The Effect of Insulin Lispro & Sucrose on Soybean Plant Resistance to Chilling Temperatures

A.B. Lucas Secondary School

Climate change is a threat to life on Earth. Canada, whose economy is largely based on soybean agriculture, is dependent on ideal climate conditions for financial profitability. Known to grow outside of the winter season, these plants are not equipped to resist temperatures beneath 10°C. This experiment aimed to resolve this problem by investigating a correlation between sugar, insulin, and soybean plant resistance to cold stress. Soybean plants were grown and injected with sugar water and insulin using a novel procedure before being exposed to temperatures of 5°C. During this experiment, signs of wilting and leaf discolouration were observed. In the end, no correlation was found to support the hypothesis. Nevertheless, insulin proved to stimulate cell growth, as injection sites grew diametric at a rapid rate.