Definitions

Question 1

Soil

Answer 1

Is the upper layer of the earth which may be dug, ploughed etc, specifically, the loose surface material of the earth in which plants grow

Question 2

Soil structure

Answer 2

Is a parameter of soil fertility because poor structure becomes the limiting factor rather than the nutrient element status of the soil

Question 3

Soil horizon

Answer 3

The distinctive layer within a soil which differ chemically or physically from the layer below and above

Question 4

Clay soil

Answer 4

Has at least 30% clay particles. The finest particles in a soil, with a diameter of less than 0.002mm

Question 5

Sandy soil

Answer 5

Particles of rock with diameters in the range of 0.02-2.00mm

Question 6

Silt soil

Answer 6

Fine grains of soil minerals ranging between clay and sand in size. Particle sizes range from 0.002mm to 0.02mm. Has more than 85% slit, 10% sand and less than 10% clay

Question 7

Loam soil

Answer 7

A soil when clay is 7 to 30 per cent, silt 28 to 50 per cent and sand less than 52 per cent

Question 8

Herbicides

Answer 8

Kill unwanted plants-weeds; it may be a non-selective weed killer or selective

Question 9

Crop rotation

Answer 9

The practise of changing the crops that you grow in a field each year to preserve good qualities in the soil

Question 10

Catch crops

Answer 10

A fast maturing crop grown when the ground would otherwise be lying fallow or idle

Question 11

Intensive agriculture

Answer 11

A farming system in which large amounts of capital and labour are applied to a relatively small area of land to achieve max high yields per unit area

Question 12

Integrated agriculture

Answer 12

Agriculture practised without the use of artificial chemicals, only organic manure being added to the soil

Question 13

Tillage

Answer 13

All the ways of losing, turning, stirring and compacting the soil

Question 14

Monoculture

Answer 14

A farming system given over exclusively to a single product.

Question 15

Norfolk rotation

Answer 15

A four year crop rotation originating in East Anglia in easter England in the 28th century, comprising wheat, a root crop, barley and a leguminous crop which replenished the nitrogen in the soil

Question 16

Green manure

Answer 16

A green crop, especially one rich in nitrogen, which is, while still green, ploughed directly into the soil to increase soil fertility and improve structure

Question 17

Farmyard manure

Answer 17

Usually made up of urine and faeces, mixed with bedding and residues from feed

Question 18

Agriculture

Answer 18

The practice and science of farming production of field crops and animals

Question 19

Crop farming

Answer 19

Arable farming, the growing of industrial crops or food crops on arable land

Question 20

Dairy farming

Answer 20

Farming devoted primarily to the keeping of cows for their yield of milk

Question 21

Dairy farming

Answer 21

Farming devoted primarily to the keeping of cows for their yield of milk

Question 22

Mixed farming

Answer 22

Agriculture in which both crops and livestock are produced on an individual farm

Question 23

Livestock farming

Answer 23

the farming activity based on the rearing of animals for eggs, hides and skins, meat, milk etc

Question 24

Agronomy

Answer 24

The study of growing plants; a branch of agriculture concerned with the theoretical and practical production of crops and with the management of soils.

Question 25

Agricultural land

Answer 25

An area of ground used for farming, including arable land, improved and unimproved grasslands and other pasture

Question 26

Arable land

Answer 26

An agricultural land used for growing crops which is tilled, though not necessarily each year

Question 27

Permanent grassland (meadow, pasture)

Answer 27

A large area of land covered with grass for hay or for pasturing, grazing.

Question 28

Fallow land

Answer 28

Is cultivated or ploughed but it is not used for growing crops; usually uncropped for two or more seasons

Question 29

Wasteland

Answer 29

An area that is not used for agriculture; any wild uncultivated land, usually on light soils which failed to yield

Question 30

Units of area (ha, acre, are)

Answer 30

1ha = 10000 sqm = 2.471 acres 1 acre = 4047 sqm 1 “are” (a) = 100 sqm = 0.01 ha = 0.0247 acre

Question 31

Yield

Answer 31

Output or production of useful parts of plants expressed in relation to units of land

Question 32

Field plants (food crops, industrial crops, horticultural crops)

Answer 32

Plants which are cultivated for the purpose of harvesting its seeds, roots, leaves or other parts that are useful for humans and animal

Question 33

Weeds

Answer 33

Are plants that harm crops and grow where they are not wanted

Question 34

Natural habitat

Answer 34

A place or kind of place that provides a particular set of environmental conditions for the animals inhabiting it

Question 35

Environment

Answer 35

The complete range of external conditions, physical, chemical and biological in which an organism lives, that surrounds it.

Question 36

Photoperiodism

Answer 36

The response of an organism to periodic changes in either the intensity of light or more usually, the relative length of day

Question 37

Growing season

Answer 37

The season of rapid growth; that part of the year when plant growth is active on account of favourable temperature, availability of moisture and sufficient hours of daylight.

Question 38

Transpiration

Answer 38

The loss of water vapour by plants to the atmosphere

Question 39

Evapotranspiration

Answer 39

Water loss to the atmosphere from soil and vegetation

Question 40

Photosynthesis

Answer 40

Chemical process by which green plants and other phototrophs synthesize organise compounds from Co2 and water in presence of sunlight

Question 41

Soil moisture

Answer 41

The moisture in the pore spaces of soil, important for plant growth

Question 42

Wilting point

Answer 42

The point below which the amount of water stored in the soil cannot be absorbed by plants quickly enough to meet their needs, causing wilt in any plant not adopted to drought

Question 43

Field capacity

Answer 43

the volume of water which is the maximum that a soil can hold in its pores after excess water has been drained

Question 44

Drainage

Answer 44

The naturally occurring channelled flow formed by streams and rivers which removes water from the land surface

Question 45

Irrigation

Answer 45

The action of artificially supplying land with water to help the growth and productivity of plants

Question 46

Soil management

Answer 46

A variety of practices or operations with respect to soil that aids the production of plants

Question 47

Soil cultivation

Answer 47

Tilling the soil by ploughing, digging, draining and smoothing, done in the course of seeding, transplanting, loosening the soil, controlling the weeds.

Question 48

Land rotation

Answer 48

A system of land management in which the land is cultivated for a few years and then allowed to rest, usually by allowing scrub to grow over it