CORE COMPETENCY

UNIT OF COMPETENCY: CARE AND MAINTAIN CROPS

UNIT DESCRIPTION: This unit covers the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to apply pest control, measure, apply fertilizer,
water crops, perform pruning and perform physical
Growth-enhancing practices.

Apply pest Control Measure

Insects and their characteristics

 Many different kinds of insects visit a garden. Some can be harmful, but most are helpful.
 Insects play an important role in nature as predators, parasites, scavengers, and as prey. Many
are plant or animal pests and disease carriers. Others are useful in pollinating crops and some
produce useful substances, such as honey, beeswax and silk.
 One of the enemies of farmers are insect pests that damage their crops resulting to great loss of
income due to low quality and quantity of products
 It is very important to study the insects’ growth and development, their characteristics and when
and how they damage crops. This will help the farmers apply strategies to control them

APHIDS
MEALY BUGS

SCALE INSECT

ARMYWORM

CASEWORMS
LEAF HOPPERS

BUGS

SILKWORM
GRASSHOPPERS

CABBAGEWORM

LOOPERS
DIAMOND BLACK MOTH

CUTWORMS

FLEA BEETLES
EARWORMS

ROOT MAGGOTS

SPIDER MITES

WEB WORM
LEAF MINER

WHITE GRUBS

NEMATODES
Ways on how insects damage plants
Diseases
Methods of controlling insects
 Applied Control.
 This is a measure to destroy insects. Agriculturists have found the following methods effective.

Insecticides
 These are substances that kill insects by their chemical action.
 Stomach poisons are spray, dust, or dips that kill the insect when they are
swallowed.
 Contact poisons are spray, dust or dips that kill the insect without being swallowed.
 Fumigants are chemicals in the form of gas to kill insects usually applied in an
enclosure of some kind

Auxiliary
 Synergistic or supplemental substances are materials added to spray or dusts
which are not primarily toxicant but which make the insecticide cover more
economically.

Attractants
 These are substances used in poison baits, spray or dust to induce the
insects to eat the poisoned materials or to lure insects into traps.

Repellants
 Are substances that keep insects away from crops and animals because of
their offensive appearance, odor or taste

Mechanical and Physical Control

 These are special operations that kill insects by physical and mechanical
action. Mechanical measures refer to the operation of machinery or
application of manual operations. This is done through the following ways.
 Manipulation of water or humidity ( draining, dehydrating or flooding the breeding
media)
 Manipulation of temperature like burning
 Use of electric shock
 Use of light and other radiant energy
 Use of sound waves.
Cultural Control or Use of Farm Practices
 Regular farm operations performed so as to destroy insects or prevent their
injuries.
 Crop rotation
 Tilling of the soil
 Variations in the time or method of planting or harvesting
 Destruction of crop residues, weeds, volunteer plants, and trash
 Use of resistant varieties
 Pruning, thinning
 Fertilizing and stimulating vigorous growth

Biological Control
 This is the introduction, encouragement and artificial increase of predaceous
and parasitic insects.
 Protection and encouragement of insectivorous birds and other animals.
 The use of growing plants to destroy, repel or prevent damage by insects.

Legal Control
 This is the eradication of insects by controlling human activities.
 Inspection and quarantine laws prevent the introduction of new pests from foreign
countries or their spread within a country.
 Introduction of laws enforce the application of control measures such as spraying,
the cleaning up of crop residues, fumigation and eradication measures.
 Insecticide laws govern the manufacture and sale and to prevent the adulteration
and misbranding of insecticides.
 Poison residue laws fix the tolerance of various insecticides upon food products
offered for sale or transportation.

Natural Control
 All the measures that destroy or check insects do not depend upon man for
their continuance or success and cannot be greatly influenced by man.
 Climatic factor such as rainfall, sunshine, cold, heat and wind.
 Topography factors such as rivers, lakes, mountains, type of soil, other
characteristics of the country that serve as barriers.
 Predators and parasites including insects, birds, reptiles, mammals.

