Cold Hardiness of the Yellow Sparkly Daisy
Before Dr. Thomas starts his cold hardiness tests he needs some background information on what “cold hardiness” of a plant really is and how a plant reacts to cold. In plant tissue, there are different types of cells that have different functions. Some cells are “empty” (non-living) while others are filled with a cytoplasmic fluid (living). Cell walls are made up mostly of cellulose, and everything in that cell wall system is considered living tissues and everything outside the membrane is considered non-living tissue. The water in the non-living tissue is almost pure water so it freezes around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The water in the living tissue is different; it contains sugars, starches, and other things that make its freezing point farther below freezing. When plants are exposed to cold, the non-living tissue begins to freeze and forms ice within the cells, while the living tissue…show more content… Thomas could go about it many different ways. I think there are two specific ways that he could go about his tests either by using the” whole plant freezing test” (WPFT) and the “freeze induced electrolyte leakage test” (FIEL). In the Whole Plant Freezing Test the hardiness of all the different tissues in a plant can be tested at once which gives a good indication of overall cold hardiness. If Dr. Thomas uses the WPFT method, he would take seedlings of his Yellow Sparkly Daisy plant, and subject them to sub-freezing temperatures or a series of them for several hours. In terms of equipment, the WPFT test could be done in programmable freezer or a Thermotron. After the freezing, the seedlings are place into a warm environment such as a greenhouse for several days. At the end of that time period, Dr. Thomas would then evaluate the damage to his plants and see how cold hardy they are. If the plants turn brown within a few days he will know that they are not suitable to live in an environment that
