Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the fi nal packing size of the head, and because trimming is directly related
to yield, this is another area in which the technicians' lack of experience
would affect the harvest data if they did this work. Since the trial was
meant to contrast two different methods of insect control, the farmwork-
er's knowledge of what parts to trim off the head was a precondition for
accurate data.
In addition, by standardizing the collection of data, the farmworkers
help the advisors get the
right kind
of data. The point of the trial is to judge
what effect different treatments will have on the yield of the crop. Thus,
it is important to know how many of each size head came from each
test plot so that the advisor can correlate different treatments used on each
plot with this information on yield. Without the skills for harvesting
according to industry standards, the advisor would not have convincing
data. In the celery industry, yield is generally measured in terms of the
number of boxes that a given acre of land yields. The research team could
circumvent their lack of harvest experience by not grading the heads but
instead simply taking an aggregate weight of all the celery in each plot.
In this case, though, the yield numbers would not be as meaningful to
a grower who is used to thinking of yield in terms of boxes, not weight.
Thus, the data, when presented to the grower, might not be as persuasive,
even though they were taken from his own fi eld.
6
Advisors have a somewhat confl icted dependence on farmworkers. After
the celery trial I talked with the entomology advisor and asked about the
importance of farmworkers for the trial:
CRH:
It seems to me . . . that there is a lot of interaction with the [farm-
workers] who are doing the grading and the cutting. That seemed like it
was pretty important.
Entomol:
Sure, because, basically, we're relying on their expertise to tell
us whether these plants are acceptable to the market or whether they
would meet the quality standards for the grower that they're packing it
for. And the guys who are doing the actual cutting are the experts in that
area—much more than we are. And so, it was important for us to convey
to them what we were trying to do. . . . Oftentimes they're very interested
in what's happening and what the research is. And unfortunately we try
to tell them as little as possible about that, at least until we're fi nished.
Because we don't want them to be biased in doing the work. So it's really
