ox;

erlment was 90 days, and the duration of the

second experiment was 170 days. sponds to an U/7*5 concentration.

The solution 1 to ICC corre:cauue the soil retains

formaldehyde for ouch a long time it appears that there is some connection between this factor and the increased vi

s-or

of the

plant. As yet no one has definitely concluded whether it is a

stimulative or a nutritive effect caused by the formaldehyde. It c*n po

ibiy be both: the former through the ef :ect on en*

symee, and the latter through the aid of radiant energy.

-

•ii$aitn^(>) has learned that for vialdehyde lncreasee the

activity of three oxidising q.i^um in milk*

mads

studiee

soaie

and snsy ee,



witi.

tr;e

^o^orny (9)

effSot of f oriaaldehyde on jrotoplasn

rotoplaeu being readily ki Lied with a 0.01# so-

lution, but it took a 0«5£ solution to destroy the ef iciency of malt diastase*

This author claims that* in general 9 for-

maldehyde is a poison for ensytaee as well as for the organism,

but did net take into consideration the purity of the /reparation or protective substances* The writer has not as yst c jrriod out any experiments

with the weak concentrations anting on various onayuee. There are aumy different figures in regard to the toxicity of

ldehyde to

I

trie

living plant* and the following axperl*

nental work rather eete forth the ;dea that it is the nature of the plant under treatment and its

factors. is

fry

ondltl on that are the vital

Hi us Bokorny (2] states that formaldehyde 1 to teals; i

while Treboux (10) claims

th. t

^ndmm

perfectly well in a Q*Q0G5# solution *hlch is ten than

tfei

nun live

times)

stronger

to 20,000 concentration.

1

This review of the literature shows that mainly speculative

work has been done with formaldehyde in regard to direct stimulation.

The above-named inveuti

;

tors have dealt more with

formaldehyde and photosynthesis , and when en author has noted

a stimulus no direct expression as to its cause ha* been set forth.

Ylth the ever increasing use of this chemical in agri-

cultural

;.r

plant be

action it is very desirable that its ef iect on the

.ore

tnorou^hly studied.

.6-

III.

The

Experimental

dehycie used in the following experiments ia

t\

the ordinary commercial

yi% formaldehyde.

r^duet which carried approximately

Aa the writer waa not ?^fter strictly quan-

titative results the formaldehyde waa figured aa

40.*

in order

to facilitate the preparation of the dilutions used.

'nee

all of the eolutiona are approximate* yet

great

t)

tiie

dilution* are no

at faJHy definite conoluaione may be made.

the TuTioue concentr itiona of formaldehyde used in these

experimenta

ere most conveniently prepared aocordlng to the

following plan.

figuring the formaldehyde (HCHO) aa 40£,

one cu ic centimeter of such a solution would contain 0.4 grama CHO.

Fractional molur oolutione were used.

A molar so-

lution of HCHO containa 30 gro.o

w

3.75

"

2.5

*

12.5

*

10.0

0.0.

HCHO 11

Stock eol. *

11

«

M

II

n

n

"37.5

n

11

962.5

"

0.(^3

m


0.0006

994.00 •





4*0



«

13

H/100,000

0.0003

997-0

n



n

3.0

14

M/200.0L0

0.00015

9>8.5

»

"

1.5

15

Check

Hone

1000.0

n

*375

m

1

"

60.0

940.0

^|



«

«

a

-a.

Study with two-aay old radicles of pea* ( PI bum sativum ) ii n ^tmmmim MrwwmaMa ~mmm »—— i ii

••«»•»

ii

ii

i

ii

i

i

This constituted the

rauj

n

i

n

i

p portion of the work, but the

results are net as striking as In following experiments*

This

study was undertaken with the objeot to determine If there wae a stimulation by formaldehyde on the non-green parts of plants, all factors of a ph tosynthetic nature being obviated.

That formaldehyde o^n act as a food was found to be true

by Boullhao

(

11), who f und that ths algae Nostoo and Anabena

wsre able to polymerize formaldehyde, but In order to do so sufficient sunllic effect in the L'/IOOO Bolutior;. Another significant faot is brought out in a second series of willow cuttings taker: on .lurch 20,

L919i or one month later

The cuttings taken in February produced

than the first eet.

roots in a concentration equal to M/100.

Those cuttings ta-

^•n in jiarch did not produce rootn until the concentration had

been reduced to M/400. same tree.

