Field Study

This was a greenhouse experiment designed to observe the effects on branching of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on highest volume plant varieties. The goal was reduce labor costs while improving crop quality and increasing aesthetic appeal. The data collected was represented in time-series charts built with Excel. Results have been asked to be kept confidential and not published outside of company property.

The experiment used a Randomized Factorial Design (an experiment which allows studying the effect of each factor on the response variable, as well as interactions between factor on the response variable). This required randomization of placement across the greenhouse to avoid location-bias such as the difference in overhead irrigation distance, sunlight and shade, and nearby foot-traffic.

Over eight weeks, I measured each plant and manually logged target-features, including their overall health/behavior. Negative reactions to high concentrated PGRs and greenhouse pathogens were common therefore often noted and considered when observing results.

At the end of the trial, I put together a presentation which explained the experiment to those unfamiliar, addressed what steps were taken to for setup and design, and presented results and interesting findings.