Agriculture 7

Week 2
Lesson 4
• Crop Care and Maintenance
• Harvesting and Post-Harvesting Practices
Unlocking Content Vocabulary
The following terms are used in the entire lesson. Defining them will guide the students to better
understand the lesson.
• Crops- These are plants or plant-produce that can be raised, cultivated and harvested for
subsistence or profit. They may be classified as food crops, cash crops, forage crops, oil crops, industrial
crops, fiber crops, and ornamental crops.
• Pesticides- These may be natural/organic or commercial products that control the widespread of
pests and diseases in the agricultural field.
• Irrigation- It is the process of maintaining the moisture and water content of soil needed for the
plant growth.
• Herbicides- These may be natural/organic or commercial products that control the widespread of
weeds in the field.
• Cultivation- This is the process of loosening the hardened soil through plowing or harrowing. It is
believed to control weeds and pests in the farm.
• Fertilizer - These may be natural/organic or commercial products applied to increase the
nutrients into the soil.
• Trellis- These may be made from wood or metal that serves as support for climbing and crawling
crops.

SUB-TOPIC 1: Crop Care and Maintenance

Types of Crops
There are six categories of crops: food crops, feed crops, fiber crops, oil, crops, ornamental crops, and
industrial crops.
Crops are also classified according to growth habits: This includes herb, vine, liana, shrub, tree,
evergreen, and deciduous. In addition, these crops may be considered as annual, biennial, or perennial
crops.
There are many variables that influence crop production. These include water, soil, wind, temperature,
sunlight, seed selection, knowledge, and crop care and maintenance. It is deemed important to consider
these factors as they affect the growth of the plant and as well as the produce/harvest.

Crop production is a process because it involves several steps wherein farmers should take precautionary
measures at each step. The farmers should also consider the external conditions and factors to achieve
bountiful harvest. Thus, farmers should have sufficient knowledge in crop care and maintenance.
The practices of crop care and maintenance are as follows:
1. Cultivation. This is the first stage of crop production. Cultivation refers to the stirring the soil through
plowing or harrowing. Cultivating the soil is one of the most effective way to control weeds and pests.
Cultivating the soil loosens the soil around the plant which provides air for the root of the plants. This
technique is called conventional tillage. Reduced or no-tillage can lead to accumulation of soil carbon,
consequently benefitting soil health and improving
crop yields.
2. Seed sowing/Planting seedlings. Good quality and healthy seeds and seedlings should be
considered prior to sowing, and planting, respectively. Correct depth of soil of 1.5 to 2 inches deep is
important for sowing seeds to ensure proper moisture. In sowing the seeds or planting the seedlings,
farmers
should consider the proper spacing to allow plants on its optimal growth.
3. Irrigation. Crops require water because water prevents crops from drying out especially during
drought. However, the amount of water differs from each variety of crops. There are various ways in
which farmers irrigate the crops: manual, drip, and sprinkler irrigation. Manual irrigation is labor-intensive
and time-consuming method which uses laborers to irrigate water using water cans. Drip irrigation is the
most effective way to supply water and nutrients to crops. It provides water and nutrients directly to the
zone of plants in proper amount and proper time. Sprinkler irrigation uses pipes and spray to irrigate the
whole field. Pipelines may be used when water is scarce to eliminate water losses.
Finally, soil and plant factors determine the irrigation requirements of the crops.
4. Fertilizer Application. If the soil is deprived of nutrients, it requires management of nutrient such as
application of fertilizers, manures, and compost to enrich the soil content. There are methods of fertilizer
application: scattering and mixing with the soil before planting.
5. Weed Control. Weeds lead to the reduction of crop yield, increased production costs, and increased
incidence of pests and diseases. To control weeds, methods employed including: hand weeding,
mechanical cultivation, application of pesticides. Manual weeding/hand weeding is time-consuming and
labor-intensive method. Laborers uses their hands and or sickle/scythe to remove weeds. Mechanical
weeding uses machineries to remove weeds such as cono-weeder, power tiller, basket hoe. Chemical
weeding uses herbicides to remove seeds. They may be considered selective or non-selective
herbicides. Selective herbicides aim the weeds only with effect to the crops while non-selective
herbicides harm both main crops and the weeds. Thus, skill is needed to applying this kind of herbicide.
6. Pests and Diseases Control. To drive away pests, farmers apply pesticides. There are different
varieties of pesticides and each of them has a particular function. This includes herbicides, insecticides,
fungicides, molluscicides, and rodenticides. However, farmers are encouraged to employ eco-safe and
eco-friendly ways to control pests and diseases. This may include production of organic pesticides and
encouragement on the presence of organisms that kills pests.
7. Support for Climbing plants. There is a need to provide support for climbing and crawling plants such
as bitter gourd, squash, string beans. Trellis may be made or wood or metal.

