| Biographies |
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| Sarah - My name is Sarah Choi, and I am a grade 11 student at R.E. Mountain Secondary in Langley, BC. My inspiration for my project was to investigate how fertilizing methods can be improved to promote plant health while not contributing to groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions, which cause negative environmental impacts. I used experimental data to figure out that Black Soldier Fly larvae frass is not just an effective feed for livestock, but also for defending against common plant pathogens due to its beneficial nutrients. BSFL frass contains important nutrients for plants to grow robustly, including growth hormones, nitrifying bacteria, and chitin. Using trials on plants, I was able to differentiate the best combination of organic fertilizers, such as Trichoderma and humic acid, with frass by analyzing the physical characteristics of the plant, such as height, biomass, number of leaves, and width of leaves, and also the health of the plants through nitrate concentration, pH, and electrical conductivity of the soil. Treatments with frass were able to improve plant health and growth, supporting our conclusion that it can be used as an excellent organic fertilizer. In my spare time, I participate in extracurricular activities including music and badminton. | | Neelah - Neelah Hassanzadeh is a grade 11 student who lives in Langley, British Columbia. Neelah hopes to attend university after graduating high school in the sciences. Her hobbies include tennis, baking and spending time with her family. With the help of her friend, Sarah Choi, they came up with their project after being introduced to Black Soldier Fly larvae and were amazed by the beneficial properties they possess. After completing this lab, Neelah would like to investigate more about the other beneficial properties of Black Soldier Fly larvae and investigate more about them. Neelah hopes to gain more experience in different fields of science to truly understand how the world works and about the biggest problems that we face today. She believes that everyone should keep an open-mind and be willing to view different perspectives if they want to gather experience and knowledge. |
| Sarah Choi, Neelah Hassanzadeh
BSFL Frass: Improving Plant Health While Minimizing Environmental Impact
| Challenge: | Environment | | Category: | Senior | | Region: | Fraser Valley | | City: | Langley, BC | | School: | Mountain Secondary | | Abstract: | Our project studies how Black Soldier Fly larvae frass can be used as an effective, sustainable, and inexpensive organic fertilizer. This method would address the problem of chemical fertilizers contributing to negative environment impact, such as waterway contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. The study shows how frass can increase plant growth, thereby helping alleviate problems with climate change and the global food crisis. |
| Awards | Value | Excellence Award - Senior
Silver Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | | Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship
Senior Silver Medallist - $2500 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Dalhousie University, Faculty of Science | $2 500.00 | UBC Science (Vancouver) Entrance Award
Senior Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) | $2 000.00 | University of New Brunswick Canada-Wide Science Fair Scholarship
Silver Medallist - $2500 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of New Brunswick | $2 500.00 | University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship
Senior Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Ottawa | $2 000.00 | Western University Scholarship
Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Western University | $2 000.00 | | Total | $11 000.00 | |
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