Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Principles of Crop Production, Mr P Reynolds - Coggle Diagram
Principles of Crop Production
Certified Seed
Minimum germination rate of >85% (85 out of 100 will grow)
Purity >98% (98 0ut of 100 will be the seed you want)
Treated with fungicide & pesticide (Seeds don’t carry Disease)
Free from wild oat seed (Aggressive Unwanted Disease in Tillage)
Factors that Affect Crop Productivity
Seed Selection
Yield (Tonnes), DM% (Kg/DM/HA), DMD (%), Palatability - Quality
Disease Resistance – Spraying/Weather
Strength/Length of stem - Lodging
Timing of Harvesting – Early/Late
Hardiness – Weather
Soil
Drainage – Drier soil suits most seed – Warmer - Greater Production
Nutrition – Higher fertile soils – More CEC - Greater production
Correct pH – Morre nutrients available – Higher Growth Rate
Weather – Allows for early sowing/later harvesting – Greater Yield/Quality
Management
Spraying – Reduce Weed Competition/ Pest Attack – Increase Production
Fertiliser Application – Correct Timing and Quantity – Increase Production
Sowing – Correct method, spacing and rate – Increase production
Previous Crop History – Nutrient Depletion –Soil Test
Crop Management Practice on Animals
Positive
Sowing Catch Crop – Allows Outwintering – Less Disease/Higher LWG
Creates Biodiversity – Beetles,worms,birds
Weed Control – Reduces Competition – Increase Crop Production
Pest Control – Reduces Disease Spread – Increases Yield
Crop Rotation – Increases Nutrition/Decreases Pests or Weeds – Increase Yield
Drainage – Increase Temp/Nutrients - Increase Yield
Decreases pests such as fluke/worm
Negative
Non selective sprays kill non targeted species (Bees)
Winter or Spring Sowing
Winter
Frost resistant
Sown September to November – Land Needs to be free draining
Harvested mid-July onwards – -
Longer growing season – Higher Yield
Less spraying – Frost Kills Pests/Weeds
Lower Costs
Spring
Not frost resistant
Sown February to April – Soil is Drier
Harvested August onwards – Risk of poaching or Compaction
Shorter growing season – Lower Yield
High Spraying – Increased Cost
Effect of soil quality on the productivity of a crop
Soil Depth –
Correct Depth to allow plant leaves emerge
Deep enough to avoid birds/vermin poaching
Soil Compaction/Aeration –
Allow pores for seeds germinate
Increase Temperature – Increase Production
Increases Drainage
pH
Correct pH – Allows nutrients to be released to the plant increases growth
Soil type
soil type should suit the seed type – some seeds just wont grow in poor soil
Photoperiod
Allows maximum light for glucose production in the plant (Photosynthesis)
Crop Rotation
Crops are grown in a defined sequence
Why? - Each crop has different nutritional needs and associated pests
Advantages
Stops soil being depleted of nutrients –
Each plants adds a nutrient
Each plant root adds Organic Matter
Maintains soil structure –
Adds Organic Matter – Binds Soils Together
Prevents build up of pests over time
Pests/Weeds can only survive for a year
Crop Rotation Example
1 Potatoes- deep ploughing burries weeds
2 Maize (Deep roots retrieve minerals)
Turnip- breaks pest/disease/weed cycle
Grass- Roots restores soil structure/Adds OM
Peas- fixes nitrogen
Weed/Pest/Disease Control
Biological Control
Introduce the predator or a parasite of the pest
Environmentally Friendly
No Chemical (organic)
E.g. ladybird and Aphid
Vector - Transmits/Spreads disease without knowing Aphid –
BYDV in Barley
Tick – Lyme Disease
Indirect Control
Agricultural practice that discourage pests, weeds and disease
Crop rotation - interrupts life cycle of pest – Cant Reproduce
Sow resistant varieties – less susceptible to attack
Fertiliser- gives crop growth advantage – Allows crop grow faster and out compete weeds
Harvest on time (do not leave crop sit and get over ripe)
Stubble cleaning/Earthing up - to up root up weed seedlings – stop growth cycle
Chemical (direct) Control
Use chemical that will kill or inhibit growth of pests, weeds and plants."
Herbicide – Weed Plants – Docks/Nettles/Wild Oat/Black Grass
Pesticide/Insecticide– Pests/Animals - Wireworm, Aphids
Fungicide – Fungus – Blight, Leaf Rust
Two Types:
Selective Spray - chemical that only kills certain plants/weeds without harming others
Non-Selective Spray (total) kills all plant life- does not distinguish between weed and crop e.g. Roundup
What type to Spray?
Pre-emergent Spray
Applied before weeds germinate
Prevents weeds competing with crop
Higher Germination Rate
Higher Crop Yield
Post-emergent Spray
Applied after weed has germinated
Modes of Action
Contact Spray - Kill anything they come into contact with
Translaminar Spray
Chemicals are absorbed by plant and translocated (moved) to all parts- stem leaves, roots
Systemic Spray
Kill any infection/infestation and provide protection from further attack
Advantages
Higher Yield -
Increased Profits – Higher Yield
Higher Quality – Less damage by pests/fungus/weed
Less Labour Intensive – Less Expense
Disadvanatages
Human Health/ Toxins - Biomagnification
animals eat chemical – we eat animal
chemical on crops – we eat chemicals
Chemicals enter water – we drink water
Indirect Death – kill organisms not targeted eg. Bee
Mis-Use – Farmers apply incorrectly
Herbicide Resistance – weeds/pest/disease cannot be controlled
inherited ability of an individual plant to survive a herbicide application that would kill the same species
Cause
Overuse of same chemical
Inaccurate application of the chemical
Importance of Control
Decreased Yield due to competition
Increased costs of fertiliser
Crops cannot be sown in field
Bacterial Control on Crops
Copper Sulfate/Bordeaux mixture – Absorbs water away from bacteria
Resistant varieties – do not suffer from bacterial infection
Crop rotation – Prevent bacterial growth
Pest Control – Pest are vectors for bacterial spread
Integrated Management Systems
Cultural Control – Less Herbicide
Organic Options
Weeds:
Crop Rotation
Use certified seeds
stubble-cleaning
early sowing dates
Topping
sowing clover
Pests
Crop Rotation
Biological control
Early harvesting
Resistant Varieties
Diseases:
Crop Rotation
Resistant varieties
Earthing up
Bordeaux mixture
timely harvest
Crop Rotation – Breaks up lifecycle of weed – Less weeds
Herbicide Use – Use pre-emergent rather than post-emergent
Increased Seed Rate – Increased Competition for space/nutrient - Less Weeds
Whole Cropping – Breaks lifecycle of weed – Less Weeds
Hygeine – Clean mcahinery between fields – less weed spread
Rogueing – pull weeds
Crop Destruction – Burn weeds
Mr P Reynolds