Name ____________________________
Lab Section (M or R) ______
PLS 15: Lab Assignment
Crops Observation Questions I
Due: Hand in this completed (both sides) sheet at the start of lab on Week 5.
Part A. Focus first on the lettuce, basil, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes:
1. Are all of the plants surviving? Identify any that have not. If there are any that have died, why do you think they didn't survive?
2. Are there any significant problems with any of the crops or varieties? Describe any significant problems you see and indicate what you think might be possible causes.
3. Interactions between plants of the same or different species can be either positive (e.g. one plant helping the other somehow) or negative (e.g., one plant hurting the other somehow, such as through competition). Do you think there is any evidence of interactions between the lettuce plants planted at 6 rows per bed or 3 rows per bed? What about between the lettuce and the basil in the mixed (intercrop) planting? If so, briefly describe what interactions you think might be taking place.
4. What impacts do you think the weather has had on the plants since they were transplanted?
Part B. Next focus on the potato plots.
5. Do you see any signs of the potatoes emerging? (cut up pieces of potatoes [not transplants] were planted during the Monday lab section.)
MORE QUESTIONS ON REVERSE
Part C. Now, focus on the squashes, melons, watermelons and cucumbers
6. Are all of the plants surviving? Identify any that have not. If there are any, why do you think they didn't survive?
7. Are there any significant problems with any of the crops or varieties? Describe any significant problems you see and indicate what you think might be possible causes.
8. Do some species or varieties appear to be more damaged than others?
9. Compare the three `Raven' summer squash plantings that were seeded in the greenhouse on different dates: are there differences in the amounts of damage? How do you explain this?
Part D. Finally, consider all of the plants in both beds.
10. Do you see any signs of differences between the two beds?