Agronomy Crop Production and Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the term for the number of days from planting to physiological maturity in corn?
- Vernalization period
- Growing degree days (GDD) accumulation
- Relative maturity rating (Correct answer)
- Dormancy period
Correct answer: Relative maturity rating
Relative maturity (RM) rating estimates the number of days for a corn hybrid to reach maturity under standard growing conditions.
Question 2: Which cropping system plants two or more crops simultaneously in the same field?
- Monoculture
- Intercropping (Correct answer)
- Sequential cropping
- Strip cropping
Correct answer: Intercropping
Intercropping grows two or more crops together in the same field at the same time to maximize land use and diversity.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a cover crop in an agronomic rotation?
- Maximize cash crop yield
- Protect and improve soil between cash crop seasons (Correct answer)
- Increase soil salinity
- Eliminate need for fertilizer permanently
Correct answer: Protect and improve soil between cash crop seasons
Cover crops are grown between cash crop seasons to reduce erosion, add organic matter, and suppress weeds.
Question 4: The R1 growth stage in soybeans corresponds to what developmental event?
- Emergence of first trifoliate leaf
- Beginning of flowering (Correct answer)
- Pod fill initiation
- Seed maturation
Correct answer: Beginning of flowering
R1 in soybeans marks the beginning of flowering, when the first open flower appears at any node on the main stem.
Question 5: What is the recommended corn plant population for most US Corn Belt fields (plants per acre)?
- 10,000–15,000
- 20,000–25,000
- 32,000–36,000 (Correct answer)
- 50,000–60,000
Correct answer: 32,000–36,000
Most Corn Belt hybrids are planted at 32,000–36,000 seeds per acre to balance yield potential and resource use.
Question 6: Which tillage practice leaves the greatest amount of crop residue on the soil surface?
- Moldboard plowing
- Chisel plowing
- No-till (Correct answer)
- Disk tillage
Correct answer: No-till
No-till farming leaves essentially all crop residue undisturbed on the surface, maximizing erosion protection and water retention.
Agronomy Crop Production and Management 1
What is the term for the number of days from planting to physiological maturity in corn?