A HANDS-ON GRADUATE EXERCISE IN HORTICULTURAL PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS

Abstract

Horticulture Research Methodology courses are an important if not essential introduction to research for beginning graduate students. Such courses are often characterized by presentation of a series of experimental techniques, lacking continuity and out of context with real-world research situations. In the described course, students gained expertise with a range of environmental and plant measurement techniques within the framework of a semester-long experiment. The experimental techniques were introduced and incorporated into the experiment at appropriate stages. Each student engaged in hands-on participation in development of a proposal; experimental set up, implementation, and daily maintenance; and data accumulation, analysis, and reporting (in HortScience manuscript format). In addition to direct experience with all subject techniques, each student had individual responsibility for characterization of a. selected plant (or environmental) parameter. This format successfully accomplished the provision of direct and coherent experience with a wide variety of important horticultural research techniques within a real-world setting.