Crop Production and Horticulture
Crop production and horticulture cover plant growth, seedbed preparation, planting, spacing, fertiliser and water management, pest and weed control, and harvesting. Horticulture adds nursery work, vegetables, fruit and protected cultivation. The exam tests whether you can link crop requirements to practical operations and calculate plant populations.
Core rules
Plants need light, water, carbon dioxide and 16 essential nutrients. Nitrogen drives leaf growth, phosphorus supports roots and flowering, and potassium improves fruit quality and stress tolerance. Crop rotation breaks pest and disease cycles and balances nutrients. Seedbeds should be fine, level and free of weeds. Transplant horticultural seedlings when they have true leaves and water them in to settle roots. Irrigate to the root zone, not the leaf surface, to reduce disease.
Worked example
Maize is planted at 0.75 m between rows and 0.30 m within rows. Calculate the plant population per hectare. Reasoning: area per plant = 0.75 m × 0.30 m = 0.225 m2. One hectare = 10,000 m2. Population = 10,000 ÷ 0.225 = 44,444 plants/ha. If the germination or establishment rate is 90%, the target sowing rate is 44,444 ÷ 0.90 = 49,383 seeds/ha. Show units and round sensibly.
Traps that cost marks
Do not mix row spacing with within-row spacing. Do not apply fertiliser directly to seed or stems; it can burn tissue. Do not spray pesticides at the wrong growth stage or before harvest withholding periods.