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1
Classification of Field Crops
Classification by life span:
Annual
Biennial
Perennial
Factors to consider for the selection of field crops:
1. Crops that will grow and produce the desired yields
under the type of climate available.
2. Crops that are adapted to the type of soil available.
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Classification of Field Crops
3. Demand on market available for the crop to be
produced.
4. Labor requirements and availability of labor for the
crop.
5. Machinery and equipment necessary to grow the crop.
6. Availability of enough land to justify production
of the crop.
7. Pest-control problems.
8. Expected yields.
9. Anticipated production costs.
3
Seedbed Preparation
Purpose is to provide
conditions favorable for
germination and growth
Eliminating competition from
weeds and crop residues is a
consideration
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Seedbed Preparation
Can increase availability of soil nutrients
Should not be overworked
Fineness of seedbed is dependent on size of
seed
Should contain enough fertility to
encourage germination and growth
Control and elimination of weeds, insects,
and diseases is an important consideration
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Seedbed Preparation
Three categories of tillage preparation:
Conventional tillage-land is plowed with a moldboard
plow
Minimum tillage-seedbed is prepared only enough so
that the seed can make contact with the soil and germinate
No-till-planting seeds directly into the residue of the
previous crop
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Planting Field Crops
Three general types of planters:
Row crop planters-plant seeds in precise rows with even spacing
within the rows
Drill planters-plant seeds in narrow rows at high population rates
Broadcast planters-scatter the seed in a random pattern on top of the
seedbed
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Planting Field Crops
Other considerations include:
Date to plant
Germination rate of seeds
Uniformity of seed
Weather conditions
Insect and disease control problems
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Meeting Water Needs of Crops
Ideally 1/2 of pore space is filled with water
About 1/2 of the water in the pore spaces
are available for plant use
Factors affecting water availability include:
Type of soil
Natural rainfall
Water-table levels
Prevailing winds
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Meeting Water Needs of Crops
Irrigation may be the answer to obtaining profitable yields
Irrigation has been practiced for over 5,000 years
Egyptians used water from the Nile River for irrigation
Chinese and Native Americans used irrigation
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Meeting Water Needs of Crops
Major methods of supplying irrigation water
to crops:
Sprinklers-spray water through the air, much
like rainfall
Surface irrigation-water gets to the crop by
gravity, flowing over the surface of the soil or
in ditches or furrows
Subsurface irrigation-supplies water to the
roots of crops underground
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Pest Control in Field Crops
Control of pests in field crops
often determines profits
Pests include:
Diseases
Weeds
Insects
Animals
Economic losses total billions
of dollars each year
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Pest Control in Field Crops
Three main categories of losses:
Reduced yields
Reduced quality
Spoilage
Methods of controlling pests in field crops:
Mechanical pest control Genetic control
Cultural pest control Chemical control
Biological pest control
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Mechanical Pest Control
Anything that affects the environment of the pest or the pest
itself
Cultivation is the normal mechanical control of weeds
Other types include:
Pulling or mowing weeds
Use of screens, barriers, traps, and electricity
14
Cultural Control
Adapting farming practices to control pests
Includes:
Timing farming operations to eliminate pests
Rotating crops
Planting resistant varieties
Planting trap crops that are more attractive to insects than
is the primary crop
15
Biological Control
Involves the use of predators or diseases as the control
mechanisms
Examples:
Release of sterile male insects
Uses of baits and repellents
Important that the control be specific to the intended pest
16
Genetic Control
Development of varieties of crops that are resistant to pests
May involve making the crop less attractive to pest because
of:
Taste
Shape
Blooming time
17
Chemical Control
Involves the use of pesticides to control pests
Excellent management practices must be exercised
Care in pest identification and selection of the chemical are
important
Dosage, runoff, and pesticide residues need to be monitored
18
Harvesting and Storing Field Crops
Harvesting at proper stage of
maturity is a key to maximizing
profits
Culmination of a growing
season of work and anticipation
of the rewards of a job well
done
19
Harvesting and Storing Field Crops
Development of mechanical harvesting equipment
Primary harvesting machine is the combine which performs
the tasks of:
Cutting the crop
Threshing the crop
Separating crop from debris
Cleaning the crop
20
Harvesting and Storing Field Crops
Threats to quality of stored crops include:
Heat
Moisture
Fungi
Insects
Rodents
Production of field crops generates more income
for American agriculturists than any other
production enterprise