Past Paper Feb 2020

Question 1

Describe how each of the following factors affect the suitability of a site for outdoor food production.; AREA OF LAND AVAILABLE

Answer 1

A large area of land is suitable for widely spaced crops eg; Brussels sprouts, asparagus and fruit trees.

A small area of land is more suited to salad crops, carrots, beetroot.

It is more difficult to rotate crops on a small piece of land and to use machinery

Question 2

Describe how each of the following factors affect the suitability of a site for outdoor food production. SOIL TEXTURE

Answer 2

Sandy soils ; light, easy to cultivate, warm up quickly in spring, free draining - so don’t hold moisture. (suitable for root veg and salad crops)

Heavy soils (clay) must be cultivated in autumn to allow weathering to break down the clods. 
They don't warm up quickly in spring, which delays sowing but are suitable for brassicas, blackcurrants and plums

Question 3

root veg and salad crops prefer what texture soil?

Answer 3

Sandy

Question 4

Brassicas, blackcurrants and plums prefer what texture soil?

Answer 4

Clay

Question 5

Describe how each of the following factors affect the suitability of a site for outdoor food production; DRAINAGE

Answer 5

Moisture retentive, free draining soil is preferred.

Soil with poor drainage reduces yield and quality of crops
That leads to anaerobic conditions, shallow roots, root rots and drying out of crops.

Poor drainage can lead to acidic conditions causing clubroot in brassicas.

Question 6

what crops are more tolerant to poor drainage?

Answer 6

Blackcurrants

Question 7

Describe how each of the following factors affect the suitability of a site for outdoor food production; Susceptibility to wind

Answer 7

Causes a reduction in the quality and yield of crops.

Due to wind rock, desiccation and wind scorch,
Reduced transpiration,
fruit blown from trees
crops blown over eg; runner beans
Pollinators eg; bees do not fly in windy conditions.

Question 8

Name 4 types of non-living permeable windbreaks

Answer 8

Netlon
Trellis
Hit and Miss fencing
Open patterned brick wall
Willow/hazel screens
Paraweb

Question 9

Describe the soil cultivation of double digging.

Answer 9

Mark out area to be dug
Dig a trench 30cm deep (one spit) - place that soil at the end of area.
Fork over base of trench to 30cm deep and incorporate OM
Dig the next trench
Invert the soil into the previous one
Continue this until the final trench is dug then fill with the soil from the first trench

Question 10

Name 2 benefits of rotary cultivation

Answer 10

Easier than digging!
Easier for large areas
Buries annual weeds
Incorporates OM and fert.
Creates a tilth on uncultivated land

Question 11

Name 2 limitations of rotary cultivation.

Answer 11

Chps up and distributes roots of perennial weeds
Creates rotavation pan
Destroys structure of top soil
Unsuitable for raised or narrow beds
Some machines can be heavy and difficult to use in small areas

Question 12

Name one pest of lettuce

Answer 12

slugs
snails
lettuce aphid
lettuce root aphid
rabbits
pigeons

Question 13

name a disease of lettuce

Answer 13

grey mould/botrytis
lettuce downy mildew
lettuce powdery mildew
bacterial soft rot

Question 14

Describe symptoms of lettuce root aphid;

Answer 14

plants wilt
grow slowly in sunny weather
roots covered in a white, powdery wax.
Creamy/yellow coloured aphids are found on the roots

Question 15

Describe control methods for lettuce root aphid;

Answer 15

Grow resistant cultivars on a new site each year
keep well watered
Do not grow near Lombardy Poplars as they are an overwintering host for the aphids

Question 16

Describe symptoms of grey mould/botrytis on lettuce.

Answer 16

fluffy, grey fungal growth appears on leaves
Stem will rot if the infection starts near the base of plant.
Plant will wilt, death can occur

Question 17

Describe control methods for grey mould/botrytis on lettuce.

Answer 17

remove plant debris which may harbour the fungus and all infected leaves.
Improve ventilation between plants
Water in the early evening to allow leaves time to dry.

Question 18

Describe the production of a named crop of beetroot under the following headings; NAMED CULTIVAR

Answer 18

Bullsblood

Boltardy

Question 19

Describe the production of a named crop of beetroot under the following headings; SOWING

Answer 19

Sow outside from April-June in drills 2-3cm deep and 20-30cm apart.

Water the drill prior to sowing.
Sow seed thinly, or place individually 2.5cm apart.

Successional sowings can be made every 2 weeks or,

sow seeds in modules in the greenhouse in March and transplant when small.

Question 20

Describe the production of a named crop of beetroot under the following headings; THINNING

Answer 20

Seedlings should be thinned as soon as possible.

If mini-beets are required (golf ball size) this to 2.5 - 4cm apart.
If regular beets are required (tennis ball size) thin to 7-8cm apart

Question 21

What is the thinning distance for mini-beets?

Answer 21

2.5 - 4cm apart.

Question 22

What is the thinning distance for regular sized beets?

Answer 22

7-8cm apart.

Question 23

Describe the production of a named crop of beetroot under the following headings; HARVEST

Answer 23

harvest 10-12 weeks after sowing.
Must be golf ball or tennis ball size.
Lift carefully with a fork to avoid damaging the root
Leaves are twisted off to avoid bleeding
The roots should not be left in the soil too long of they will become woody

Question 24

Name a distinct disease and state one symptom of it for each of the following fruits; RASPBERRIES

Answer 24

grey mould/botrytis

grey fuzzy fungal growth on all parts of plant above ground

Question 25

Name a distinct disease and state one symptom of it for each of the following fruits; STRAWBERRIES

Answer 25

Strawberry powdery mildew

grey/white patches on the underside of leaves
red blotches on the upper surfaces of the leaf
Flowers are distorted and fail to open.

Question 26

Name a distinct disease and state one symptom of it for each of the following fruits; BLACKCURRANTS

Answer 26

Blackcurrant reversion virus.

flowers appear shiny
reduced yield
reduction in size and shape of leaves

Question 27

Name a distinct disease and state one symptom of it for each of the following fruits; APPLES

Answer 27

Apple Scab.

Blackish/brown scabby patches on the fruits develop.
Greenish/grey spots on the foliage
Fruits can crack/split in extreme cases

Question 28

Name a distinct disease and state one symptom of it for each of the following fruits; PLUMS

Answer 28

Bacterial Canker

Defined areas of bark flatten and sink inwards
Amber-coloured resin-like ooze may appear.
Buds at tip of branches may fail to open
Leaves may appear to wither and die back
Foliage on affected branches are small and yellow.

Question 29

Describe how to harvest and store a named cultivar of each of the following fruit crops: BLACKCURRANTS

Answer 29

Cultivar; Ben Hope

harvest when fruits are dry, black and plump.

Whole strings are removed and any disease or damaged fruit is discarded,
Store fruits in a refrigerator for a short period of time, or freeze/bottled for longer term storage

Question 30

Describe how to harvest and store a named cultivar of each of the following fruit crops: PLUMS

Answer 30

Name of cultivar; Victoria

Harvest in dry weather when fully ripe and just soft to the touch.

Lift carefully with stalk intact
Do not twist fruits as this can damage the fragile skin and cause rot.
Tree must be checked regularly for ripening fruit
Store fruits in fridge short term
Bottle/freeze or dry for longer term storage