Fast Plants teaching resources

Information about Fast Plants for use as a teaching resource in agriculture, biology and genetics classes.

• 10 March 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Fast Plants
• Fast Plants light source

Fast Plants

Fast Plants were originally developed at the University of Wisconsin as a plant breeding and research tool. Plant scientists bred a plant which completes its entire life cycle, from seed to seed, in only 36 days, while thriving under continuous fluorescent light.

This resulted in a model plant which can be used by researchers and is also excellent for use by teachers and students in school-based research projects. Several hundred Australian schools already use Fast Plants on a routine basis.

Plants are usually thought of as slow and unexciting for experiments, but the rapid-cycling Brassica rapa is perfect for classroom activities: up to 10 plant generations can be grown within the school year.

Fast Plants allow you to do many experiments on:

• plant growth
• light requirements
• factors affecting germination
• response to hormones
• plant nutrition
• environmental studies.

Fast Plants are also ideal for use in plant genetics studies, with seven varieties including dwarf and petal-less to choose from.

More information about Fast Plants can be found at the Wisconsin group Fast Plants website. You can order Fast Plants seeds via our order form.

Fast Plants:

• are a Brassica variety which complete their entire life cycle in 36 days
• can be easily grown indoors all-year round using continuous fluorescent lighting (cool white lights close to the plant)
• are fantastic for developing science skills of students from Years 1 - 12
• are ideal for general science, biology, agriculture, horticulture and genetics classes
• can be used for science fairs, environmental studies, and many other scientific activities

Fast Plants light source

Rapid-cycling Brassicas are a product of intense artificial selection in the laboratory. They have been bred for their:

• short life-cycle
• small size
• high seed production
• rapid growth under cool white fluorescent lights which is the cheapest artificial light source.

Rapid-cycling Brassicas - or Fast Plants, as they are commonly called - will achieve a full life cycle, from seed to seed, in 35 days under continuous strip-lighting at about 24°C.

Teachers in Queensland schools say that they can achieve reasonable growth with sunlight. The Green Machine has successfully tested a cheap, easy option for southern States.

At CSIRO Education ACT, we have grown Fast Plants successfully under desk lamps fitted with fluorescent-style ‘Gro-Lights’ purchased from a local lighting shop. There was little difference in time or growth of the plants.

We were careful to keep the light close to the plants as they grew by bending the arm and then lifting the lamp as the plants got taller. For a large number of plants, it is probably recommended to have two ‘Gro-lights’, one on either side of the container holding the pots.

Other users of Fast Plants recommend investigating hydroponic suppliers, some of whom can supply a type of lightbank as well as ‘Gro-Lights’.

Download a Fast Plants order form.