Collecting Data
Before we can start collecting data to find our shade tolerant cultivar, watch the video below to get started collecting data and learning how to rate/score buffalo grass plots using the NTEP scoring method.
If you are having trouble seeing the video click on Green Up Presentation
After watching the video on learning how to score plots using the NTEP scoring method. Let's start by making a table to record our green up data before we begin scoring. We will start by making a simple table in Microsoft excel that is 3 columns wide and 16 rows long. The 3 boxes on the very top will serve as a label for that column of the table. The box in the upper left hand corner will signify what we are testing. In this case we are testing different varieties so we will label it cultivar then below it put cultivars a-i in that column. The next two columns we would label as the date May 15th and June 15th, the dates the images were taken. When you are done your table should look similar to the table seen below.
Figure 2. An image in excel of what a good starting point would be for forming a table for this particular instance. As stated in the text it is suggested to be 3 columns wide and 16 rows long with the vertical side of the table acting as our x axis for our graph/independent variable and horizontal side acting as our y axis for our graph/dependent variable.(Jared Stander, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Now that you have your table lets get started, using the images below begin scoring the plots shown on the image taken on May and June 15th. Go through each variety using the NTEP methods Kristina went over in the previous video. Take your time, and score the plots as consistently as possible. After you decide on what score a particular plot should receive in May, move on to the same plot in June and decide if the score went up, down, or stayed the same in June to make it easier.
Figure 3. In Dr. Amundsen's project we compare green up scores that are one month apart. On the left is an image taken of the plots A-O on May 15th and on the right is an image taken of the same plots (A-O) taken one month later on June 15th. The two images should be used as practice to collect data using the NTEP method to quantify what we are seeing comparing the two images side by side. (Katherine King, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
After you're finished collecting your data click next to begin the process of taking your quantified data and turning it into a bar graph.