Ciera Gardner

Biomass being weighed on scale, taken on 5/29 by Ciera

 

The past couple of weeks during my internship I have worked on mostly processing biomass

samples for a research project. This consisted of organizing, weighing and inputting data

collected from various farms. Before processing the samples, the samples had to be placed in a

dryer for 24 hours which ended up being a little time consuming. Nevertheless, we followed the

procedure and are now inching closer towards being finished.

Another experiment I am working on is a Watermelon drone spraying. To prepare for the

experiment, I made labels to mark specific areas in the field. I placed these labels on special

water sensitive papers and stored them away until the next time we planned for the drone to

spray.

My Ag Agent, Haley, has tasked me with conducting a taste panel for her blackberries and

blueberries. I have never done or heard of taste panels so I began to research about them using

online resources and references from Haley’s previous taste panels. After extensive research, I

came up with necessary materials, possible participants and developed a rough draft of a taste

panel survey. I intend to commence our first panel next week.

Blueberry bush with immature fruit taken at LESREC in Salisbury on 6/7 by Ciera

I enjoyed Friday June 7th the most because I had nice conversations with another intern Mikaela.

Our Ag agents, Haley and Emily were working together on the field which is how we ended up

working together. We spent hours outside adding layers of mulch to blackberry bushes. Before

noon, we thinned out some squash plants to ensure an even growth of squash throughout the

field. Because of the heat, we even got to stand under a center pivot irrigation system that was

rolling our way! For lunch, we all enjoyed Dairy Queen, courtesy of Haley, the ice cream was

much needed.

Mulching at the LESREC Salisbury facility, Ciera and Mikaela Seltzer pictured, taken by Haley Sater on 6/7

I believe my past experience working with UMES extension, another branch of UMD, has prepared me for the many tasks that I have been assigned since the start of my internship. Knowledge I gained in the past includes but is not limited to weeding, spraying, and office etiquette. I am able to use the skills in the field and when interacting with office staff. 

One of my goals is to improve my time management skills so I won’t feel overwhelmed or rushed. Improving my time management will allow me to complete more tasks more efficiently. I work alongside Emily Zobel a lot, so I gain plentiful knowledge about entomology. Throughout the internship she has helped me to identify various insects and pests such as striped versus spotted cucumber beetle, the difference between an imported cabbage worm cocoon and a diamondback worm cocoon, and dung beetles. On a very special instance, we observed a paper wasp taking a cabbage worm off a collard plant to which Emily explained that the worm would be fed to the wasp larvae.

Dung beetle with mate on dung, at LESREC Facility Salisbury taken on 6/7 by Ciera.