lec 9 Flashcards
what is a cereal? what are some examples?
grass MONOCOT that is starchy but relatively low in protein
ex incl barley, rice, oat, sorghum, and then the breads wheat, corn, and rye
what differentiates cereals from pseudo cereals? what are some ex of pseudo
true cereals are from the poaceae family
pseudo are higher in prot, gluten free, and are DICOTS
ex incl amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, and chia
tell me about amaranth
- cultivated in ancient mexico/guatemala/peru
- good source of AA lysine
- C4 plant: good grower
tell me about quinoa
- annual dicot (pseudo)
- seeds need to be processed to remove bitter saponins
tell me about buckwheat
- annual dicot (pseudo)
- inexpensive source of protein
- domesticated in SE asia
- grows well in low fertility or acidic soil
- too much N facilitates lodging
what are the three sisters, and what makes them family?
beans, corn, and squash
- beans are N fixers, providing N to the soil
- corn grows tall, providing scaffolding for beans to grow
- squash covered the soil, protecting against weeds and predators
when planted together, they were highly successful + very nutritious
what is the order of planting the three sisters?
- corn
- three weeks later, beans
- when beans have a prouted, squash
what is monocropping? what is intercropping? what are the advantages of either?
mono-: growing one crop in a field
inter-: growing two or more crops in a field
mono- is good when one crop is successful; inter- is good to survive envriron conditions
what are the four types of intercropping
- mixed: species are grown together randomly
- alternative row: species are grown together in alternating rows
- strip: species are grown in strips (like 3 rows at a time)
- relay: rows, but the rows are also a little staggered
what are some key intercropping pairs
pea/canola, pea/oat, pea/barley, flax/soybean, flax/chickpea, flax/corn
what are the advantages/disadvantages of intercropping
+ synergistic yields
+ reduced fertilizer requirements
+ reduced pesticide/herbicide requirements
+ may reduce disease spread if disease can’t spread to the other crop
+ if one crop fails, at least u got the other crop
- seeding is complex and time consuming
- herbicide options are limited bc they need to cover against multiple species pests
- harvest timing can be challenging
what type of farming uses intercropping the most? why?
subsistence farming, as beans are super helpful for N fixing
