Using academic databases to vet gardening information

Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott WSU Extension Urban

Horticulturist

Fact or fantasy?Finding the science behind

garden practices and products


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Seminar roadmap

Evaluating informationSearching academic

databasesCase studiesNow what?


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Types of information

Scientific - peer reviewed, academic audienceExample - Journal of Environmental Horticulture


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Gray - not peer reviewed, professional audienceExample – American Nurseryman


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Popular – not peer reviewed, general audienceExample – Organic Gardening


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What about anecdotes?

One person’s observations

Useful for identifying new areas of research


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Moving past anecdotes

Control variabilityReplicate treatmentsRepeat experimentRequest confirmation


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Assess gray and popular literature with the CRAP test!

*

(And if you still have questions, consult with Extension specialists)

*Adapted from Meriam Library, CSU @ Chico State www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/evalsites.html


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CredibilityRelevancy and

currency of author’s qualifications?

Publisher: academic, specialty, self-published?

URL: .edu or .gov? Or .com?

RelevanceSubject and scope

of research? Intended

audience?Geographic or

other constraints on usability?


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AccuracyScience-based?Objective?Current?Well-written?


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PurposeEducational or

commercial?Political,

ideological, cultural, religious, or personal biases?

Academic databases


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AGRICOLA - agriculturalCAB – agricultural, forestryBIOSIS – biologicalGREENfile - environmentalWeb of Science (ISI) –

science citation index

Choose a topicWirewormsHydrogen peroxideMowing leaves into

lawns


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“Fill a nylon sock with sprouted wheat,

bury it in the area you intend to sow to corn, then dig up the sock (now infested

with wireworms) and dispose of it.”

Advice to gardeners?


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Wireworm bait traps

Used to assess

infestations and

determine means of control


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A bait trap can detect the presence of wireworms, but it is not itself a demonstrated means

of control

Advice to gardeners


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Consider setting up and running an

experiment to test whether traps can reduce wireworm

damage in a controlled setting

Advice to you

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2003/4-21-2003/trapwire.html


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Damping off“One tablespoon of

3% hydrogen peroxide per quart of water [applied to soil] is

sufficient.” (Source:

davesgarden.com)

Advice to gardeners?


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Thousands of web sites

recommend H2O2 for prevention of damping off of

seedlings.


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Use of H2O2 in soil science

Rehabilitate soils contaminated with heavy metals and oil

Used to remove OM from soils during analysis


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Pathogenic seedborne Fusarium oxysporum from Douglas-fir.Graham, J. H.; Linderman, R. G.; Plant Disease, 1983, 67, 3, 323-325. The fungus was isolated from 1-5% of the seed from 2 of 6 Pseudotsuga menziesii sources examined. Isolates were recovered from both washed and H2O2-treated seed.

Seed microorganisms in three species of pine and techniques of disinfection.Vázquez Collazo, I.; Ciencia Forestal en Mexico, 1996, 21, 79, 61-85.Hydrogen peroxide was not a good pine seed disinfectant, although treating seeds for 40 and 60 minutes reduced microorganism presence on the three pine species by 8 and 15% respectively.

Articles relevant to pathogens


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Hydrogen peroxide is part of a plant’s cellular response to stress

Soil-applied hydrogen peroxide has no value as a fungal inhibitor

Advice to gardeners

Photo credit: TAMU


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“Is there any benefit or harm from

mowing fallen leaves into the lawn, rather

than bagging and disposing of them?”

Question from gardeners

Photo credit: OSU


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Several recent articles in both peer-reviewed and professional publications

Multi-year field studies in geographically diverse regions, including Michigan and Missouri

Initial research appears to be on whether practice is harmful; results encourage further work on benefits

Relevant research


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No negative effects found in any study, even when “excessive” mulch applied

Better turf color through winterImproved weed controlIncreased OM content of soil“Research clearly indicates that the

practice of mulching leaf litter into existing turfgrass canopies provides benefits for the soil and the turfgrass plant.”

Research findings


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Use your lawn mower or other

shredding device to create a fine-

textured leaf mulch for your lawn

Advice for gardeners

Photo credit: UMinn

Write up your resultsBlog or other online postingNewspaper or magazine

articleExtension fact sheetScientific journal article


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Using academic databases to vet gardening information

Education

types of informationpopular

types of informationscientific

types of informationgray

science behindgarden

wireworm bait trapsused

scope of research

means ofcontrol

wireworm damage