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Sample Manuscript
Appendix 3
Sample Manuscript The following is an overly simple, abbreviated, fictitious manuscript for publication in a hypothetical journal. Studies that you pursue in science will probably be much more complex than this study, and your resulting manuscript will also be more complex. You may even find my information questionable. My purpose, however, is not to be scientific but, rather, to illustrate the pattern of organization and the techniques for development that should hold true for almost any scientific manuscript. The species, pokeweed, that this study uses is a real plant. People do eat it with preparation to eliminate toxicity. However, the study, the data, and the citations are entirely fictitious and serve simply to illustrate my points about organization and development. The manuscript should be considered as a draft in need of reviews and further revision.
OUTLINE* Title: Emergence, Yield, and Quality of Poke Greens from Seeds and Roots I. Introduction A. Definition and research problem B. Description of uses 1. Home preparation 2. Commercial use C. Problems with propagation 1. Seeds a. Germination b. Preconditioning 2. Roots a. Habitat b. Handling D. Purpose and objectives * See also the generic outline in Appendix 1.
259
260
Sample Manuscript
II. Materials and Methods A. Materials 1. Seeds a. Source b. Storage 2. Roots a. Source b. Storage B. Procedures 1. Treatments a. Seeds (1) Hot water (a) Time (b) Temperature (2) Sulfuric acid (a) Time (b) Concentration (3) Controls b. Roots (1) Size (2) Weight 2. Plantings a. Seeds b. Roots C. Data collection 1. Emergence 2. Dimensions: height, weight, stem diameter D. Statistical analysis III. Results and Discussion A. General outcomes B. Specific outcomes 1. Emergence a. Roots b. Seeds 2. Quality comparison IV. Conclusion
MANUSCRIPT Emergence, Yield, and Quality of Poke Greens from Seeds and Roots Abstract: As commercial value of poke greens increases, so does the need for methods of propagating pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) for commercial
Appendix 3
261
production. We evaluated roots and seeds relative to emergence of shoots and yield and quality of greens produced. Roots were stored in peat moss until planted in three 4-m rows 30 cm apart. Seeds treated with sulfuric acid or hot water soakings were planted in three 3-m rows, and seedlings thinned to 20 cm after emergence. Untreated seeds served as controls, but emergence was negligible, and data were not useful. Shoots emerged from 87% of the roots and from 67 and 32% of seeds from acid and water soakings, respectively. We harvested 10 randomly selected plants from each treatment 2 weeks after emergence. Seedlings and shoots from roots were not significantly different in height, but shoots from roots had thicker stems and weighed significantly more at 120 g per 10 shoots than did seedlings at 70 g per 10 shoots. With more acceptable quality shoots, roots may be suitable for producing commercial greens and acid-scarified seeds for producing root beds for transplanting.
INTRODUCTION Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), also called poke salad or poke greens, is a perennial herb that reproduces by seeds or roots. Although uncooked they are toxic to humans, the young shoots and leaves are often parboiled and washed to remove the toxicity and then cooked for greens whose appearance and taste are similar to those of spinach. Canners suggest that the greens could be a nutritious and marketable alternative to other greens, but adaptation of the species from the wild to commercial growing conditions has been largely unsuccessful. If propagation methods can be found that produce quality greens, these could fill a timing niche for canning early in the spring before other crops are ready to process. In spite of the extra parboiling step in processing, the popularity of poke greens is rather widespread (Smith, 2006), and canners are eager to explore the market. Even now canning companies in Northwest Arkansas find the commodity profitable enough to pay premium prices for fresh poke greens delivered from their wild habitats to canneries on days specified for their canning. The S & A Canning Company processed over 75,000 cans of poke greens last spring that stayed on grocery shelves an average of only 3 weeks, and the company would like to be able to expand this market (personal communication, Jim Simon, S & A Canning Company, Watts, OK). Acquiring enough poke greens for canning by gathering them from native habitats is unlikely to satisfy the demand. This obstacle could be overcome if the species could be propagated and grown domestically. Until now, propagation and cultivation have been impractical because of poor germination of the seeds and the difficulty in acquiring roots and keeping them viable for planting. Under natural conditions seeds are seldom viable until they have been digested by birds. In 2002, Evans hypothesized that the seeds that germinate in the wild might be preconditioned in digestive tracts of birds. He collected feces of caged English sparrows fed
