by Katrina Hageman
This article is part of a series highlighting CALS students participating in the 20th anniversary of Science with Practice. The other articles feature research by Emma Alstott, senior in global resource systems, and Caroline Strawhacker, junior in agricultural business.
Rachel Becker, a senior in horticulture, used her Science with Practice involvement to dive into poinsettia tree production, all while discovering a side of research she didn’t know existed.
“My professor, Christopher Currey, asked me to work with him on his project, and I thought it was a great opportunity,” Becker said. “There are many different focus areas in horticulture, and I wanted to use this experience to see all sides.”
Becker has previously worked for Reiman Gardens on the public horticulture side and at Goode Greenhouses on the retail side. She will be interning at Galla this summer with a focus on the wholesale side.
Science with Practice gave Becker the opportunity to take what she learned in her previous experiences and use it in a research setting, discovering what she likes and dislikes.
“In commercial and retail horticulture, you cannot take the time with each plant because there are so many of them,” Becker said. “In this research, you get to do more specific care for the plants. I greatly enjoy the detail that goes into that.”
Becker has worked alongside Currey, a professor of horticulture, to conduct three experiments with an overall goal of refining the poinsettia tree production.
The first experiment determined the optimal leaf removal time to form the truck. The second experiment had the same concept but with branch removal. The third experiment took the current 6-inch container size and adapted the tree to an eight-inch and a four-inch container.
“I wanted to learn about the process of research and what it actually looks like for horticulture,” Becker said. “In the past, I have looked at research as chemistry and labs, but this research has been a lot different because I have been in the greenhouse working with plants, which is a much more enjoyable environment for me.”
The research will conclude on Dec. 16, but the data is on a trend to match the hypotheses.
The poinsettia tree leaf removal hypothesis was that the plant would form a better canopy, bract and trunk size if removal was later in the season to allow more photosynthesis to accrue.
The poinsettia tree branch removal hypothesis was to get a balance between labor requirements and tree quality the removal time would be best in the middle of the treatments.
“I would recommend Science with Practice to students because it provides a great experience to get involved and see how the research process actually works,” Becker said.