Elise Lankford

 This week I spent most of my time in the field, and each task helped me build confidence and improve my technical skills. I worked on the pepper trial, which is designed to test how effective grass cover crops are at suppressing weeds. Unfortunately, the grass was not developed in time, so many weeds had already established themselves before the grass could take over. Despite that setback, it was still a valuable learning opportunity. I used the leaf pinch method on pigweed as an addition to this weed control study.

Open and closed pictures of the leaf pinch.

 I also helped flag the perimeter of one of Nicole’s fields using a GPS unit. I worked alongside Gene, who placed the flags, while I operated the GPS device to identify the correct points. Audrey was also with us, observing and helping where needed. The GPS tool is extremely precise, accurate to less than a foot, and it has to be kept level to take proper readings. That made the task more difficult than I expected. Even a small tilt would affect the reading, and it took a lot of time and patience to find the exact points we needed. Although it was frustrating at times, it gave me a better understanding of how precise field preparation needs to be in research.

Me locating where the flag goes

Outside of those tasks, I’ve noticed steady improvement in my overall skills, especially with the pesticide spraying process. Each week, I get more comfortable with the prep work, like using pipettes to measure chemicals accurately, prepping the bottles, and following the procedure both before and after spraying. While I’m not the one spraying, I’ve developed a strong understanding of the steps involved and feel confident about helping with the process from start to finish.

I’ve also gotten better at rating crops and evaluating weed control. I now feel more confident identifying different types of weeds and understanding what to look for during evaluations. This hands-on experience has helped me connect what I’ve learned with real-world applications, and each week I feel a little more independent in the field.

Beautiful rainbow over corn

This week’s topic for reflection was cross-cultural competence. Although my internship hasn’t involved much cross-cultural interaction so far, since most of the people I work with are from rural Maryland, the topic reminded me of my upcoming study abroad in Japan this fall. It also made me think about when my family hosted a Japanese exchange student through 4-H. That experience showed me how valuable it is to learn from others and connect across cultures. Even when those situations aren’t part of the day-to-day work, I think professionalism, clear communication, and openness are always important in any work environment.

This week helped me grow both in skill and in confidence. I’m continuing to learn from each task, and I’m starting to understand how all the small pieces fit together.