262
Sample Manuscript
poke berries and found that seeds from these feces germinated 73% compared with 2% germination for untreated seeds. Lanier and Sizemore (2006) treated pokeweed seed in a hot water bath and achieved 27% germination. Further work on preconditioning seeds might reveal times and temperatures for water or acid treatment that could be even more effective. However, when they are tender enough for greens, shoots produced from seed are typically small with narrow stems (Evans, 2002). Stems from roots are broader and more succulent, but acquiring the roots is also difficult. Pokeweed often grows in locations that are difficult to reach, and the taproots are very large and lie deep in the soil and subsoil. With a backhoe, Jones et al. (2001) acquired taproots that measured up to 23 cm wide and 35 cm long. The tops of them were typically located about 8 to 14 cm below the soil surface, and the full root extended as much as 48 cm deep. The roots are fleshy and dehydrate quickly if left exposed to the atmosphere (Evans, 2002). Although far more difficult than seed to acquire and preserve, roots typically produce shoots with thick fleshy stems and relatively large leaves compared with those grown from seeds. Quality of the canned product is superior if at least half the greens are grown from roots (Smith, 2006). The purpose of our study was to determine the feasibility of propagating and producing quality greens from pokeweed to contribute to an expanded market for the greens. Our objectives were (1) to evaluate germination of pokeweed seeds treated with hot water and sulfuric acid, (2) to determine the feasibility of acquiring and storing roots to successfully grow shoots from them, and (3) to assess the quality of greens produced from both seeds and roots.
MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiments were conducted in the field at the Western Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station near Mena in spring of 2006 and 2007. Seeds and roots were acquired from an abandoned field on the Rex Mofield farm near the station. Fully ripened berries were gathered in October of the year before planting and stored at 5°C. Roots were excavated with a backhoe in January of each year, packed in peat moss, and stored at 5°C.
Treatments Seeds from berries, equilibrated to room temperature overnight, were treated with hot water or sulfuric acid. In a hot water bath, seeds were soaked for 1.5 h at a temperature maintained at 80°C or for 8 h at 60°C. For the sulfuric acid treatments, we used 10% sulfuric acid in tap water held at 25°C. Seeds were soaked in this treatment for 15 or 30 min. Seeds for the controls were held in cold tap water for 30 min just before they were planted. Roots measured 11 to 21 cm wide and 24 to 32 cm long. Each remained surrounded by at least 6 cm peat moss until removed for immediate planting.
Appendix 3
263
For the 2006 test, roots had been stored for 4 weeks and in 2007 for 6 weeks. Initial weights taken before storing and at removal from the peat moss indicated an average weight loss of less than 10 g per root. Both seeds and roots were planted on February 15 in 2006 and on February 27 in 2007. The soil is a Bjorn silt loam, and standard soil tests revealed adequate fertility for optimum pokeweed growth as determined by Hurter and Balou (2005). The plots had been plowed the previous fall, and during the experiment, they were weeded of all species except the pokeweeds. Rainfall supplied adequate moisture for growth. For each seed treatment and the control, seeds were planted about 1 to 2 cm deep and 5 cm apart in three 3-m rows with each row considered a replication. Rows were 0.5 m apart. Eight days after first emergence, they were thinned to one plant per 20 cm, and any plants that emerged thereafter were rogued. Three rows for roots were 4 m long, and roots were planted 30 cm apart with the top of the root 10 cm deep in the soil. Percentage emergence for both seeds and roots was determined at 24 days after planting. Most shoots and seedlings had emerged within 18 days. Plants grew for 2 additional weeks, at which time 10 plants randomly selected from each treatment were measured for height from the soil surface and cut 2 cm above soil surface to determine weights. Stem diameter was measured at that cut. Because emergence from the controls was negligible with only one emerged in 2006 and three in 2007, these were disregarded and comparisons made between roots and seed treatments. Treatments were compared by analyzing data for percentage emergence and plant height, weight, and stem diameter with least significant difference at the 0.05 level.