Research Page
1. The chemical released by the sweet potatoes is called Allelopathy.
2. Farmers use this experiment to get rid of pests on plants that do not get harmed by Allelopathy.
3. Allelopathy is very hard to find because it quickly mixes with the soil.
4. Many vegetables and friuts are unharmed by Allelopathy such as Sunflowers.
5. Allelopathy has been recently discovered by scientists.
6. Allelopathy is a defense chemical that the potatoe gets out to grow bigger.
7. Allelopathy is released from the potatoes roots.
8. It is a cheap way to kill pests on farms.
9. Allelopathy is not dangerous for humans or any type of mammals.
10. The chemical released by the potatoes is an invisible substance.
Questions
1. Do the potatoes have special chemicals that get out when they are in contact with other plants? Sweet potatoes do have special chemicals, but they do not get out when they are in contact with other plants. The chemical that the potatoes release is called alleleopathy. This chemical comes out of the plants when they get sprouted, it is a self-defense mechanism. It is a protects the plant from other plants and pests. This chemical comes out even if the potatoe is not in contact with any other plant, it is just a natural substance. Potatoes do not get affected by it and are not the only vegetables who release this strange chemcal is also produced by walnut trees to mention one of the many.
2. Could this process be used in farms and gardens to grow plants or vegetables faster? No, alleleopathy makes the growth of plants next to sweet potatoes take much more time. This instead makes plants take much more time to grow between or next to sweet potatoes. This chemical comes out from the roots of the potatoe once it is starting to grow. The chemical acts as a protector to the potatoe against other plants, bugs and pests. Alleleopathy is released once the plant from the potatoe starts sprouting that is why in my experiment the plants near the potatoes are growing faster because the potatoes plant takes much more time to sprout than the sunflower seeds do.
3. If the potatoes do have a chemical and it is not helpful in plant growth can it be helpful in other things? Alleleopathy is helpful in the way that it can help stop producing bad weeds in gardens. Scientists are planning to use it for the future use to stop the growth of bad weeds and to stop insects under ground to eat the plants roots. Plants that could be protected by this good use of Alleleopathy are mint, violet, and black raspberries to name a few of the variety of plants that do not get affected by this chemical. Alleleopathy can be very bad for some plants and gardens, but it can also help us abolish bad weeds and pests from underground that eat plants routs in the near future.
Bibliography