RBSE Sec Voc Agriculture flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Cropping intensity

Percentage ratio of total cropped area to net sown area in a year. Values above 100 show that land is cropped more than once annually.

Land Equivalent Ratio

Sum of intercrop yields divided by their sole-crop yields. A value above one means the crop combination yields more than growing the crops separately.

Kharif and rabi seasons

Kharif crops are sown with the monsoon in June-July and harvested in autumn. Rabi crops are sown October to December and harvested March to April.

Harvest index

Economic yield divided by total biological yield, multiplied by one hundred. It shows the share of dry matter partitioned into the harvested product.

Bulk density

Oven-dry soil mass divided by total soil volume, expressed in grams per cubic centimetre. It indicates compaction and pore space in the soil.

Soil porosity formula

One minus the ratio of bulk density to particle density, multiplied by one hundred. It gives the percentage of soil volume occupied by pores.

Exchangeable sodium percentage

Proportion of the cation exchange capacity occupied by sodium. Values above fifteen in arid soils indicate sodicity, which impairs water infiltration and root growth.

Essential micronutrients

Iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, chlorine and nickel. Plants need them in small amounts, but deficiency still limits growth and yield.

Economic threshold level

Pest population density at which control measures are justified to stop the population from reaching the level that causes economic loss.

Insecticide formulation codes

Abbreviations on pesticide labels: EC for emulsifiable concentrate, WP for wettable powder, SC for suspension concentrate, G for granule and SL for soluble liquid.

Koch's postulates

Four steps proving a pathogen causes a disease: constant association, pure culture isolation, symptom reproduction after inoculation, and re-isolation of the same organism.

Integrated pest management

A sequence combining monitoring, cultural and mechanical methods, biological control and need-based chemical use to keep pests below the economic threshold.

Grafting union

Joining a scion to a rootstock so their cambium layers contact and unite. It preserves cultivar fruit quality while using a hardy or dwarfing root system.

Plant population per hectare

Ten thousand divided by the product of row spacing and plant spacing in metres. It gives the number of plants established in one hectare.

Total soluble solids

Concentration of dissolved sugars and other solutes in fruit juice, measured with a refractometer in degrees Brix and used as a maturity index.

Cut versus loose flowers

Cut flowers such as rose and gerbera are harvested with stems for vase use. Loose flowers such as marigold and jasmine are sold without stems.

Balanced ration

Feed mixture supplying energy, protein, minerals and vitamins in the proportion needed by an animal for maintenance and a stated level of production.

Clean milk production

Washing the udder and hands, fore-stripping to detect mastitis, using clean dry utensils, then filtering and cooling milk promptly to about four degrees Celsius.

Artificial insemination

Depositing frozen-thawed semen in the female reproductive tract. Success depends on accurate heat detection and insemination close to twelve hours after standing heat.

Silage versus hay

Silage is high-moisture fodder preserved by fermentation in an airtight pit. Hay is fodder dried to low moisture so it can be stored without spoiling.

Field capacity of implement

Implement width in metres multiplied by forward speed in kilometres per hour, divided by ten. It gives the theoretical area covered per hour.

Field efficiency

Theoretical field capacity divided by actual field capacity, multiplied by one hundred. It reflects time lost to turns, refilling, breakdowns and adjustments.

Drip irrigation

Water applied slowly at the root zone through emitters. Application efficiency often exceeds ninety percent, and soluble fertilizers can be delivered through the same system.

Seed drill calibration

Collecting seed from a few tubes over a measured run and comparing the amount with the target seed rate in kilograms per hectare before field sowing.

Benefit-cost ratio

Total benefits divided by total costs of an enterprise. A ratio above one indicates that the investment returns more than it consumes.

Marketable surplus

Production left after deducting family consumption, seed and feed retention. It is the volume the farmer can actually offer for sale.

Price spread

Consumer price minus producer price. A wide spread relative to services provided suggests high intermediary margins and lower marketing efficiency.

Extension communication model

Sender, message, channel, receiver and feedback, with noise as interference. Extension succeeds when feedback confirms the message was understood and applied.

Method versus result demonstration

A method demonstration teaches how to carry out a practice step by step. A result demonstration shows the outcome of the practice in a farmer's field.

Stages of adoption

Awareness, interest, evaluation, trial and adoption. Adopters range from innovators and early adopters to the early majority, late majority and laggards.

Break-even quantity

Fixed cost divided by selling price per unit minus variable cost per unit. Producing beyond this quantity moves the enterprise from loss into profit.

Composite soil sample

Samples taken from several spots in a zig-zag pattern at plough-layer depth, then mixed, quartered and reduced to a representative sample for laboratory analysis.