Vegetable crop production Flashcards
1
Q
State what is meant by ‘cut and come again’
A
- Refers to vegetables whose growth habit allows multiple harvests throughout growing season
- e.g. Salad Rocket, Mizuna, Chard (perpetual spinach)
2
Q
Explain effect of plant spacing on vegetable crops
A
- Plant spacing of carrots is critical to achieve uniform growth and maximum yield. If not correctly spaced carrots will not grow to full size and will be deformed.
- Close spacing will result in competition for water, nutrients and light
- Poor growth and close spacing will also make crop more susceptible to attack from pests and diseases.
3
Q
Describe effect of plant spacing for ‘baby’ vegetable crops
A
- e.g. carrot or beetroot
- ‘Baby’ veg produced by using closer crop spacing or from thinning a crop i.e. the thinnings to the final crop spacing are used for consumption. Can also intentionally grow ‘baby’ veg by thinning and spacing crop to minimal distances
4
Q
Describe successional cropping
A
- Sowing of crops at regular intervals to ensure continuity of supply of crop e.g. carrots, lettuce, radish
- Regular sowing every 2-3 weeks carried out, or after first sowing has germinated
- Cloches or low tunnels used to enable early sowing
- Sow different cultivars to extend growing season e.g. carrot ‘Nantes Express’ an early cultivar sown Feb - March, carrot ‘Berjo’ is main crop sown April to June
- Successional sowing can extend cropping season by 4x that of single sowing
- Also when different varieties of same crop are planted to mature at different times to extend the cropping season e.g. potatoes
5
Q
How is ‘intercropping’ used to maximise crop production
A
- Fast maturing crop e.g. radish is sown/planted between rows of slow maturing crop e.g. parsnip
- Fast maturing crop is harvested before slower one matures and requires the space.
- Maximises use of space available for crop production, water, fertiliser and root zone.
- Ideal for smaller vegetable plots
6
Q
Describe a four-bed system of crop rotation
A
- growing of specific groups of vegetables on different part of vegetable plot each year
- organise groups of crops according to cultivation needs
- 4 bed system
- Legumes e.g. peas, broad beans (compost of leaf-mould type)
- Brassicas e.g. kale, cabbage (heavy feeders, manure applied in winter)
- Potatoes (also includes tomatoes) (well rotted compost(
- Onions/roots e.g. beetroot, carrots, parsley (roots are light feeders)
- In a 3-bed combine onion/roots and legumes
7
Q
Benefits and limitations of crop rotation
A
-
Benefits
- Limits build up of soil borne pests and diseases
- Enables nitrogen fixed by legumes to be available for next crop e.g. legumes
- Enables specific soil preparation to be carried out for crops
- liming for brassicas to reduce risk of clubroot
- avoid liming of potatoes which may cause scab
- Changing crops annually reduces particular soil nutrient deficiencies forming
- Crops with dense foliage e.g. potatoes, squashes, suppress weeds this reducing weeds for following crops.
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Limitations
- Difficult to include permanent crops e.g. asparagus
- Difficult to implement in small areas
- Same area of land may not be required for each crop
- Not effective for long term pests and diseases e.g. nematodes, eel worm and white rot of onion
- Doesn’t allow for personal preference of crops
8
Q
Describe how weed control, irrigation and thinning affect quality and yield of veg crops.
A
-
Weed control
- Weeds compete with crops for water, nutrients and light which will reduce quality and yield
- Weeds can act as hosts plants for diseases
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Irrigation
- Vegetable crops need regular, even watering to swell the crop and produce high quality and maximise yield
- Irregular or overwatering may cause roots to split e.g. carrots, or tomatoes to split reducing quality and yield
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Thinning
- prevents overcrowding and allows for good aeration which reduces possibility of fungal disease e.g. Botrytis. Will ensure quality and yield of crop not affected
9
Q
Describe the propagation methods used in production of crops
A
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Direct sowing in drills e.g. beetroot ‘Boltardy’
- Make a shallow trench with a bamboo cane, hand trowel or corner of a hoe. Sow the seed directly into the drill and cover with soil that you have lightly firmed down. Always sow evenly and thinly to avoid excessive thinning out of the crop afterwards. Then water the soil after sowing.
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Direct station sowing
- Sow two or three seeds every few cms or where one final plant is intended. Once the seeds have come up, choose the healthiest and ‘thin out’ the others.
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Transplanting from seed beds e.g. cabbage January King
- Water well about a day before lifting to ensure the plants are well supplied with water.
- Leeks should be no more than pencil thickness, and cabbage family or brassica crops should have 5-7 true leaves
- With the exception of leeks, place the transplant in the hole up to the depth of the true leaves, and fill the hole with water several times allowing to drain each time. Firm the soil around the plant
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Group sowing in blocks
- efficient way of using small spaces and involves growing seeds in clusters giving a large number of baby vegetables. Using module try sow 3-5 seeds in a shallow depression in each cell and over with thin layer of grit. Do not thin seedlings. When seedlings have first true leaves plant out at correct spacing for that vegetable
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Sowing in modules e.g. courgette ‘Defender’
- Fill the module or pot with potting compost. Tap on the bench to level the surface, allowing space for watering at the top.
- Make holes in the centre of each module cell with a pencil or dibber. Place 1-2 seeds per hole, cover, water and label.
- Later thin weakest seedling.
10
Q
Describe method of direct sowing vegetable crops
A
- Taut garden line inserted into soil which has previously been raked level
- A ‘V’ shaped drill is drawn to a suitable depth for the seed being sown and the base watered
- Small/fine seed is sown thinly along the drill or large seed can be station sown.
- Drill covered with soil and watered.
