Name: Krizza Camelle L.

Calipusan
Yr./Course: BSA 1B

FINAL ACTIVITY
IN
BASIC PRACTICES IN CROP PRODUCTION-GENERAL CONCEPTS

1. Introduction. (Site a simple prologue about practices in crop production)

Crop production is known to be the art and science of the genetic improvement of
crops to produce new varieties with increased productivity and quality. Crop
production to a great deal relies on the genetic diversity of crop plants. Since the
very beginning of agriculture during the process of domestication and cultivation
of crop plants, a wealth of genetic diversity has been utilized and partly
preserved.
Farmers are faced with the challenge of producing sufficient crops to meet
growing consumer demand while maintaining the quality and quantity of
resources for future generations. Increased of crop production has been the
ultimate goal of a farmer. Enable to have a good crop production, one must be
aware of the basic agricultural practices that includes Site selection, Crop
selection, Land preparation, Nursery preparation, Sowing/Transplanting, plant
density, Fertilizer application, Irrigation, weed management, Crop management,
Pest and disease management, Harvest and post-harvest handling, and
Elimination of crop residue. All of those basic practices are what every farmer
must adopt in order to have a good crop production in terms of quality and
quantity to be able to have a good harvest which leads to a good business and
sustainable farming. Agriculture practices are collection of principles to apply for
a farm production processes to get better agricultural products and cultivate
crops in very systematic manner.

2. Production site selection. (State your opinion on different factors affecting crop
production)

2.a Edaphic factors

The factors which relate to structure and composition of soil is what we called
edaphic factors, the qualities that may characterize the soil includes drainage,
texture, or chemical properties such as pH. Edaphic factors have a huge impact
and is important to consider in production site selection since plants grown in
land completely depend on soil on which they grow. The soil factors that affects
crop growth includes soil moisture, soil air, soil temperature, soil mineral matter,
soil organic matter, soil organisms and soil reactions, all of that soil factors
determine a suitable farming enterprise it could be in crops or animals.
Edaphic factors truly affect plant growth, it affects the ability of the certain soil to
sustain biological production and diversity, regulate and partition water, filter and
buffer contaminants, store and cycle the needed nutrients and provide plant
support. The fact that having a crop farm like vegetables and tree crops doesn’t
fit in a land with clayey soils areas as it will not favor the crops you are planning
to plant.

2.b Agrometeorological factors

Agrometeorology studies the behavior of the weather elements that have direct
relevance to agriculture and their effect on crop production. Agrometeorological
factors refer to the climatic or weather conditions of a place. These include day
and night temperature ranges, rainfall intensity, seasonality and distribution,
Relative humidity (RH), sunshine hours, wind, and radiation intensity.
Agrometeorological factor is important in production site selection hence weather
and climate are the factors which determines the success or failure of agriculture.

Some importance of Agrometeorology includes; Helps in planning cropping

patterns/systems, selecting of sowing dates for optimum crop yield, reducing or
eliminating outbreak of pests and diseases, reducing losses of applied chemicals
and fertilizers/helps to avoid fertilizer and chemical sprays when rain is forecast
and etc. Plants are also distinguished into various classification according to
climate adaptation such as temperature, sub-tropical and tropical crops, such as
different types of crops do well under a certain range of climatic conditions.

2.c Other factors

Other factors to be consider in production site selection includes socio-economic

factor, biotic factor and economic factor. Socio economic factors include
infrastructure, population, settlements, market, labor and others. Infrastructure,
includes access roads, electricity, water, telecommunication, health facilities,
police station etc. The presence of these makes it good to site a venture. Biotic
factors are relating to the presence or absence of some harmful or beneficial
organisms. In site selection for farming purposes, we may need to consider the
natural population of a certain organisms like bees and other pollinators, fewer
pests and diseases-causing organisms. Where the farming venture involves tree
crops, farmlands in forest areas are better. However, one must avoid places with
 a long history of pest and diseases. Also, we should be careful in choosing a site
with a certain dominant weed which are difficult to control. Economic factor is the
most important factor to consider if we want our agricultural business to thrive. It
includes the cost, benefits and terms of lease or acquisition. We need to carry
out a feasibility study of the site to make sure that it will yield enough returns to
sustain a farm. This will give an idea and a better knowledge of the site that will
give the highest returns. Considering all the other factors.