Chemical Control

This refers to the destruction of insect pests through the use of chemicals, such as
pesticides and insecticides. This method is not environmentally friendly in the sense that it
may kill other beneficial insects and offer harm to other living things like animals and men.
Apply fertilizer
 This lesson deals on the study of the kinds of fertilizer, its sources,
functions, methods of fertilizer application, methods on how to improve
the fertility of the soil and composting.

Let us define
• Fertilizer – any material used to add to the fertility of the soil in order to increase the
growth or yield of crops.
• Fertilizing or fertilization – the practice of applying fertilizers to crops through the
soil or to the leaves of the plants.
• Fertile soil – one that contains most of the essential elements needed for plant
growth.
• Soil productivity – the ability produce more than a sufficient quantity of agricultural
crops.
• Soil fertility – the richness of soil in terms of organic and inorganic plant foods
which plants can use for growth and production.
• Liming – the application of calcium or magnesium containing compounds to the soil
to neutralize acidity.
• Plant food – the necessary materials from which a plant can build new tissues and
at the same time carry on its normal functions.
• Leaching – the loss of soluble substances in water that drains down to the lower
depths of the soil beyond the reach of the roots

 Fertilizers are chemical compounds containing one or more of the important

nutritive elements which plants need for their growth and development.

 Air the air contains carbon dioxide (carbon combined with oxygen). Carbon dioxide
provides source of carbon and oxygen for growing crops. In turn when plants
residues decay, carbon dioxide is again released into the air.

 Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen; thus, it provides plants with these
elements.

 Soil All other plant food elements in the soil are therefore very important.
MACRO ELEMENTS

MICRO ELEMETNS
 The plant food elements and their functions
Nutrient Functions Symptoms of Deficiency

Gives dark green color to plants.

Promotes leaf, stem, fruit and
seed growth.
Improves quality of leaf crops.
Nitrogen Facilitates rapid growth
Increases protein content of food
and leaf crops.
Feeds soil micro-organisms during
their decompositions of low
nitrogen organic materials
Sticky yellowish green color
Distinctly slow and dwarfed
growth
Drying up or firing of leaves
from bottom of the plants
proceeding upward

Stimulates early root Purplish leaves, stems and

formation and growth.
Gives rapid and vigorous
start to plants.
Phosphorus
Hastens maturity.
Stimulates blooming.
Aids in seed formation.
Gives plants hardiness.
branches
Slow growth and maturity
Small slender stalk in case of
corn Lack of stooling in small
grains
Low yields of grain, fruit and
seed

Imparts vigor and disease

resistance to plants.
Mottling, spotting, streaking
Produces strong, stiff stalks,
or curling of leaves, starting
thus reduces lodging.
from the lower level
Increases plumpness of the
Scorched or burned margin
Potassium grains and seeds.
of the leaves
Helps in the formation and
Drooping of the corn plant
transfer of starch, sugar and
falls down prior to maturity
oil.
due to poor root development
Imparts hardness to
legumes.
 Kinds of Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers
-Are farm manures, compost, crop residues, and other farm wastes which supply nutrients
and improve soil physical conditions. Organic fertilizers are added to the soil in large
amounts to meet nutrient demands of crops. The use of organic fertilizers is a vital
component of integrated nutrient cycling systems.

Inorganic fertilizers
-usually result from chemical processes such as sulfuric acid treatment or rock phosphate
to produce superphosphate. It consists of materials processed or transformed into a
chemical material or fertilizer.

Inorganic fertilizers are artificially prepared or those that may be obtained from the
market.
 Commercial fertilizers could be:
 Single element fertilizer which contains only one of the major fertilizer elements.
 Incomplete fertilizer contains only two major elements like
 Complete fertilizers contain the three primary plant food elements

Analysis of Common Inorganic or Commercial Fertilizers

Fertilizer Computation
 To supply a certain amount of plant nutrients, determine the amount of
fertilizer to be applied per hectare based on the composition of the fertilizer
materials to be used. Here are some examples on how to determine the
amount of fertilizer.

