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Abstract
Working with plants is a process of discovery. Being curious and aware, paying close attention, and staying open and adaptive are important practices. Books and people can help us learn about plants in the nursery, but the very best teachers are the plants themselves. "Research" is simply paying close attention, tracking what is happening and what is causing it to happen, asking questions, and seeking answers. In other words, research is something many growers already do. Scientific research is simply "the testing (systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation) of ideas (hypothetical propositions about presumed relations among natural phenomena) generated by intuition." If research is done well, the process can yield useful, accurate information. If done ineffectively, the process can waste time or yield meaningless or inaccurate conclusions (Dumroese and Wenny 2003). The purpose of this chapter is to help design easy trials and experiments to discover useful, meaningful ways to improve crop production and quality.
Parent Publication
Citation
Wilkinson, Kim M. 2009. Discovering ways to improve crop production and plant quality [Chapter 17]. In: Dumroese, R. Kasten; Luna, Tara; Landis, Thomas D., editors. Nursery manual for native plants: A guide for tribal nurseries - Volume 1: Nursery management. Agriculture Handbook 730. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. p. 291-302.