3. Crop Selection. (In your own observation with related readings, please explain
the importance of crop selection)
Proper crop selection is an important factor in successful crop farming. For me,
the main consideration in selecting the crops that are most suitable for
smallholder production is of course the demands of the market, there is no point
in producing something unless someone wants to buy it and. Other important
factors must be considered too that will limit the choice of crops to choose, this
includes the various climatic factors, such as prevailing climate type,
temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, incidence of light, and frequency of
typhoons and also the availability and cost of planting materials. These are
important considerations especially among those who have limited capital. Take
for example African oil palm. Even assuming that the projected return on
investment is high and net profit can be realized in a short period of time, it would
be difficult for small farmers to buy certified seedlings where the cost is about 10
times that of coconut. Plus, the cost of hauling may be staggering. Another is
macapuno coconut. There are only a few tissue culture laboratories which
propagate seedlings capable of producing up to 100% macapuno nuts per bunch
and these laboratories may be too far away. The cost of producing seedlings
being highly technical and costly, it is likewise expected that buying price would
be too high. Different crops need different type of soils, different types and
amounts of nutrients, and different types and amounts of water. The amount of
water required by the plant is also dependent on the growing season and the
climate where it is grown. By selecting the right crop for the given soil conditions
and climate, one can optimize yields and save water requirements for irrigation.

4. Land preparation. (In your own observation with related readings, please explain
the importance and methods of land preparation)

Land preparation in planting rice starts with removal of shrubs and stumps from
rice fields. The land is then ploughed using hand hoes such as oxen or tractors.
Power and equipment are required for tillage in different soil types are
varied. Power and equipment are required for tillage in different soil types are
varied.  It is essential to plough when land is dry to reduce weeds. However, in
difficult soils such as virgin lands there may be need to wet the field before
 ploughing. It is generally recommended that two ploughs and one harrow or
rotation are sufficient for soil disturbance long before planting to establish a fine
tilth. Fine tilth improves germination reduces seeding rate and improves seedling
uptake in irrigated ecologies. Ensure soil surface is level to enhance water
application by irrigation. The field requires adequate drainage system to allow
rapid removal of excess water. However, land preparation will vary according to
cropping system used.  Three main rice ecologies require different land
preparation techniques.

The purpose of land preparation is to provide the necessary soil conditions which

will enhance the successful establishment of the young offshoots or the tissue
culture plants received from the nursery. It is a very important practice to
enhance good yield from crops grown. It is also one of the measures used to
control crop diseases and pest invasion. Land preparation is also called as tillage
practice. Tillage practice is the mechanical pulverization of the soil to take about
favorable conditions for the growth of crops. Through proper land preparation,
factors that limit tree growth are reduced. These factors include poor drainage,
frost, weed competition, heavy slash and compacted or naturally dense soils.
One must know about land preparation types in farming as it plays a major role in
growing crops. Land preparation improves site conditions in some ways,
reducing weed competition for light and nutrients, improving soil, water, and air
conditions through and water cultivation, loosening tight or compacted soils to
allow and lastly, reducing frost susceptibility during mounding.

5. Nursery Preparation and Management. (Based in your own understanding,

explain how important is the nursery preparation and management)

Nursery is an area, in which new saplings are raised and nourished until they are
ready for sale or transplanting at a permanent place in a field. Raising of
seedlings in a nursery is important for various reasons. It is possible to grow and
maintain a large number of plants per unit area, small and expensive hybrid
seeds can be raised more effectively due to better care and management, when
seeds are sown in seedbeds, their germination percentage increases and the
vigor of the seedlings also improves, the management of seedlings can be done
in a better way with minimum care, cost and maintenance as the nursery area is
small, manipulation of growing conditions for plants becomes easy, better and
uniform crop growth can be obtained in the main field by selecting vigorous and
healthy seedlings, off-season sowing of seeds becomes possible, which
ultimately results in fetching more returns, the seed requirement of nursery raised
crops is less as compared to direct seed sowing of the same crop due to better
management, sowing seeds in a nursery allows additional time for doing
preparatory tillage in the main plot, harvesting of the previous crop can also be
 prolonged, if needed and lastly, management of insect-pests, diseases and
weeds is easy in a nursery.