These cuttings were

t

.

en from the

It is thus shown that as t ere exists a differenoe

in the to-\ic effect of formaldehyde on different families, there

also exiBts a difference in tonicity in regard to the cuttings of one species taken from the rumo plant at different tliass of the year.

seedling

in.

formaldehyde

aflfl

nutri cat solution,*

An experiment covering zix weeks wae mads with pea seed*

lings in the various concentrations of formaldehyde.

At the

-21.

end of two weeks Crone's (15) nutrient solution was added with the formaldehyde to sup ly the esnential elements, ;

e

seed-

lings were started as rreviouoly described for the preparation

At the end of a week t ey were placed in

of radicles.

Jure eup orted by a perforated tile cover.

gave a very fine expression of toleration*

There was

fry

i

int

These seedlings es plates 1 and 5)

little difference in the time of blossoming.

M/200,0GQ bloomed two days in advance of m/5°0 and li/lGO.OCQ. and four auys in advance of the remaining concentrations U/1000.

a*:

ove

The tops and roots were cut, air-dried, and weired.

(8ee the following table)

-22-

Table showing the wei^t in runs of the air-dried tops, roots hrd total of an average plant in formaldehyde plus nutrient solution*. f

U/concentrati on

ff»pt

Hoot*

Total

.038

.133

39

.155

M/10

H^50

Vloo

V 00 2

H/400

.116



H/600

.222

.051

.

M/BOO

.1&2

.053

.235

K/1000

.170

.048

.218

V5ooo

.5^1

.166

-?u?

.336

.1 I

.567

xo.ooo

.3^2

.V/c

.460

11/50,000

.418

.2X6

.634

.423.

.200

.623

H/200,000

.569

.."MO

.

Check

.603

230

.

273

1

M/8000

100 , 000



3

-23-

eck produced the greatest weight for both top and

from

root*

Ll ox* eri~»ent It a]

e tf/9000

euro that foraiuldehyde is

Uou

toxic even in at weak a concc

figures Wit

.

ooncentrution

as U/2VQ, ~re

-he

rather striking, for

they show a great increaee over the preceding and oucceeding so*

lution.

Jier noticeable feature connected with the solu-

tione above Vie v/loCC wao the fact that the roots were longer

but were not as thick as those of the chee*. U/1Q0Q the roots were very

si

Srom m/6c0 to

ort but they were rery numerous.

It was hoped that this experiment might prove that ths ac-

tion of the formaldehyde stimulus was continuous, but no suoh

results were obtuined in this case*

in4

However, we uurt bear in

that the plants were in a solution whioh contained ths es-

sential elements in great abundance.

Had they been #rown in

the soil it is possibls that the stimulus obtained in previous

experiments might have shown Itself in a different manner.

It

has been noted elsewhere in this pa; or tuat formaldehyde product

more roots, longer r ot hairs* and longer seconoary roots than untreated plants.

This being tne cuoe, it is natural to

suppoes that a plant could establish Itself more quickly in ths soil. As Benedicenti and ds Toni

(?)

have noted, formaldehyde

in the atmos here may exert a stimulus, but a reaction follows whioh causes the plant to fall behind the untreated check. the eoil the results may wsll be different, for even if there is a reaction ths plant through Itsgreater root system has a

better opportunity for taking up nutrients than the untreated

In

-24-

plant*

further experimental work is expected to give data

showing a positive direct benefit* IV. Concluoions 1* These experiments show that a

positive stimulus Bay

be obtained by using formaldehyde in rery weak concentrations. 2.

Stimulation may be obt ined in the dark as is shown

by the experiments with the two-day-old radicles of peas. This is contrary to what 3rafe (l6) found*

His results show

that formaldehyde in the air cou.d be tolerated in the li#it up to a large percentage, but became toxio in darkness or

The stimulus obtained

on the colorless parts of plants.

would naturally suggest that the

f or-naldehyde

had increased

the activity of the ensyues to make the reserve food of the

cotyledons more quickly available.

.

eli09. Abst. in 21:128. 1909,

(6) Baker*

(7)

A.

and

3.

B. L'axione della formaldeide eul re-

Atti. cambio reepiratorio nel vegetale. del R. 1st veneto di Be. lett. ed. ardi. LVI, parte 2. Abst. in Bot. Centr. 96: 427-428. 1}04.

de Ton!

(8)

Seligman, *.

Th.

Infectionskrank. 50 Ho.l in xp. Bta. Rec. 16:1121. Abst.

-tRchr. Hyg. u.

1905. 1905. (9) Bokorny,

ta. Rec.

Quantitative experiments on the effect of >.£ £O -a

H

aJ

g ?-.

o



p «m



Suggest Documents