Author: Andy Mills
Planning Unit: Meade County CES
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Plan of Work: Improved Management Practices, Animal Science, Grain & Forage Crops
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
As our world is ever changing we try to change with it. This filters down to even our simple backyard garden. In order to get more youth involved in agriculture and growing their own vegetables, the Great Pumpkin Pursuit committee decided to try to stimulate interest in a grafting project. This ANR agent collaborated with the local ag teachers and did a two day course at the high school on grafting watermelons. The first session was in the classroom explaining and teaching why grafting is used. Each student also planted gourds and watermelons that were to be grafted in the second session. The second session was in the greenhouse with a hands on demonstration. Each student grafted one to three watermelon scion t a gourd rootstock. From the experience students learned the benefits of disease prevention and yield increases due to grafting. They also gained knowledge about the anatomy of plants, process of increasing seed germination rates, different methods of grafting, as well as the environment needed in order to be successful at grafting and growing vegetable plants. Hopefully, this program and future program will stimulate students to enter an educational field related to plants or at least encourage them to grow their own vegetables.
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