There are also important considerations in selecting a nursery site, these

includes the location, topography of land, water, soil, drainage, transportation,
and labor. A nursery must be located in a pollution-free environment — away
from brick kilns, smoke-emitting industries and rough motorized roads as dirt and
dust settle on plants, covering the foliage, which not only reduces the
photosynthetic efficiency of plants but also gives them a dull look. It must be
ensured that the nursery site gets adequate sunlight. However, care must be
taken that the plants are protected against severe heat. The topography of land
at the nursery site must also be even. If it is undulating, it must be levelled. In
hilly areas, it may be divided into levelled terraces. The soil must preferably be
loam or sandy loam with large quantity of organic matter. The pH of the soil must
be near neutral (6.5 – 7.5). It must have adequate water retention capacity and
aeration. The quality of water used in a nursery is important for the growth of
plants. Saline and polluted water must not be used. It must be ensured that there
is adequate water supply for irrigation. Besides, the nursery must be located near
a water source so that there is no water scarcity at any time in the course of
raising plants.

6. Fertilizer application. (Please site the advantage in the application of fertilizer

according to its stages)

Just as humans need essential minerals and nutrients for strong, healthy growth,
so do the world's crops.  Fertilizer application is the supplemental application of
plant nutrients to crop plants to augment the supply from natural sources. This
consists of applying nutrient-containing materials, called fertilizers, generally into
the soil in proximity to receptor plants. Fertilizers replace the nutrients that crops
remove from the soil. Without the addition of fertilizers, crop yields and
agricultural productivity would be significantly reduced. That’s why mineral
fertilizers are used to supplement the soil’s nutrient stocks with minerals that can
be quickly absorbed and used by crops. Thus, in order to meet human
nutritional needs in the crops and meat we eat, we need to replace what we take
out. The key is to get this balance right and to maintain a level of nutrients in soils
that will support our crops without applying excess. Simply, we use fertilizer to
provide nutrients not available in the soil, replace nutrients removed at harvest
and balance nutrients for better produce quality and higher yield. There are four
stages in fertilizer application, the establishment stage, vegetative stage,
flowering stage, and the fruit development stage. Establishment stage is the
stage is an early stage at germination or transplanting and a few days (about 1
week) after germination, vegetative stage is a period from 1-3 weeks from
 germination or planting. At this stage, the growth of plants is mainly on foliage
development, flowering stage is a stage when the plant is at blossoming. This is
about 3-4 weeks for many flowering vegetables and cereals. At this stage, water
stress for a few days followed by application of NPK fertilizer with high level of
potassium (K) 30% or more is recommended in order to stimulate flowering while
the fruit development stage is a stage leading to maturity. At this stage,
application of a balanced ratio NPK e.g. 17-17-17 is recommended. Plants need
different nutrient rates and ratios at different growth stages. In order for the
nutrients to be available when the plant needs them, fertilizers should be applied
at the right time. The optimum timing for fertilizer application is, therefore,
determined by the Nutrient Uptake Pattern of the crop. For the same crop, each
nutrient has an individual uptake pattern.

7. Irrigation. (How important is the identification and application of different methods

of irrigation in diverse crops.)

The process of applying water to soil is what we called Irrigation, primarily to

meet the water needs of growing plants. Water from rivers, reservoirs, lakes, or
aquifers is pumped or flows by gravity through pipes, canals, ditches or even
natural streams. Applying water to the fields enhances the magnitude, quality
and reliability of crop production. According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, irrigation contributes to about 40% of the
world’s food production on 20% of the world’s crop production land. Different
Irrigation methods have been developed over time to meet the irrigation needs of
certain crops in specific areas. The three main methods of irrigation are surface,
sprinkler and drip/micro. Water flows over the soil by gravity for surface irrigation.
Sprinkler irrigation applies water to soil by sprinkling or spraying water droplets
from fixed or moving systems. Micro irrigation applies frequent, small applications
by dripping, bubbling or spraying, and usually only wets a portion of the soil
surface in the field. A fourth, and minor, irrigation method is subirrigation where
the water table is raised to or held near the plant root zone using ditches or
subsurface drains to supply the water.

Identification and application of different methods of irrigation in diverse crops is

important for Irrigation kicks in when there is insufficient rainfall or when there is
uncertainty as to when the rain will fall. Without the rain or irrigation as the
alternative, the crops are adversely affected, which can lead to a food
shortage or crop/plant failure. Some areas of the world are dry, naturally.
Irrigation has been responsible for turning such lands into cultivatable lands.
Irrigation helps meet food demands, increased productivity, enables multiple
cropping, contributes to economic growth and is effective. Choosing an irrigation
system is a difficult task. Irrigation systems are as varied as the people who use
them. The right selection for a user depends on soil, water and climatic
 conditions as well as crop types, user knowledge and preference, capital and
operating costs, and infrastructure availability.