Example 1

SINGLE FERTILIZER COMPUTATION

Compute the fertilizer requirements for the corn if the recommended rate is 110-80-30
NPK per 1 ha if the available fertilizer is 21-0-0 (Ammonium Sulphate) 0-20-0 (Super
Phosphate) 0-0-60 (Muriate of Potash)

RR = 110-80-30

21-0-0 110/.21 = 524 kg or 10.5 bags of 21-0-0 (Ammonium Sulphate)

0-20-0 80/.20 = 400kg or 8 bags of 0-20-0 (Super Phosphate)
0-0-60 30/.60 = 60kg or 1 bag & 10kg of 0-0-60 (Muriate of Potash)

Example 2
INCOMPLETE FERTILIZER COMPUTATION

RR = 90-30-60

16-20-0 30/.20 = 150 kg or 3 bags of 16-20-0 (Ammonium Phosphate)

150 x .16 = 24

46-0-0 90 – 24 = 66 = 143.48 kg or 2.86 bags of 46-0-0 (Urea)

.46 .46

0-0-60 60 = 100 kg or 2 bags of 0-0-60 (Muriate of Potash)

.60
Example 3
COMPLETE FERTILIZER COMPUTATION

RR= 120-90-30 14-14-14 30 = 214.29 kg or 4.28 bags of 14-14-14 (Complete)

30-30-30 .14
RR= 90-60-0
-48____ (90-60-0) 60 = 300 kg or 6 bags of 16-20-0 (Ammonium Phosphate)
RR= 42-0-0 16-20-0 .20
300kg x .16 = 48

(42-0-0) 42 = 200kg or 4 bags of 46-0-0 (Ammonium Sulphate)

21-0-0 .21
Methods of fertilizer application
As a general rule, a fertilizer material should be placed in the soil in such a way that the
plant can absorb of it. This involves not only different zones of placement but also the time
with respect to the age of the plant the fertilizer is to be applied.

Broadcasting
 It is a method where in fertilizer is applied over the surface of the land. It may
not be harrowed, plowed or disked into the soil. This method is usually
practiced in rice field.

Side dressing
 Fertilizer material is placed in or in between the rows of crops like vegetables
or corn or placing around the plant or trees. On row crops, side dressing may
be done simultaneously with cultivation.
 The purpose of side dressing is to ensure availability of plant food nutrients,
particularly nitrogen during the critical growth periods when plants are taking
up nutrients rapidly.

Foliar application
 This involves dissolving the fertilizer materials in water and then applying it as
spray to the plant.

Fertigation
 Applying the fertilizer with water in the soil.
WATER CROPS

Irrigation
 The application of water to the soil by any other means than rainfall.
Evaporation
 The loss of water in the soil in vapor form.
Transpiration
 The loss of water from the leaves in the form of water vapor.
Permanent wilting point
 a level of moisture in the soil which is unavailable to the plant

Benefits of irrigation

 It enables the growing of quick maturing crops.

 It is a guarantee to the quick germination of seeds.
 It is a means of securing early maturity on most crops.
 It increases quality, attractive appearance and yield of crops.

Factors that Determine Water Deficiency for Irrigation Schedules

 Based on soil water measurements.
 Based on evaporation rates.
 Calculated irrigation schedules.
 Color of foliage
 Temporary wilting
 Rate of growth of the plants

Kinds of irrigation water

Surface irrigation
 In this case water is applied over the surface of the ground, either in furrows or by
spreading it broadcast over the land being irrigated.

Sub-irrigation
 In this kind of irrigation the water is delivered to a porous stratum of soil at proper depth.
The moisture spreads to the plant roots through this stratum.

Overhead or spray irrigation

 In this case, water is put into the plants in the form of very fine drops or spray or mist. In
small scale, this method is used like in nurseries where water is applied by means of
sprinklers, water hose with nozzles.
Methods of irrigation

Irrigation by hand
 This requires hand labor. This system is used only where a valuable crop can be grown in
a small piece of land, as in school and home gardens. Water is applied either early
morning or late in the afternoon.

Irrigation by windmill
 It is used for irrigating a fruit plantation

Drip irrigation
 Water passes to small pipes that are directed to the garden or field of crops. The
water can be controlled by closing the source of water

.
Perform Pruning
 to remove weak, diseased, or dead limbs can be accomplished at any time

Perform physical growth enhancing practices