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Percentage emergence from roots was greater than that from seeds, and quality from roots, as determined by weight and stem diameter, was superior to that of seedlings. For the data combined over the 2 years, shoots from roots emerged 87% with only 4 of the 32 roots failing to produce shoots. Storage in the peat moss apparently preserved their viability. Jones et al. (2001) found that only two of eight roots kept for 3 weeks in a wooden basket at room temperature produced shoots. Of their two viable roots, one produced two shoots and the other produced one. Of the 28 roots in our study that did develop shoots, 17 produced three to five shoots, 7 produced two shoots, and the other 4 had one each. Size of the root appeared to have no influence on the number of shoots or the size at harvest. Emergence from seeds treated with sulfuric acid was significantly greater than those from hot water baths (Table A3.1). Averaged over the 2 years, data showed 73% emergence for the sulfuric acid treatment for 15 min (0.25 h) compared with significantly less at 61% for the 30-min (0.50 h) treatment. This difference might indicate that the acid produced a deleterious effect with
264
Sample Manuscript
TABLE A3.1 Percentage Emergence of Pokeweed from Seeds and Roots (Average from 2 Years) Source Treatment (hours/°C)
Emergence (%) 2006
2007
Mean1
83
91
87a
1.5/80
20
38
29c
8.0/60
24
44
34c
0.25/25
68
78
73b
0.50/25
57
65
61b
Roots Seeds Hot Water
10% Sulfuric Acid
1
Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 0.05.
TABLE A3.2 Two-Year Average Yield by Weight, Height, and Stem Diameter of Pokegreen Plants from Roots and Shoots (Averages for 10 Plants per Treatment per Year) Source
Weight (g) 1
Height (cm)
Stem Diameter (cm)
Roots
120a
16.7a
1.3a
Seeds
70b
18.2a
0.4b
1
Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 0.05.
time, and further testing might find an even more optimal time than 15 min. Hot water baths did not produce results significantly different from each other, but seeds from either emerged significantly less than from acid treatments with 29% from the 1.5-h soaking and 34% from the 8-h soaking. The somewhat greater emergence from the hot water baths in 2007 than in 2006 may be attributed to weather conditions and the seeds being planted later in 2007. Heights of seedlings and of shoots from roots were not significantly different, but weights and stem diameters were decidedly different (Table A3.2). Shoots from roots were obviously more fleshy at 120 g per 10 shoots compared with the 70 g for 10 seedlings, and they adhered more fully to Smith’s (2006) description of preferred greens for canning.
Appendix 3
265
CONCLUSIONS Our research indicated that the roots were kept viable for transplanting with storage in peat moss, and that acid scarification significantly increased germination of seeds. The higher quality of shoots produced from roots suggests that greens produced perennially from an established field of roots would be preferred over greens grown from seedlings. Acquisition of roots from the wild is still a major hurdle for commercial production. Acid scarified seeds might be used to establish beds in which to develop roots for transplanting. Further research is needed to establish optimal treatments for seeds and to determine the longevity of production from initially transplanted roots. An expanding market for the canned product may make such research practicable.
REFERENCES Evans, D.M., 2002. Germination of pokeweed seeds after scarification in digestive tracts of birds. HortReport 26, 13–16. Hurter, J.S., Balou, B.C., 2005. Fertilization and irrigation for rapid growth of poke greens. Sci. Hort. 8, 54–58. Jones, F.D., Sims, R.T., Fuller, B.R., 2001. Propagating poke greens from roots. J. Plant Adaptation 13, 65–67. Lanier, M.H., Sizemore, Z.T., 2006. Viability of Phytolaca americana with hot water treatment. HortReport 40, 17–20. Smith, C.A., 2006. Let’s capture poke greens. Canners’ News 53, 2–3.
