Organic vs. Synthetic
by Jamie W.
2nd Place - Botany

Question: Will a potato grow a mini vine healthier and faster if it is supported with organic materials as opposed to synthetic materials?

Hypothesis: Vegetation will grow faster and healthier with organic props rather than synthetic props.

I bought organic potatoes and commercially grown potatoes. I kept the organic potatoes in natural wooden bowls, with wood toothpicks and unfiltered creek water. The commercially grown potatoes were in plastic bowls, with plastic toothpicks and tap water. In the first 10 days nothing happened to any of the potatoes but by the end of the 2nd week the commercially grown potatoes were starting to grow buds and the organic potatoes were starting to get a
little scummy. After 4 weeks it was obvious that the organic potatoes were not going to grow anything. My hypothesis was wrong. At the end of 5 weeks the commercially grown potatoes all had little green buds on them, the water was barely dirty and the potatoes could easily be planted now and grow more potatoes. Even though I replenished the organic potatoes with Fresh creek water every week of the experiment they were all shrinking, smelling and
covered in scummy puss-like mold, there were even bugs flying around them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
www.wholefoods.com
RSC.com - Organic vs. Non Organic. The Debate by Maria Burke, 2005.
http://www.misa.umn.edu/vd/risks.html- Risks of Organic V5. Conventional foods.