A Fun Experiment!

Organic sweet potato with vines!

A great way to experience the difference between conventional produce and organic produce is to try a simple experiment at home - kids will especially love this fun project!

  1. Purchase 1 organic sweet potato and 1 conventionally grown (non-organic) sweet potato.

  2. Submerge 1/2 of each in a glass of water.

  3. Every day, take a look to see if any vines sprout.  Within 1-3 weeks, your organic sweet potato should produce vines that will continue to grow into "mini trees!" 

The vines will likely not grow on the conventionally grown sweet potato.  The difference lies in a chemical called "chlorpropham" (also known as bud nip) which has been sprayed onto the non-organic potato.  Bud nip is a dangerous chemical used to control grass weeds in various foods ranging from alfalfa, to carrots, cranberries, garlic, tomatoes, and other produce.

Explore more fun projects for kids!

Chlorpropham:  Why avoid this dangerous pesticide?

 For more information on these studies, read the EPA fact sheet on chlorpropham.

 


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