Sample Manuscript The following is an overly simple, abbreviated, fictitious manuscript for publication in a hypothetical journal. Studies that you pursue in science will probably be much more complex than this study, and your resulting manuscript will also be more complex. You may even find my information questionable. My purpose, however, is not to be scientific but, rather, to illustrate the pattern of organization and the techniques for development that should hold true for almost any scientific manuscript. The species, pokeweed, that this study uses is a real plant. People do eat it with preparation to eliminate toxicity. However, the study, the data, and the citations are entirely fictitious and serve simply to illustrate my points about organization and development. The manuscript should be considered as a draft in need of reviews and further revision.
OUTLINE* Title: Emergence, Yield, and Quality of Poke Greens from Seeds and Roots I. Introduction A. Definition and research problem B. Description of uses 1. Home preparation 2. Commercial use C. Problems with propagation 1. Seeds a. Germination b. Preconditioning 2. Roots a. Habitat b. Handling D. Purpose and objectives * See also the generic outline in Appendix 1.
259
260
Sample Manuscript
II. Materials and Methods A. Materials 1. Seeds a. Source b. Storage 2. Roots a. Source b. Storage B. Procedures 1. Treatments a. Seeds (1) Hot water (a) Time (b) Temperature (2) Sulfuric acid (a) Time (b) Concentration (3) Controls b. Roots (1) Size (2) Weight 2. Plantings a. Seeds b. Roots C. Data collection 1. Emergence 2. Dimensions: height, weight, stem diameter D. Statistical analysis III. Results and Discussion A. General outcomes B. Specific outcomes 1. Emergence a. Roots b. Seeds 2. Quality comparison IV. Conclusion
MANUSCRIPT Emergence, Yield, and Quality of Poke Greens from Seeds and Roots Abstract: As commercial value of poke greens increases, so does the need for methods of propagating pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) for commercial
Appendix 3
261
production. We evaluated roots and seeds relative to emergence of shoots and yield and quality of greens produced. Roots were stored in peat moss until planted in three 4-m rows 30 cm apart. Seeds treated with sulfuric acid or hot water soakings were planted in three 3-m rows, and seedlings thinned to 20 cm after emergence. Untreated seeds served as controls, but emergence was negligible, and data were not useful. Shoots emerged from 87% of the roots and from 67 and 32% of seeds from acid and water soakings, respectively. We harvested 10 randomly selected plants from each treatment 2 weeks after emergence. Seedlings and shoots from roots were not significantly different in height, but shoots from roots had thicker stems and weighed significantly more at 120 g per 10 shoots than did seedlings at 70 g per 10 shoots. With more acceptable quality shoots, roots may be suitable for producing commercial greens and acid-scarified seeds for producing root beds for transplanting.
INTRODUCTION Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), also called poke salad or poke greens, is a perennial herb that reproduces by seeds or roots. Although uncooked they are toxic to humans, the young shoots and leaves are often parboiled and washed to remove the toxicity and then cooked for greens whose appearance and taste are similar to those of spinach. Canners suggest that the greens could be a nutritious and marketable alternative to other greens, but adaptation of the species from the wild to commercial growing conditions has been largely unsuccessful. If propagation methods can be found that produce quality greens, these could fill a timing niche for canning early in the spring before other crops are ready to process. In spite of the extra parboiling step in processing, the popularity of poke greens is rather widespread (Smith, 2006), and canners are eager to explore the market. Even now canning companies in Northwest Arkansas find the commodity profitable enough to pay premium prices for fresh poke greens delivered from their wild habitats to canneries on days specified for their canning. The S & A Canning Company processed over 75,000 cans of poke greens last spring that stayed on grocery shelves an average of only 3 weeks, and the company would like to be able to expand this market (personal communication, Jim Simon, S & A Canning Company, Watts, OK). Acquiring enough poke greens for canning by gathering them from native habitats is unlikely to satisfy the demand. This obstacle could be overcome if the species could be propagated and grown domestically. Until now, propagation and cultivation have been impractical because of poor germination of the seeds and the difficulty in acquiring roots and keeping them viable for planting. Under natural conditions seeds are seldom viable until they have been digested by birds. In 2002, Evans hypothesized that the seeds that germinate in the wild might be preconditioned in digestive tracts of birds. He collected feces of caged English sparrows fed
