Crop Management Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real CCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crop Management Systems flashcards as text
In integrated crop management (ICM), pest control decisions are primarily based on:
Answer: Economic thresholds and multiple pest management tactics
ICM uses economic thresholds to decide when intervention is justified, combining biological, cultural, and chemical methods.
A soybean field with a history of sudden death syndrome (SDS) would BEST benefit from which management strategy?
Answer: Selecting SDS-tolerant varieties and improving soil drainage
SDS is driven by Fusarium virguliforme infection favored in wet, compacted soils, so varietal tolerance and drainage are the primary management tools.
What distinguishes precision agriculture from conventional crop management?
Answer: It applies inputs at variable rates based on within-field spatial variability
Precision agriculture uses GPS, sensors, and data analytics to apply inputs only where and in amounts they are needed across variable field zones.
Which tillage system is most likely to cause long-term degradation of soil structure on a sloping field?
Answer: Conventional moldboard plow tillage
Moldboard plowing inverts the entire soil profile, destroys aggregates, eliminates surface residue, and dramatically increases erosion risk on slopes.
The main purpose of a living mulch system in crop production is to:
Answer: Maintain a living ground cover between crop rows to suppress weeds and reduce erosion
Living mulch keeps the soil covered with a low-growing species between crop rows, suppressing weeds and protecting soil from erosion.
When designing a crop management system for a field with poorly drained soils, which practice should be prioritized FIRST?
Answer: Installing subsurface drainage tile before addressing other management factors
Subsurface drainage is foundational on poorly drained soils because waterlogging limits root development, nutrient uptake, and fieldwork timeliness.
Which statement about double-cropping systems (e.g., winter wheat followed by soybeans) is MOST accurate?
Answer: Success depends heavily on early wheat harvest, rapid field preparation, and soybean maturity group selection
Double-crop soybean success hinges on getting wheat harvested early, preparing the seedbed quickly, and choosing a maturity group that will reach R7 before frost.