My Externship Experience: Agriculture and Natural Resources by Beverly Matsuda Science teacher Northwood High School

December 22, 2010 University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Dr. Kirk Larson Associate Pomologist and Associate CE Specialist, UC Davis Dept. of Pomology Siskiyou Resource Conservation District University of California South Coast R.E.C Irvine Blvd. Irvine, CA 92618

POMOLOGY: The study and cultivation of fruit Kirk Larson, Ph.D. is an expert on  Strawberry breeding  Environmental factors  Production efficiency  Product quality Strawberries in the field

During my externship experience I was able to study...

Controlled crosses Advances in Breeding

Parental selection for Horticulture and Production traits

 Seeding ability  Runner traits  Tolerance levels  Yield  Fruit size  Flavor  Ease of harvest  Appearance, color  Shipping quality

Runner plants simulate commercial conditions After which …

Repeat trials For scientific research, varieties are clearly labeled and duplicate trials are conducted

The best quality parents are selected

Only they are allowed to make multiple runners … … to be used for future investigations such as

Environmental Impact

Abiotic environments

Including the soil,

And the weather

Too much rain damages the beds and …

… can kill the new bloom

And damage fruit

Biotic environment  Crows  Rabbits  Fungus  Wilt  Rot  Mites  Bacteria

Environment  Each plant is tested to see how they respond under various environmental conditions

Production Quality & Efficiency

Cultural practices are optimized

 Clear  Black  Paper Mulch is tested

Irrigation Practices

How can this be incorporated into the classroom? From working with Dr. Larson Scientific Research to Compare: Different mulches  Clear plastic vs. black plastic vs. paper  Temperature variance  Weed control  Ease of handling  Cost effectiveness  Environmental impact  Can we combine techniques

How can this be incorporated into the classroom? Functional skills can be practiced. Students can  Grow their own strawberry plants.  Practice promoting fruit or runners.  Develop skills to care for the plants.  Better understand the growth patterns, such as crowning  Study fruit formation, development, and maturity  Comprehend pollination  Examine plant hormone effects, e.g., auxins

A Learning Experience Now it’s time to put my learning into practice … with students in our own garden As I take the time to reflect on my experience, I realize the scientific process and how much work has gone into better understanding strawberries in order to produce quality product while working within environmental parameters.

Northwood High School Horticulture garden Thanks to the SOCCD Collaborate Grant