Competition
When plants are growing too close together they compete with each other. What are they competing for?
Light, water, nutrients.
Why are potato plants hilled?
To prevent the tubers from being exposed to light, which will make them turn green and become toxic.
What does the kill switch do on the BCS?
When it is released, it stops the engine from running.
What are 2 differences between pole beans and bush beans?
Pole beans grow long vines, needing a trellis and they can be harvested all season until frost. Bush beans grow short, not needing support and harvest lasts 2 to 4 weeks.
Explain why the rate at which sugar is converted to starch is important in choosing sweet corn varieties.
When sugar is converted to starch, sweet corn looses its sweetness. Different types of sweet corn convert sugar to starch at different rates after the corn is harvested. they remain sweet for longer or shorter time after harvest.
How long do crops need to be kept weed free to prevent significant reduction in yield?
4 to 5 weeks
Why is it recommended to plant certified seed potatoes instead of planting potatoes from the grocery store?
To ensure that what you plant is free of diseases.
Why is a flail mower a good choice for mowing a cover crop?
It chops it into small pieces that make a good mulch or are easy to incorporate into the soil and adding organic matter.
What is the sweetest type of sweetcorn?
Supersweet (sh2)
When pruning tomatoes, how many total stems do we leave on cherry tomatoes and on slicing tomatoes?
3 on cherry tomatoes, 2 on slicing tomatoes
What is allelopathy? Give an example of a plant that is allelopathic.
A plant gives off a chemical that inhibits the growth of another plant. Rye, sunflower, walnut. There are many others.
When we eat potatoes, what plant part are we eating?
A tuber, a swollen underground stem.
What is the name of the hoe that Dean used to cultivate some of the beans?
Wheel hoe
Describe the characteristics of the 3 main types of peas.
Shelling or English: tough pod, swollen peas. Snow: flat edible pod, very small peas. Snap: fat edible pod, swollen peas.
What is stale seedbed and why is it useful for growing carrots?
Prepare the bed for planting a about 2 weeks before you want to plant carrots, let the weeds grow, then kill the weeds with very shallow tillage or flame weeding just before planting the crop. It is useful for carrots because they germinate slowly and are poor competitors with weeds.
When can a cover crop be planted into a growing crop without reducing yield of the crop and what is the advantage of doing this?
4 weeks after establishing the crop. When the crop is finished, the ground is already covered with a cover crops with living roots in the ground, feeding the microbes.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing potatoes under a deep mulch?
Advantages: no tillage, easy harvest. Disadvantage: need lots of mulch, may be difficult to mechanize or to do on a large scale.
What does PTO mean and what does it do?
Power Take Off. It is the system to allow the engine of the tractor or BCS to power an implement.
What are the differences between fresh young ginger and mature ginger?
Mature ginger has fibers and tough skin that is usually peeled off. Fresh ginger does not have fibers and the skin is tender so the whole thing can be eaten. Fresh ginger does not store as well as mature ginger.
Why is it difficult for small growers to compete with grocery store carrots on the basis of price?
Large carrot growers harvest carrots mechanically which requires much less labor. For small growers it is not economical to purchase the carrot harvesting machine so harvest is labor intensive and therefore expensive.
Apply our favorite STC principle, The whole is more than the sum of the parts, to the 3 sisters polyculture.
Each crop contributes a part. Beans fix and provide N. Corn provides a stalk. Squash shades the ground, inhibits weeds, and deters pests. Together they create a system that fertilizes itself and protects itself from weeds and pests, and has higher total yields, which is more than what each crop can do on its own.
How are potatoes propagated?
Pieces of tuber, each with at least one eye are planted.
What are the steps to start the BCS two wheel tractor?
Push down the kill switch and pull up and lock the clutch. Set the choke. Adjust the throttle to half. Pull the starting cord. After it starts, move the choke lever to "run".
Why is it not as easy to grow peas in the fall.
Poor germination in hot weather, blossoms damaged by frost, more disease pressure.
How can you test the soil to see if it is a good moisture for tillage?
Squeeze some soil in your hand to make a ball then poke it with your finger. If the ball falls apart, the moisture is good for tillage. If your finger just makes an indentation into the ball, it is too wet. If you can't make a ball that holds together, it is too dry.