Handbook on Online Proficiency Test Evaluation of Shoot-Root Ratio of Seedlings 4 th Edition Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, Division of Seed Science and Technology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. E-mail: Deplewskipeter@yahoo.com
1. Introduction 1.1 Object The object of this online proficiency test is to evaluate images of seedlings only according to their shoot-root ratio as normal or abnormal. The images are derived from 3 germination tests with winter wheat, summer rye and winter barley with each 4 replicates with each 100 seeds. 1.2 General principles Each germination test has its own link which is listed in the e-mail You received. Click on the first link (just below Winter Wheat 2013 ). Change the language in the upper right corner if You want. Then click on Start the Test, enter the password Proficiency3 and continue. You will see on each of the next 4 internet pages 100 seedling images of a replicate of a germination test. Now You have 22 minutes to evaluate the whole germination test, that is 5 minutes per replicate. On a fifth internet page You have 2 minutes to enter the total number of seedlings which You evaluated per replicate as normal. Evaluation is performed considering only the shoot-root ratio! Seedlings will only be evaluated as normal or abnormal! All other rules of ISTA and/or AOSA to evaluate a seedling are not considered! For evaluating the shoot-root ratio the 50 % rule is used, namely in two cases (this is important): 1.: If the shoot is less than half the length (i.e. < 50 %) of the root of this seedling, this seedling has to be evaluated as abnormal. 2.: If the root is less than half the length (i.e. < 50 %) of the shoot of this seedling, this seedling has to be evaluated as abnormal. In all other cases the seedling has to be evaluated as normal. The seedlings are numbered from 1 to 100. Below the seedlings are table elements which are numbered as well from 1 to 100. In order to evaluate a seedling as normal, please do not write anything in the corresponding table element. This means that by default all seedlings are, caused by the missing entry in the table, evaluated as normal. If You evaluate a seedling as abnormal, please enter a 0 in the corresponding table element. --> no entry for normal --> 0 for abnormal Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 2/7
1.2.1 First Example: - You evaluated seedling no. 22 as normal because the shoot has at least half the length (i.e. >= 50%) of the root of this seedling and the root has at least half the length (i.e. >= 50%) of the shoot of this seedling. Hence You do not enter anything in the table element no. 22. - You evaluated seedling no. 53 as abnormal because the root has less than half the length (i.e. < 50%) of the shoot of this seedling. Hence You enter a 0 in the table element no. 53. - You evaluated seedling no. 87 as abnormal because the shoot has less than half the length (i.e. < 50%) of the root of this seedling. Hence You enter a 0 in the table element no. 87. Additionally note down by hand how many of the 100 seeds per replicate You evaluated as normal. At the end of the test, after the evaluation of all four replicates, a small table will be presented. Please enter in this table for each replicate how many seeds You evaluated in this replicate as normal. Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 3/7
2. Procedure In the following, the procedure how to perform a whole test shall be explained in step by step: After clicking on the link in Your e-mail which leads to the test, You will be redirected to the openilias e-learning platform of the University of Hohenheim. In the top right corner You can change under the button Sprache to English. Please click on the box titled Start the Test. You are now asked to enter the password for the test. Please enter Proficiency3. You might have to click additionally on Continue to proceed. You will now be directed to a page showing You the first of four replicates with the images of 100 seedlings. Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 4/7
Only Example! You cannot enter anything in this PDF handbook. You will find the editable set of seedlings in the internet. Please evaluate these seedlings according to their shoot-root ratio as described in the introduction on the previous page(s) of this handbook. This means if the shoot has less than half the length of the root of this seedling or if the root has less than half the length of the shoot of this seedling, enter in the table element below the corresponding image a 0. Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 5/7
Only Example! You cannot enter anything in this PDF handbook. You will find the editable set of seedlings in the internet. After You have made Your evaluation of the replicate, please write down the total number of normal seedlings of this replicate on a note and proceed by clicking on the Next button in the top right or low right corner. Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 6/7
You will now see the images of 100 seedlings of the second replicate. Please evaluate these seedlings also according to their shoot-root ratio as described in the introduction on the previous page(s) of this handbook. Again, this means if the shoot has less than half the length of the root or if the root has less than half the length of the shoot, enter in the table element below the corresponding image a 0. After You have made Your evaluation of the replicate, please write down the total number of normal seedlings of this replicate on a note and proceed by clicking on the Next button in the top right or low right corner. You will now see the images of 100 seedlings of the third replicate. Please proceed with the evaluation of the third and fourth replicate in the way as You have done with the evaluation of the first and second replicate. After the evaluation of the fourth replicate, please click on the Next button in the top right or low left corner of Your browser. be redirected to the final test page where You can enter the total number of normal seedlings per replicate. You will now Please enter here the total number of normal seedlings per replicate which You wrote down on a note before and press the button Finish the Test. Now You are asked if You really want to finish the test. Please click on Yes, I want to finish the test. Now You are asked if You want to continue. Instead of continuing please go back to the e-mail with the links and click on the next link to perform the second test in the same way as You have performed the first test. After You have performed the second test please click on the next link to perform the third test in the same way as You have performed both previous tests. For technical reasons please perform the tests in the same order as they are listed in the e-mail, i.e. please perform the winter wheat test at first, then the summer rye test and then the winter barley test. Thank You very much for Your dedication and time! Seed Science and Technology - University of Hohenheim 7/7