Quote:oh what kinda crops you grow and what methods do you use? On a related note another common myth is that we only use 10% of our brains.
My area of expertise lies with vineyard but I grow almonds (I'm mainly just the idiot on the tractor) and a small amount of pistachios as well.
In grapes, the main area of concern during the growing season is powdery mildew. To keep it from developing we use fungicides, but we also have to be mindful of resistance development. I guess you can think of it along the same lines as taking antibiotics.
There are biologicals, contact fungicides, multi-site, strobilurins, sterol inhibitors, and cell signal inhibitors. They all have different modes of action, some don't allow resistance while others do, sometimes as soon as after two consecutive uses. The Fungicide Resistance Action Commitee (FRAC.info) will assign a FRAC number to each mode of action, so we are more easily able to distinguish between the different groups.
Taking this info into consideration, a grower will have to build a very carefully planned pest management program taking this into account. If you let resistance develop, not only will you lose your crop that year (and thus, make $0 AFTER you spent $__ amount the whole year in order to grow), you could even possibly have to pull out your whole vineyard and start fresh -- potentially losing like 5 years of income.
That's just the most immediate consideration. There's also the actual working method. Some wash off in rain, some are only effective in temperatures above 90 degrees, some are contact only while others re-distribute themselves, some last 5 days and some 3 weeks -- and so on and so on.
Then you have your pesticides which is just as complicated. We also deal with degree days, chill hours, ionic charges, soil bonding, ph, plant nutrition and plant genetics. It goes on and on.
Quote:Yes, and ONLY a tie.
I think he should wear sock garters too!! :yes:
I'm presenting my research at a conference in April. Gonna rock the bow tie bill nye style.
Quote:I'm presenting my research at a conference in April. Gonna rock the bow tie bill nye style.
He is The Science Guy!! :thumbsup:
Quote:I'm presenting my research at a conference in April. Gonna rock the bow tie bill nye style.
What is your presentation on?
Quote:His research...duh!! 
:woot:
I actually took a moment to ask that in the best possible way...
And that's why I play in the dirt for a living!
Quote:I actually took a moment to ask that in the best possible way...
And that's why I play in the dirt for a living!
I'm sorry...it was a very good question. I'm interested in knowing the answer myself...but I couldn't help myself with my comment!!
My chemistry teacher in high school was an alcoholic. More than once we'd come to her class to find her in the adjoining room where chemicals and other supplies were kept, drunk and asleep. Not taking the long view, that we were missing out on an important part of our education, all of us in the class conspired to keep her problem quiet. Her class was right after lunch period, so we knew we could get away with an extended lunch period. Additionally, we seldom had homework.
This adolescent utopia came crashing down with about 6 weeks to go in the school year when the principal caught my teacher prone and totally passed out on one of the lab tables, having been called to her room by a teacher in an adjoining classroom, who was annoyed by her snoring.
She got fired, we were subjected to a 6 week crash course in the basics of chemistry, and I took only one more science course the rest of my life.
My time in her class wasn't a total loss. She somehow managed to teach me how to convert from English measurements to metric, and I became the first pot dealer in my school to sell my product by the gram. I spent much of my free time in chemistry class cutting quarter pounds into 7 gram bags, using the handy scales so thoughtfully provided by OPHS.
So, yes, science holds a special place in my heart.
I work in a molecular biology and biochemistry lab and I have been fortunate enough to have presented my research at two international conferences (with the most recent one in December of this past year in New Orleans)!
I absolutely LOVE it!
Quote:What is your presentation on?
oxygen consumption in Atlantic croaker (fish) at different temperatures as well as whether or not they are parasitised or not. I actually study psychology but wound up working in a marine biology lab.
Quote:I work in a molecular biology and biochemistry lab and I have been fortunate enough to have presented my research at two international conferences (with the most recent one in December of this past year in New Orleans)!
I absolutely LOVE it!
that's awesome man! What are you researching?
Quote:My area of expertise lies with vineyard but I grow almonds (I'm mainly just the idiot on the tractor) and a small amount of pistachios as well.
In grapes, the main area of concern during the growing season is powdery mildew. To keep it from developing we use fungicides, but we also have to be mindful of resistance development. I guess you can think of it along the same lines as taking antibiotics.
There are biologicals, contact fungicides, multi-site, strobilurins, sterol inhibitors, and cell signal inhibitors. They all have different modes of action, some don't allow resistance while others do, sometimes as soon as after two consecutive uses. The Fungicide Resistance Action Commitee (FRAC.info) will assign a FRAC number to each mode of action, so we are more easily able to distinguish between the different groups.
Taking this info into consideration, a grower will have to build a very carefully planned pest management program taking this into account. If you let resistance develop, not only will you lose your crop that year (and thus, make $0 AFTER you spent $__ amount the whole year in order to grow), you could even possibly have to pull out your whole vineyard and start fresh -- potentially losing like 5 years of income.
That's just the most immediate consideration. There's also the actual working method. Some wash off in rain, some are only effective in temperatures above 90 degrees, some are contact only while others re-distribute themselves, some last 5 days and some 3 weeks -- and so on and so on.
Then you have your pesticides which is just as complicated. We also deal with degree days, chill hours, ionic charges, soil bonding, ph, plant nutrition and plant genetics. It goes on and on.
just your last paragraph shows just a fraction of what goes into it.. It's crazy.. I used to work and play with cotton DNA (it's a west Texas thing). Have you ever considered working with more natural fungicides ? I'm sure there are some out there.
Quote:just your last paragraph shows just a fraction of what goes into it.. It's crazy.. I used to work and play with cotton DNA (it's a west Texas thing). Have you ever considered working with more natural fungicides ? I'm sure there are some out there.
Cotton is grown here as well. I actually used to grow organically certified but I couldn't make it work with a few of my varietals. My heaviest producer also happens to be the most susceptible to disease and I was losing way too much production to make it sustainable.
I like science but struggle to understand it in all honesty. I took the chemistry classes and the physics classes, but it was a struggle. At the end I enjoy knowing how things work and why they work, but when you get into the biological end of science I'm lost.
Maybe that's why I enjoy the mechanical end of stuff, I physically get to see it working and when it breaks see how to fix it. That's kind of science right?
I'm also a fantasy nerd, I love hearing and reading about new technology developing, one of my pet projects is trying to build my own "redneck" solar power setup to take my home completely energy independent. Only in the "research" phase right now.
Quote:oxygen consumption in Atlantic croaker (fish) at different temperatures as well as whether or not they are parasitised or not. I actually study psychology but wound up working in a marine biology lab.
Quote:that's awesome man! What are you researching?
Cool, who knew we had actual smart folk on this board?
Good luck OJ.
Quote:I like science but struggle to understand it in all honesty. I took the chemistry classes and the physics classes, but it was a struggle. At the end I enjoy knowing how things work and why they work, but when you get into the biological end of science I'm lost.
Maybe that's why I enjoy the mechanical end of stuff, I physically get to see it working and when it breaks see how to fix it. That's kind of science right?
I'm also a fantasy nerd, I love hearing and reading about new technology developing, one of my pet projects is trying to build my own "redneck" solar power setup to take my home completely energy independent. Only in the "research" phase right now.
one thing I've always wanted to study was the association between confidence and learning.. I feel like there is a big effect to be found there.