Photoblasticity of Lophophora williamsii - Help Urgently needed for TAFE Assignment

[2Deep2Handle]

Ahoy fellow entheo and cati lovers. I have an open ended TAFE research piece, and have decided to test the photoblasticity of lophophora williamsii...

Heres the plan

Ive got 3 humidi chambers....

Plan to put 6 little 80mm pots in each with 5 seeds in each. (30 seeds total per chamber, 90 seeds total) Thanks heaps myco for the seeds, you(and the forum) get a mention in the aknowledgements of the paper.

-1 chamber will be subjected to total permananet darkness and only opened once daily quickly to record temp and humidty and check germination numbers....

-1 chamber is to be subjected to a 48watt Nelson (UShape) 5000k CFL for x hours a day at height of nCm above the chamber and yCM above the top of the substrate

-1 chamber is to be subjected to a 48watt Nelson (UShape) 3500k CFL for x hours a day at height of nCm above the chamber and yCM above the top of the substrate

Question is what height should i have this intensity of lighting from the seeds (n and y), and should i put shadecloth over the two lit ones?

What cycle for germinating for the 2 i will be lighting? ie 24/0, 18/6 or 12/12?

Should i run the light cycle(for the 2 lit chambers) through nighttime, to keep the total average temps up (avoid 14degree nights)

What substrate should i use to germinate? (was thinking just 40%searles premium cacti and suc, 15%searles premium potting,30% crushed perlite, 15% propagating sand)

Should I sterlise(oven cook) my substrate to decontam before sowing? (i never usually do, have some green algae sometimes appear, but has never really seemed that big of a deal?)

Should I Drench containers/substrate 2 days before putting in humidy chamber and sowing?

Is it too cold atm to sow? 2 of them will be lit by quite powerful (purposely chosen for cold weather) CFLS...should i do this inside my room instead of outside at my bar? (hard to do in my room and completly seal light so i can still sleep at night)

Temp and humidity to be recorded once a day for all 3 chambers, as well as germinations checked and mapped for each chamber daily also. Planning to do for 31 day(1 month), which is about accepted time for seed to pop?

General thoughts on the whole plan fellow cacti head?, and anything can do to help improve this research, and keep any possible factors as constant as possible? Be as critical as possible please....i want this paper to be as legitmate as possible, regardless of the already known information on the light sensity of germinating cacti, particulary Lophophora williamsii

Thanks heaps

2Deep

Edited June 14, 2012 by 2Deep2Handle

[IndianDreaming]

Nice plan 2deep! I love that sort of thing. I'd be really interested to see your results and the final paper when it's done.

[Jox]

Hey 2Deep,

sounds interesting mate,I have used electronic thermostats that have a long wire that can be placed inside your containers, the temp & humidity can then be read anytime you like day or night with out removing the lids.

Also maybe you can use a clear lid for the seeds that are staying in darkness & keep a cover over the lid, this way you wont have to crack the lid daily?

I'm just thinking the less disturbance of temp & humidity might give you better germination rates & more accurate results.

Best of luck mate!

keep us posted

PS; As for lighting????

At the moment I have some 6week old lophs still in there starter/humidity box, they have been in my cupboard with a 150watt MH light 50cm above them for the last week & seem to be going good

[kadakuda]

honestly, i think with seedlings the lights are going to be more than they need anyway, so i doubt you will get any stretching due to intensity but rather due to photoperiod. i also suspect they will sunburn. i have seen loph seedlings burn under 23w single CFL bulbs placed 10" above on a 18/6 cycle.

just a thought

[Evil Genius]

I have an article from the British Cactus Society about some school project that should determine the difference between cactus seedlings that are grown with and without light. Of course the ones with light grew substantially faster. Would that article be of any help?

[Halcyon Daze]

Good stuff, teachers love it when you're actually interested in doing your assignment.

Wait till you get to uni and they pretty much give you the keys to the lab and pay you to work on something of your own choice and you're surrounded by like minded people.

Good luck.

[2Deep2Handle]

EG i am only concerned weather the seeds sprout or not....not how they grow......

I could do my phd for I.T, but id rather keep finishing off my cruisy dip hort stuff....might look at further studies again one day when im a little older...

In terms of germinating them in this temp in Far Nrth NSW, im doing it inside, on 3 sep shelves, and 2 chambers are lit from 5 pm until 7am, and then total darkness. Would this be the right photoperiod of light for germination you think kadakuda?

[kadakuda]

Hmm, wow. I had way to many cigarettes before reading your post it seems. i didnt realize we were talking abotu seed germination but was thinking about teh growth habit of plants.

haha, disregrad last post of mine as it is probabyl way off topic.

fors seeds, yes light certainly helps. but again i dont htink the wattage is going to really matter much. when you have that kind of light that close, it iwll be sufficient be it 20w or 50w. more wattage will cause more problems once the plant pops the seed coat as it cant handle too much.

surface sow the seeds, and i think it would be intersting knowing if color temperature really makes a difference on seed germination, though with light types liek fluorescent, they are nto really very accurate and are all to some degree "full spectrum".

[2Deep2Handle]

The paper is done.

can be downloaded in this thread

Photoblastism of Peyote.

or directly from this link

Photoblastism of Peyote

Thanks for the input ladies and gentlemen.