262
Sample Manuscript
poke berries and found that seeds from these feces germinated 73% compared with 2% germination for untreated seeds. Lanier and Sizemore (2006) treated pokeweed seed in a hot water bath and achieved 27% germination. Further work on preconditioning seeds might reveal times and temperatures for water or acid treatment that could be even more effective. However, when they are tender enough for greens, shoots produced from seed are typically small with narrow stems (Evans, 2002). Stems from roots are broader and more succulent, but acquiring the roots is also difficult. Pokeweed often grows in locations that are difficult to reach, and the taproots are very large and lie deep in the soil and subsoil. With a backhoe, Jones et al. (2001) acquired taproots that measured up to 23 cm wide and 35 cm long. The tops of them were typically located about 8 to 14 cm below the soil surface, and the full root extended as much as 48 cm deep. The roots are fleshy and dehydrate quickly if left exposed to the atmosphere (Evans, 2002). Although far more difficult than seed to acquire and preserve, roots typically produce shoots with thick fleshy stems and relatively large leaves compared with those grown from seeds. Quality of the canned product is superior if at least half the greens are grown from roots (Smith, 2006). The purpose of our study was to determine the feasibility of propagating and producing quality greens from pokeweed to contribute to an expanded market for the greens. Our objectives were (1) to evaluate germination of pokeweed seeds treated with hot water and sulfuric acid, (2) to determine the feasibility of acquiring and storing roots to successfully grow shoots from them, and (3) to assess the quality of greens produced from both seeds and roots.
MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiments were conducted in the field at the Western Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station near Mena in spring of 2006 and 2007. Seeds and roots were acquired from an abandoned field on the Rex Mofield farm near the station. Fully ripened berries were gathered in October of the year before planting and stored at 5°C. Roots were excavated with a backhoe in January of each year, packed in peat moss, and stored at 5°C.
Treatments Seeds from berries, equilibrated to room temperature overnight, were treated with hot water or sulfuric acid. In a hot water bath, seeds were soaked for 1.5 h at a temperature maintained at 80°C or for 8 h at 60°C. For the sulfuric acid treatments, we used 10% sulfuric acid in tap water held at 25°C. Seeds were soaked in this treatment for 15 or 30 min. Seeds for the controls were held in cold tap water for 30 min just before they were planted. Roots measured 11 to 21 cm wide and 24 to 32 cm long. Each remained surrounded by at least 6 cm peat moss until removed for immediate planting.
Appendix 3
263
For the 2006 test, roots had been stored for 4 weeks and in 2007 for 6 weeks. Initial weights taken before storing and at removal from the peat moss indicated an average weight loss of less than 10 g per root. Both seeds and roots were planted on February 15 in 2006 and on February 27 in 2007. The soil is a Bjorn silt loam, and standard soil tests revealed adequate fertility for optimum pokeweed growth as determined by Hurter and Balou (2005). The plots had been plowed the previous fall, and during the experiment, they were weeded of all species except the pokeweeds. Rainfall supplied adequate moisture for growth. For each seed treatment and the control, seeds were planted about 1 to 2 cm deep and 5 cm apart in three 3-m rows with each row considered a replication. Rows were 0.5 m apart. Eight days after first emergence, they were thinned to one plant per 20 cm, and any plants that emerged thereafter were rogued. Three rows for roots were 4 m long, and roots were planted 30 cm apart with the top of the root 10 cm deep in the soil. Percentage emergence for both seeds and roots was determined at 24 days after planting. Most shoots and seedlings had emerged within 18 days. Plants grew for 2 additional weeks, at which time 10 plants randomly selected from each treatment were measured for height from the soil surface and cut 2 cm above soil surface to determine weights. Stem diameter was measured at that cut. Because emergence from the controls was negligible with only one emerged in 2006 and three in 2007, these were disregarded and comparisons made between roots and seed treatments. Treatments were compared by analyzing data for percentage emergence and plant height, weight, and stem diameter with least significant difference at the 0.05 level.