Introduction to Crop Production Notes - complete.docx

**Strategies for crop protection against diseases (fungal, bacterial or viral).** In order to manage potential diseases, a farmer should have a good understanding of the underlying reasons that crops may be susceptible to a certain disease (or indeed a weed/pest). Remember, prevention is always bet...

**Strategies for crop protection against diseases (fungal, bacterial or viral).** In order to manage potential diseases, a farmer should have a good understanding of the underlying reasons that crops may be susceptible to a certain disease (or indeed a weed/pest). Remember, prevention is always better than treatment. If a crop becomes infected with a disease, it is often difficult to treat and may have a detrimental effect on the crop. There are **three** methods of reducing attack by disease, weeds or pests. These include: 1. - +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - - - | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ 2. - On a tillage farm, the farmer will need to manage potential diseases. There are 5 methods of **indirect disease control**: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Method** | **Explanation** | **Benefits / Notes** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | **Crop Rotation** | Changing the crops | ***Benefits:*** | | | that are sown in a | | | | field from one year | \- Helps maintain | | | to the next. | soil structure. | | | | | | | Example: | \- Helps maintain | | | | organic matter. | | | Year 1: Grassland | | | | | \- Ensures a nutrient | | | Year 2: Potatoes | balance in the soil. | | | | | | | Year 3: Maize | \- Prevents build-up | | | | of diseases. | | | Year 4: Stubble | | | | Turnip | \- Also controls | | | | pests and weeds. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Sowing resistant | Certain crops are not | ***Note:*** | | crop varieties** | affected by a | | | | particular disease or | \- Crops may be | | | pest | genetically modified | | | | to be disease | | | | resistant. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Growth | Crops that grow in | ***Note*** - | | encouragement** | optimal conditions | Conditions that | | | will be less | favour plant growth | | | susceptible to | include: | | | disease, weeds or | | | | pests. | \- Availability of | | | | nutrients, | | | | | | | | \- Proper seedbed | | | | preparation, | | | | | | | | \- Following correct | | | | procedures when a | | | | seed is sown. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Timely harvesting** | Crops that are not | ***Note:*** | | | harvested in time and | | | | that become over-ripe | \- Over ripe crops | | | are more susceptible | may also experience | | | to disease, weeds or | *'lodging'* which can | | | pests. | reduce yields. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Stubble cleaning** | The cultivation of | ***Note:*** | | | the land with ploughs | | | | and harrows after | \- Harrowing the land | | | harvest. | encourages weeds to | | | | germinate. | | | | | | | | When the weeds | | | | germinate, the land | | | | is harrowed again to | | | | kill emerging weeds. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ 3. - +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Direct control (chemical control)** | | | | - - - | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ *Herbicides* - - - - - *Fungicides* - - - - *Pesticides* - - - **Advantages and disadvantages of using chemicals for disease, weed and pest control.** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Advantages** | **Disadvantages** | +===================================+===================================+ | **1.** Potentially higher yields. | **1.** Toxins in the food chain. | | | | | \- Preventing attacks to crops | \- Chemicals can be washed in | | means more of the crop survives | waterways, killing plants and | | and there are higher yields. | animals. | | | | | **2.** Potentially higher | **2.** Harmful to human health. | | profits. | | | | \- Can be inhaled or absorbed | | \- Farmers are paid for yield, so | through skin. | | the higher the yield, the more a | | | farmer earns. | \- Can also be present in plants | | | and animals that humans consume. | | \- Chemicals are expensive so | | | this is not always true. | **3.** Killing non-target | | | organisms. | | **3.** Less 'damage' to the crop. | | | | \- Many organisms, including | | \- If the chemicals prevent | pollinators, can be killed by | | attacks to the crop, the | chemicals. | | harvested crop should show less | | | signs of 'damage'. | **4.** Pollution. | | | | | **4.** Less manual labour. | \- Water, air and soil. | | | | | \- Weeding and pest removal by | \- Other plants can absorb soil | | hand is very time consuming. | residues | | | | | | **5.** Pest resistance | | | | | | \- Danger of lack of control in | | | future. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Compare plant uniformity from certified and uncertified seed.\* (SPA)** Note: To compare the height of 100 certified seeds to 100 uncertified seeds after 7 days of growth in the same type of soil and the same conditions. The **characteristics** of **certified seed** are: - - - - Apparatus: - Method: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Results: - - The following figures and graph are examples of data collected from barley plants sown using 100 certified seeds and 100 uncertified seeds. Only seeds that germinated were recorded. **Certified Seed** **Uncertified Seed** ---------------------------- -------------------- ---------------------- Number of seeds germinated 94 77 Range (mm) (plant height) 9 25 Mean plant height (mm) 9.05 7.98 Conclusion: Plants produced from certified seed are more uniform than those produced from uncertified seed. **Identify farm health and safety hazards associated with the management of crops, and discuss the controls and precautions necessary to prevent accidents, injury and ill health on the farm.** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Hazard** | **Risk** | **Controls and | | | | Precaution** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | Harvest Machinery | \- Pressure to get | \- Inspect and | | | harvesting work | prepare all machinery | | | completed leads to | before starting. | | | time pressure and | | | | long working days. | \- Ensure all safety | | | | guards are in place. | | | \- Driver fatigue | | | | from excessive hours. | \- Check for any | | | | hydraulic leaks. | | | \- Increased risk of | | | | road collisions due | \- Be aware of any | | | to large number of | exposed moving parts | | | agricultural | and crop intake | | | machinery using | points. | | | public roads. | | | | | \- Ensure the engine | | | | is off and the | | | | handbrake is on | | | | before removing any | | | | blockages from the | | | | machine. | | | | | | | | \- Ensure machine | | | | operators have work | | | | breaks and plenty of | | | | food and water. | | | | | | | | \- Change operators | | | | regularly to prevent | | | | driver fatigue. | | | | | | | | \- Ensure farm | | | | machinery is | | | | roadworthy and had | | | | proper working brakes | | | | and lights. | | | | | | | | \- Beware of overhead | | | | electrical lines. | | | | | | | | \- Watch out for | | | | other road users when | | | | using public roads at | | | | harvest time. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ **Compare conventional and organic food production.** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | | **Conventional food | **Organic food | | | production** | production** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | ***Fertilisers*** | Can use chemical | Organic fertilisers. | | | fertilisers, or | | | | organic fertilisers | Approved fertilisers | | | (FYM). | may be used, | | | | including: fish meal, | | | | fur and feathers, | | | | calcium carbonate, | | | | soft ground rock | | | | phosphate. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Pest/weed/fungal | Can use biological, | Biological and | | control*** | indirect and direct | indirect control | | | control | only. | | | (pesticides/herbicide | | | | s/fungicides). | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Number of farmers | Majority of farmers. | Minority, but | | involved*** | | increasing. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Genetically | Allowed. | Not allowed. | | modified organisms*** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Cost of food | Less expensive | More expensive | | produce*** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Seed used*** | Not necessarily | Must be organically | | | certified. | certified seed. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **[Animal | | | | Production]{.underlin | | | | e}** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Antibiotics*** | Allowed, withdrawal | Not allowed. | | | periods necessary. | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ Advantages of organic farming: - - - - - -