On February 6, research fellow, Doctor of Biological Sciences L. A. Limantseva and postgraduate students of the Laboratory of Phytoparasitology of the IEE RAS conducted an excursion for participants of the Competition of specialized classes.
During the excursion, the children learned about the laboratory’s activities and also received materials for studying in their schools to prepare a scientific project on the topic “Determining the fertility of the sugar beet nematode Heterodera scachtii in the conditions of the Moscow region.”
The children received cysts (eggs and larvae in a dense shell) fixed in alcohol. The task for independent work is to destroy each cyst separately and count the contents. It is necessary to determine the arithmetic mean of this indicator - fecundity. It is also interesting to note the minimum and maximum numbers and the range of fluctuation.
After practical independent work, schoolchildren will write projects that they will defend at the final part of the Competition in April in front of experts. It is also planned to discuss the results obtained with the staff of phytoparasitology of the IEE RAS.