We'll spend today doing a fairly deep dive into the various types of seed dormancy as per the Chapter Seven video lectures and assigned readings. We'll also review everything we've covered to this point in the semester - video lectures, in-class activities, lab exercises, the "virtual" Dickman Farms field trip, etc. in preparation for Wednesday's exam assessment. All of the above is fair game for the exam assessment so this is not a class meeting to be tempted to miss.
First Assessment
This may, or may not, be the most unusual exam assessment you've ever taken as it will be completely open resource and you can even work on it with your classmates if you'd find that to be helpful in support of your learning - just like the six quizzes you've taken so far this semester.
Also, you can physically come to class to work on your exam for an hour - or not. It's your choice!
You will have until midnight tonight to email your completed assessment to me. You will then grade it using the grading rubric that I'll post tomorrow (Thursday) by noon in preparation for a one-on-one assessment review next week. I'll send a Google Form for you to select a day and time that you can meet with me next week - which may be during the lab session next Friday (that's Friday, February 24th).
Meanwhile, looking forward to next week - and rest of the semester for that matter - we'll be shifting gears from seed (sexual) propagation to vegetative (asexual) propagation. Also referred to as "clonal" propagation, vegetative/asexual propagation techniques (several of which you've already performed in lab sessions to date) include "cuttings," "budding," "grafting," "layering," "division," "micropropagation," etc.
To provide a foundation on which we can build a strong understanding of the clonal propagation techniques mentioned above, please read Chapter 9 in the textbook and watch the chapter videos, too, of course. You will also find Chapter 15 - "Juvenility and Its Effect on Macro- and Micropropagation" in the supplemental reference "Plant Propagation: Concepts and Laboratory Exercises" to be helpful.
Of particular note, the role of juvenility in clonal propagation - especially the concept of the "cone of juvenility" and the differences between chronological and ontogenetic aging - will be very important to grasp.
I'll begin this lab session by addressing any questions you may have about the first assessment, the process for self-grading it and/or the one-on-one meeting you'll have with me to discuss your assessment and the grade you've given yourself.
Next, before moving on to the clonal propagation of plants beginning next week and continuing to the end of the semester, we're going to spend the rest of this lab performing a series of treatments on the dormant seed of redbud (Cercis canadensis), one of our most beautiful spring-flowering native trees here in the northeastern U.S.
For more information on this lab session including treatment rubrics and video instructions, click on this link Lab Session #4 - Seed Dormancy.