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Percentage emergence from roots was greater than that from seeds, and quality from roots, as determined by weight and stem diameter, was superior to that of seedlings. For the data combined over the 2 years, shoots from roots emerged 87% with only 4 of the 32 roots failing to produce shoots. Storage in the peat moss apparently preserved their viability. Jones et al. (2001) found that only two of eight roots kept for 3 weeks in a wooden basket at room temperature produced shoots. Of their two viable roots, one produced two shoots and the other produced one. Of the 28 roots in our study that did develop shoots, 17 produced three to five shoots, 7 produced two shoots, and the other 4 had one each. Size of the root appeared to have no influence on the number of shoots or the size at harvest. Emergence from seeds treated with sulfuric acid was significantly greater than those from hot water baths (Table A3.1). Averaged over the 2 years, data showed 73% emergence for the sulfuric acid treatment for 15 min (0.25 h) compared with significantly less at 61% for the 30-min (0.50 h) treatment. This difference might indicate that the acid produced a deleterious effect with
264
Sample Manuscript
TABLE A3.1 Percentage Emergence of Pokeweed from Seeds and Roots (Average from 2 Years) Source Treatment (hours/°C)
Emergence (%) 2006
2007
Mean1
83
91
87a
1.5/80
20
38
29c
8.0/60
24
44
34c
0.25/25
68
78
73b
0.50/25
57
65
61b
Roots Seeds Hot Water
10% Sulfuric Acid
1
Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 0.05.
TABLE A3.2 Two-Year Average Yield by Weight, Height, and Stem Diameter of Pokegreen Plants from Roots and Shoots (Averages for 10 Plants per Treatment per Year) Source
Weight (g) 1
Height (cm)
Stem Diameter (cm)
Roots
120a
16.7a
1.3a
Seeds
70b
18.2a
0.4b
1
Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 0.05.
time, and further testing might find an even more optimal time than 15 min. Hot water baths did not produce results significantly different from each other, but seeds from either emerged significantly less than from acid treatments with 29% from the 1.5-h soaking and 34% from the 8-h soaking. The somewhat greater emergence from the hot water baths in 2007 than in 2006 may be attributed to weather conditions and the seeds being planted later in 2007. Heights of seedlings and of shoots from roots were not significantly different, but weights and stem diameters were decidedly different (Table A3.2). Shoots from roots were obviously more fleshy at 120 g per 10 shoots compared with the 70 g for 10 seedlings, and they adhered more fully to Smith’s (2006) description of preferred greens for canning.
Appendix 3
265
CONCLUSIONS Our research indicated that the roots were kept viable for transplanting with storage in peat moss, and that acid scarification significantly increased germination of seeds. The higher quality of shoots produced from roots suggests that greens produced perennially from an established field of roots would be preferred over greens grown from seedlings. Acquisition of roots from the wild is still a major hurdle for commercial production. Acid scarified seeds might be used to establish beds in which to develop roots for transplanting. Further research is needed to establish optimal treatments for seeds and to determine the longevity of production from initially transplanted roots. An expanding market for the canned product may make such research practicable.
REFERENCES Evans, D.M., 2002. Germination of pokeweed seeds after scarification in digestive tracts of birds. HortReport 26, 13–16. Hurter, J.S., Balou, B.C., 2005. Fertilization and irrigation for rapid growth of poke greens. Sci. Hort. 8, 54–58. Jones, F.D., Sims, R.T., Fuller, B.R., 2001. Propagating poke greens from roots. J. Plant Adaptation 13, 65–67. Lanier, M.H., Sizemore, Z.T., 2006. Viability of Phytolaca americana with hot water treatment. HortReport 40, 17–20. Smith, C.A., 2006. Let’s capture poke greens. Canners’ News 53, 2–3.