Potential rotation projects in Dr. Lynn Adler's lab

NOTE: Other projects involving plant-insect interactions could be developed based on a student's interest. Most projects would require planning before the rotation semester. If you are interested in a rotation in my lab, please contact me several weeks before the start of the semester.

Also, summer rotations with field work would allow for a much greater range of research questions to be addressed.

1. How long does it take for pollen grains to fertilize ovules in Cucurbita species?
Justification: One way to assess pollinator effectiveness is to count pollen grains deposited on stigmas. However, these counts require removing the stigma, which could reduce fruit set if pollen tubes have not reached the ovules. Determining the length of time required for pollen grains to germinate and fertilize ovules is physiologically important, and would provide useful information for future pollination studies.

2. How does stigma receptivity and pollen viability change over the course of a day for squash flowers?
Justification: Squash flowers are open for just one day, and are visited by different pollinating bee species over time. Determining the period of viability would shed light on the relative influence of different pollinators on plant male and female reproduction.

3. How do herbivores affect induced defenses, floral traits, and/or reproduction in local wild cucurbits?
Justification: Much research has been done on plant-herbivore interactions in domestic cucurbits like squash, melons and pumpkins, and on native wild cucurbits of the southwestern US. There are two local cucurbit species about which very little is known. A range of experiments could address how much we can generalize about local wild interactions based on local agricultural research.

4. What are the effect of above- and below-ground pesticides on plant growth, traits and fitness?
Justification: Field research often requires using pesticides to eliminate herbivores. These pesticides can have unintended effects on plant physiology and reproduction that need to be assessed in the greenhouse in the absence of herbivores.

5. Developing a method for digital counting of pollen under microscopes.
Justification: Many of our pollination experiments require counting the number of pollen grains produced or deposited on stigmas, to estimate male and female fitness. Several software packages can be used to count grains from microscope images taken with a digital camera. Someone who enjoys working with equipment could develop a protocol we would use for years to come.