Study questions

6. The research strategy applied in this study was first to determine an optimum sucrose concentration to determine maximum pollination rate and then to apply this concentration to a follow-up experiment to determine maximum viability. In hindsight do you think this was the best strategy? Suggest an alternative approach.

7. Six buds were chosen with lengths ranging from 20 to 22 mm. There was no effect of bud length on pollination rate in the present experiment. Design a different experiment to determine the effect of bud length on pollen germination rate that might be better suited to answer objective 2.

8. This case study used analysis of variance to assess the form of the pattern of percent pollen germination in relation to sucrose concentration and then a regression analysis on mean values to obtain a formula for the pattern. Repeat the analysis but include the polynomial regression terms within the first analysis. Can you find all the parameters you need in the output?

9. Prepare a suitable recording sheet to collect the germination data shown in CS9Data1. Write down the first 10 lines of data in your recording sheet. Enter these 10 lines into a spreadsheet. Use the Excel DELTA function to validate your data. Estimate how much time it will take to enter and verify the whole data set. Discuss different ways that your recording sheet might have been prepared to collect the data (e.g. vertically or horizontally) and suggest which way is the best.