CROP PRODUCTION I (LAND PREPARATION)
1.
Three factors that determine depth
of ploughing during land
preparation
- Crop to be planted
- Implement available
- Type of soil
2.
Four reasons for cultivating land before
planting.
- To improve soil aeration.
- To improve germination.
- Destroy weeds.
- Destroy weeds.
- Incorporate organic matter in the soil.
- Increase water infiltration.
3.
(a) What is
minimum tillage
- Is a situation in which least possible cultivation operations are carried out in crop production.
(b) Give four
farming practices that help in achieving minimum tillage
- Clearing the land / bush clearing.
- Using appropriate chemicals to kill the existing vegetation.
- Weeding using herbicides.
- Planting / drilling seeds directly into the stubble of previous crop.
4. (a) Explain five practices that a
farmer should carry out to ensure uniform germination of seeds
- Select seeds of the same size, variety, age and free from pests and diseases.
- Plant seeds at the same time.
- Prepare the whole field to required uniform tilth.
- Plant at the right moisture content of the soil / irrigation uniformly.
- Treat seeds before planting i.e. break dormancy.
- Plant at the correct depth. (5 x 1 = 5 mks)
(b) Describe five
factors that determine the number of cultivations when preparing a seedbed
- Soil moisture content.
- Type of soil.
- Cost of operation.
- Size of seed/ type of planting material/ type of crop.
- Type of machinery available / use of tractors.
- Topography / gradient of the land/ liability of soil erosion.
- Skills of the operator.
- Initial conditions of the land/ the cropping history of the land.
- Time available to carry out the operation before planting.
5. Four physical conditions of the seedbed that need to be changed to facilitate Germination
- Size of soil clods (clods (made small or medium size
- Appropriate soil depth
- Soil looseness
- Should be weed free
- Soil moisture content improved
6. Four importance of sub soiling as a tertiary operation
- Brings leached nutrients to the surface
- Breaks hard pans
- Promotes aeration of the soil
- Promotes water infiltration
- Ensures better root penetration
7. Four advantages of rolling in seedbed preparation are
- Press the seeds against the soil moisture
- Controls soil erosion
- Ensure uniform germination
- Controls removal of small seeds by wind
- Breaks large soil cods
8. Four disadvantages of minimum tillage
- The less porous surface increased soil erosion especially in heavily sols
- Difficulty in weed control
- Speed of planting to reduce due to large amount of residues in the soil and big clods
- Leads to accumulating of soil borne pests and diseases
9. a) The diagram below illustrate a tertiary operation carried out in the farm . Identify the tertiary operation
- ridging
b) (i) State the importance of the tertiary operation identified
- Encourage tuber expansion
- Allow easy harvesting of crop roots
(ii) Give two other tertiary operations carried out in the field besides the one identified above
- Rolling
- Leveling
10. Give two reasons why it is advisable to cultivate the field during the dry season
- Leads to timely planting
- Weeds are appropriately controlled especially the perennial such as couch grass
- Farmers take advantage of availability of labour reducing the cost of labour
- Control of soil borne pests
- Gives time for better organic decomposition
11. How are hard pans caused by cultivation?
- By repeated cultivation at the same depth;
- Cultivating the soil when wet using heavy machinery;
12. Give four factors that determine the number of secondary cultivation operation
- Type and size of planting material;
- Topography/slope f land;
- Soil moisture content;
- (Initial) condition of land/amount of vegetation on the land;
- Capital available
- Type of implement used;
13. Define the term minimum tillage
- It is the least number of cultivation operations either during preparation of the seed bed or during the management of the crops.
14. List four advantages of timely planting
- Market demand
- Type of crop to be planted
- Moisture condition of the soil and rainfall pattern
- Prevalence of pests and diseases
- Prevalence of weeds
12. Give four factors that determine the number of secondary cultivation operation
- Type and size of planting material;
- Topography/slope f land;
- Soil moisture content;
- (Initial) condition of land/amount of vegetation on the land;
- Capital available
- Type of implement used;
13. Define the term minimum tillage
- It is the least number of cultivation operations either during preparation of the seed bed or during the management of the crops.
14. List four advantages of timely planting
- Enables crop to benefit maximumly from available moisture
- Crops make use of nitrogen flush available at that time
- Crops fetch high market prices
- Crops escape from pests and diseases
- There is high vigour in crops that resist diseases
- Ensures timely harvesting
15. Two factors that determine the number of cultivation on a field before it is ready for planting
- purpose of crop
- moisture content
- concentration of desired chemical
- weather
- market demand
17. State four factors determining the depth of ploughing land
- Type of crop to be planted
- Implements available
- Type of soil
- Climatic conditions