Fertilizer Application Methods

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Questions and Answers

What should be removed and destroyed in an orchard sanitation program?

All apple and cherry trees

All dead or diseased limbs

All dropped fruit (correct)

All healthy planting materials

What is the main purpose of cultural control in pest management?

To utilize natural enemies of pests and diseases

To use resistant and healthy planting materials (correct)

To remove and burn diseased branches

To use insecticides and fungicides

Why is it important to harvest fruits at the right time?

To ensure proper utilization and consumption (correct)

To control pests and diseases

To determine the maturity of fruits

To prevent post-harvest loss

What is the purpose of legislative control in pest management?

To prevent the introduction of pests and diseases Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the practices involved in an orchard sanitation program?

Collecting and burning debris Signup and view all the answers

What helps to determine the right time to harvest fruits?

Maturity indices Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main functions of packaging?

To assemble the produce into convenient units for handling and to protect the produce during distribution Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of mechanical control in pest management?

To remove and burn diseased branches Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the factors to consider when deciding on methods of fruit harvesting?

The market options for fruits Signup and view all the answers

What should modern packages not contain?

Toxic chemicals Signup and view all the answers

Why is storage essential for fruits and vegetables?

To extend the storage life of fruits and vegetables Signup and view all the answers

What type of storage structure can be used in places with low temperature?

Common storage Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary objective of storage and preservation?

To extend the storage life of fruits and vegetables Signup and view all the answers

Why do fruits and vegetables require proper storage facilities?

Because they are highly perishable Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of storing potatoes in pits?

It allows for continuous harvesting of potatoes Signup and view all the answers

What regulates the temperature in natural storage structures?

Natural circulation and insulation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of maintaining genetic uniformity in plants?

To avoid heterozygosity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an advantage of asexual propagation?

It shortens the juvenile period Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of grafting in plant propagation?

To combine two genotypes into one plant Signup and view all the answers

What is a propagule in plant propagation?

Any plant part used to produce a new plant or a population of plants Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following plants is commonly propagated using layering?

Guava Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between cultivar, strain, and hybrid?

Cultivar is a group of related plants, strain is a type of cultivar, and hybrid is a cross between two cultivars Signup and view all the answers

What is micropropagation?

A method of asexual propagation using tissue culture Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of using good quality seeds in plant propagation?

To ensure the seeds are fertile and will germinate well Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a specialized plant structure used for asexual propagation?

Rhizome Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a nursery in fruit production?

To propagate fruit plants Signup and view all the answers

What type of propagation involves the utilization of seeds?

Sexual propagation Signup and view all the answers

What is an embryo in a seed?

A complete plant in miniature, consisting of leaf, stem, and root premordia Signup and view all the answers

What is Pomology?

The study of fruit production Signup and view all the answers

How are most fruit crops propagated in small-scale farms in Ethiopia?

By using seeds Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a seed in plant propagation?

To serve as a bridge between generations of plants Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a seed?

It is a living entity that contains an embryo Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of broadcast fertilizer application?

To apply fertilizer in a wide area Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of using starter solutions?

To satisfy fertility needs when setting out transplants Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of side dressing?

It allows for fertilizer to be applied as needed Signup and view all the answers

When is foliar feeding used?

When the soil is too cold for the plants to extract fertilizer Signup and view all the answers

What determines where fertilizer is applied in a band?

The distance and depth of the seeds or plants being planted Signup and view all the answers

Why is fertilizer mechanically incorporated into the soil?

To mix the fertilizer with the soil Signup and view all the answers

How is fertilizer applied in a band?

In a narrow band 5 to 7.5 cm to the side of the planting area Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of applying fertilizer?

To provide nutrients to the plants Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Orchard Sanitation

Collect and burn debris to eliminate conditions that encourage mice.
Remove and destroy all dropped fruit to prevent pest and disease attraction.
Rake and burn apple and cherry leaves to prevent disease spread.
Scrape loose bark from trunks, crotches, and main limbs of apple trees to prevent pest and disease habitat.
Prune out and destroy all dead or diseased limbs, branches, and twigs to prevent disease spread.

Control of Weeds, Pests, and Diseases

Cultural control measures include:
- Using resistant and healthy planting materials
- Maintaining adequate plant density per unit area
- Effective weed control and sanitation
Biological control measures utilize natural enemies of pests and diseases, such as parasites and predators.
Mechanical control measures include simple actions like picking up and destroying large pests or removing and burning diseased branches.
Chemical control measures use insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and nematicides, but require careful attention due to potential dangers.
Legislative control measures include quarantine laws and standards to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases.

Harvesting of Fruit Crops

Fruits are "living" structures and must be harvested at the right time for proper utilization and consumption.
Maturity indices help determine the right time to harvest.
Packaging provides protection, convenience, economy, and appeal.
Packaging functions include:
- Assembling produce into convenient units for handling
- Protecting produce during distribution, storage, and marketing
Modern packaging must:
- Have sufficient mechanical strength to protect contents during handling and transport
- Not contain toxic chemicals
- Allow rapid cooling and insulation from external heat
- Have sufficient permeability to respiratory gases
- Facilitate easy disposal, reuse, or recycling
- Be cost-effective

Storage and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables

Storage is essential to extend the supply of fruits and vegetables.
Objectives of storage include:
- Extending the storage life of fruits and vegetables
- Increasing their period of availability
Substantial quantities of fruits go waste due to lack of proper storage facilities.
Fruits and vegetables are living entities that continue to carry out vital physiological activities after harvest.
Types of storage include:
- Common storage: using caves, mounds, trenches, and other natural structures
- Temperature-regulated storage: using natural circulation and insulation

Fruit Propagation

Plant propagation is the science of multiplying and producing plants using propagules.
Propagules include:
- Seeds
- Cuttings
- Layers
- Buds
- Scions
- Explants
- Specialized structures (bulbs, tubers, and corms)
Propagation methods include:
- Sexual propagation: using seeds
- Asexual propagation: using stems, buds, and other plant parts
Asexual propagation is faster and shorter, and may be more economical.
Importance of using good quality seeds includes:
- Maintaining true-to-type or genetic uniformity
- Avoiding heterozygosity
- Shortening the juvenile period
- Being more economical
- Combining multiple genotypes into a single plant
Methods of asexual propagation include:
- Layering
- Cutting
- Budding
- Grafting
- Micropropagation/tissue culture
- Using specialized plant structures (stolons/runners, rhizomes/suckers, corms)