Final post

Overall, this assignment has been very helpful and interesting. On the one hand, I learned a lot about duckweed. I had previously heard about the aquatic plant and always found it a very interesting topic to research on. The blog helped me dive deeper into the crop and get to know many subjects like the plant’s anatomy, physiology, growth, growing environment, harvest methods, etc.

One of the best parts of duckweed is that I got the chance to observe the plant with my own eyes. At the beginning of the assignment, I was walking in the city center of The Hague and directly spotted duckweed on the canals. It was a whole adventure being able to collect it but once I managed, the project became even more interesting. I was able to inspect the plant at home and see how it developed over time (like it’s exponential growth). Just a few days after I collected it, it was nowhere to be seen in the canals. The weather had become too cold and the plants became dormant.

All in all, this research has shown me that duckweed is much more than just an aquatic plant, for me it is a natural wonder. The plant can grow in almost every water environment and grows almost exponentially. In addition, it can easily adapt to different climate ranges, grow in hydroponic systems and therefore be produced on a big scale. Taking a look at its composition, duckweed is rich in protein and therefore it can be used for animal feed and human consumption.

In conclusion, duckweed is a tiny plant, but it has huge potential.