Lesson Activity
Making a Garden: Students will create their own garden. Subject to the availability of space, students
may opt to use recycled containers such as old pails, basins, and other available containers at home to
create a containerized garden. Students may also wish to explore hydroponics if the teacher or the
parents have sufficient knowledge on this type of crop production. If the school garden is available, it is
better to utilize it as a laboratory room for this lesson.
Students will document the various practices they will employ on the proper care and maintenance of
crops. At the end of this long term activity, the students will submit a portfolio of their own garden that
narrates what they have done. The portfolio contains the following:
a. Narrative Report (Introduction, Body, and Conclusion), and
b. Photo documentations and captions

SUB-TOPIC 2: Harvesting and Post-harvesting Practices

Harvesting and Preservation. Farmers harvest when crops reach maturity. Farmers have various ways
to gather and harvest crops such as traditional technique and modern ways. This stage of the
development of vegetables when harvested influences the quality of produce. There are factors that
determine the harvest date of the crops such as genetic composition of the vegetable variety, planting
date, and environmental conditions.
Manual harvesting is employed through the use of mechanical tools such as sickle/scythe for broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflower. Some vegetables are mechanically harvested.
Changes in the post-harvest are influenced by various factors such as kind of crop, temperature,
oxygen and carbon dioxide content, relative humidity, and disease-incitant organisms. Storing the
produce contributes price stabilization. It also contributes to the preservation of the produce.
Vegetable storage should consider the following parameters: free from mechanical, insect, and disease
injury, and matured crops.
There are changes that occur on the produce such as water loss, conversion of starch and sugar, flavor
changes, color changes, toughening/ softening, vitamin gain/loss, sprouting, rooting, and decay. These
deteriorates the quality of produce. So, proper storage is needed.
Common (unrefrigerated storage) and cold (refrigerated storage) are methods to store vegetables.
There is a lack of precise control of temperature and humidity in common storage. This uses insulated
storage houses, outdoor cellars, or mounds. Cold storage, on the other hand, allows precise regulation of
temperature and humidity, and maintenance of constant conditions with the use of refrigeration.
Premarketing operations and selling. This stage involves washing, trimming, waxing, precooling,
grading, prepackaging, and packaging.

• Precooling involves rapid removal of heat from freshly harvested vegetables, slows natural
deterioration of the produce, slows the growth of decay, and retards water loss. This includes:
hydrocooling, contact icing, vacuum cooling, cooling, and air cooling. Hydrocooling is done by cooling the
produce

• Contact icing uses crushed ice placed in the package or spread over a stack of packages to
precool the contents. Vacuum cooling produces rapid evaporation of small quantity of water that lowers
the temperature of the crops. Air cooling is done through exposure of vegetables to cold air.

• Grading ensures that the crops are classified according to their size, shape, color, and ripeness.
This establishes a good trade.

• Packaging. The products are placed in bags, trays, cartons, crates, and hampers of various
kinds and sizes. This furnishes a convenient means for transport, loading, and stacking with security and
economy space.

• Selling. Farmers sell their produce through retail or wholesale. Retail sales are done when
consumers buy produce often though roadside stands. Wholesale marketing is made when produce is
sold to retailers, commercial, institutional or other large-scale owners.

Other additional practices to increase crop productivity and farm profitability include:
1. Increase crop diversity
2. Enhance beneficial pollinators population
3. Employ more eco-friendly weed control measures
4. Improve soil quality
5. Manage labor and input costs
6. Keep track of all the records including expenses and profit
7. Involve in creative marketing