8. Weed Management. (In this case, please state a short explanation the after
effect of weed management in your respective grown crops.)

Weed competition is one of the major causes for yield loss. Weeds compete with
the crop aggressively because of their high growth rate, high potential to
acclimatize changing environment and more efficient seed production. Crop-
weed competition plays an important role in the growth and yield of transplanted
rice. Weeds are self-grown, early emergent along with crop seedlings and their
rapid growth and development resulted in a severe crop-weed competition for
natural resources viz., light, nutrients, moisture and space and ultimately resulted
in low yield of rice. If weeds are not controlled before 50 days after transplanting,
the farmers may lose one-third of their total expected yield. Weeds usually grow
faster than the crop plants and then they adsorb the available nutrients earlier,
resulting in reduced availability to crop plants. Weeds being more vigorous
competitors remove a greater portion of the fertilizer applied to the rice crop.
Manual weeding is what we used in our grown rice, the traditional method of
weed management in rice culture. Weed management therefore decreases the
tendency of yield loss.

9. Crop Management. (Enumerate and discuss the different practices of

horticultural and agronomic crops.)

Some important practices of horticultural crop management includes trellising,

pruning, training and de-suckering. Trellising plants is an old garden technique
adopted by many farmers. It does not only keep crops off the ground but
increase usable space as well as yield. Crops like tomatoes benefit when trellis is
used in the garden. It will prevent fruit rotting which results when fruits are hidden
deep within the crop or sitting on the soil. Pruning is when you selectively remove
branches from a tree. The goal is to remove unwanted branches, improve the
tree’s structure, and direct new, healthy growth. Fruit pruning can also be done if
their number is too big to the expense of their size. Pruning, de-suckering,
training and trellising help in reducing pest and disease occurrences as they help
in reducing direct contact of plant parts to the soil, provide good air movement
and ventilation.
Agronomic practices are a vital part of farming systems. These are practices that
farmers incorporate to improve soil quality, enhance water usage, manage crops
and improve the environment. Agronomic practices focus on better fertilizer
 management as a way of improving agricultural practices. In farming any practice
that entails conservation is an agronomic practice. Practices such as reducing
tillage managing plant population and controlling the use of water are some of
the major agronomic practices that almost every farmer has tried. The changes in
agronomy might be small, but the results of using the practices are
massive. Agronomic practices are efficient and very useful to a farmer. For a
commercial farmer, the practices will enable the farmer to get good profits while
taking care of the environment. To a domestic farmer, the practices are a cheap
method of maintaining your farming projects.

10. Pest and Disease Management. (Site the different practices of Pest and disease
Management in your grown edible crops.)

Pests and diseases are responsible of a huge damage to edible crops. At the
same time, the push towards reducing the use of pesticides and fungicides is
growing stronger. Several beneficial cultural practices can meet both demands,
helping with pest and disease control and minimizing the use of toxic chemicals.
There are beneficial practices to minimize pest and diseases damage. This
include, using disease resistant varieties whenever possible, crop rotation,
sanitation, eradication, avoiding irrigation late in the evening because wet foliage
encourages pathogens, and scouting.
The number one disease management strategy is to prevent it in the first place.
Make sure we provide our plants with optimal conditions for growth, focusing on
the right season, temperature, spacing, nutrients, water, and disease-resistant
varieties. Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types
of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces
reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of
developing resistant pest and weeds.
B. According to the different basic practices of crop production, please execute all the
practices with documentation based in your available crops grown personally, in case
you don’t have any crops grown, you may ask permission to conduct a simple and basic
operations of different practices of crop production in your neighbor or friends. Please
place a label on every portrait in different operations. Lastly, please use short bond
paper for all your output.

1. Site selection

2. Crop selection
3. Land preparation

4. Nursery preparation

(Egg carton as DIY tray for my pechay seedlings)

5. Fertilizer application
6. Irrigation

7. Weed management

8. Crop management
 (Trillage poles for green beans)

9. Pest and disease management

10.Harvest and post-harvest handling

 (Ampalaya harvesting)

11. Elimination of crop residue