Description
Features |
Height: 13cm |
Width: 13cm |
Two Black End Pots: diameter 5.5cm; depth 4.7cm. |
Two transparent rectangular plastic trays 9.0 cm Ć 7.0 cm Ć 4.0 cm |

Introduction
The Plant Y-Maze serves as a tool for studying foraging behaviors in plants, akin to the Y-Maze commonly used in animal research for spatial learning and memory tasks. Designed to exploit plants’ phototropic and hydrotropic tendencies, this maze allows researchers to observe learned behaviors in response to these stimuli.
This apparatus can be configured as an upright ‘Y’ to assess phototropic responses or inverted to study hydrotropic responses during foraging behaviors. Beyond light and water, the Y-Maze enables investigation into how environmental factors like temperature, wind, and sound influence plant behaviors.
Constructed from a ‘Y’ shaped pipe, the Plant Y-Maze facilitates observation of both root and shoot growth under varying conditions and stimuli. It includes opaque plastic pots and clear trays for experimentation. Other notable apparatuses in plant research include the Mimosa Habituation and Plant Communication Apparatus.
Apparatus and Equipment
The Plant Y-Maze apparatus is composed of a ‘Y’ shaped PVC pipe, accompanied by two small black plastic pots and two clear plastic trays. The Y-Maze stands at a height of 10.5 cm, with the arms branching off at 6.5 cm from the base. The base arm features a diameter of 5.5 cm, while the bifurcating arms measure 6 cm in diameter and extend 4 cm in length. These arms are set at a 45-degree angle from each other, and the junction boasts an overall width of 9.5 cm. The black plastic pots have a depth of 4.5 cm and snugly fit around the maze tubings with their 5.5 cm diameter. Positioned beneath the pots are two plastic trays measuring 9 x 7 x 4.0 cm each.
Training Protocol
The germination and growing conditions of the seeds used in the experiment should be consistent in order to achieve accurate results. Seeds that have not germinated should be discarded and not used in the experiments. The germination and growing conditions will vary depending on the type of plant and the experimental requirements.
Prior to use, the Y-Maze apparatus must be cleaned to limit the influence of any residual stimuli on the behaviors of the plants.
Data Analysis
The Plant Y-Maze is employed primarily for studying plant foraging behaviors, focusing on observing how roots or shoots grow and their direction in response to various treatments and stimuli. To analyze these behaviors, plants are removed from the apparatus, and their roots are washed to visually assess their responses.
Strengths and Limitations
Summary
- Plant Y-Maze is used in the observation of foraging behaviors in plants.
- The maze utilizes the principles of phototropism and hydrotropism.
- Plant Y-Maze can be used to investigate the effects of environmental conditions, drugs and chemical compounds on the growth behaviors of plants.
References
Gagliano, M., Grimonprez, M., Depczynski, M., & Renton, M. (2017).Ā Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water. Oecologia. 184(1):151-160. doi: 10.1007/s00442-017-3862-z.
Gagliano, M., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Borbély, A. A., Grimonprez, M., & Depczynski, M. (2016). Learning by Association in Plants. Sci Rep. 6:38427. doi: 10.1038/srep38427.