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
Which cropping system is most effective at breaking pest and disease cycles while maintaining soil health?
Answer: Crop rotation with diverse species
Diverse crop rotation interrupts host-specific pest and pathogen cycles while contributing varied organic matter to soil.
In a no-till corn-soybean rotation, surface residue management primarily affects which of the following?
Answer: Soil temperature and moisture in early spring
Surface residue acts as insulation, keeping soils cooler and retaining moisture in spring, which can delay planting in cold climates.
A farmer notices yield drag after several years of continuous corn. Which practice BEST addresses this issue without switching to a different crop?
Answer: Rotating to soybeans for at least one year
Continuous corn yield drag is largely caused by pathogen buildup and allelopathic residue effects that only a rotation break can disrupt.
What is the primary agronomic benefit of using cover crops in a cash crop system?
Answer: They prevent soil erosion and improve soil organic matter
Cover crops protect the soil surface from erosion and decompose to add organic matter, improving soil biology and structure.
Strip-till is best described as a system that:
Answer: Tills only narrow bands where seeds will be placed, leaving inter-row residue intact
Strip-till disturbs only the planting zone, preserving inter-row residue for erosion control while warming the seedbed.
Which factor most limits the adoption of organic crop management systems on highly productive corn-belt soils?
Answer: The 3-year transition period with restricted input use and potential yield loss
The mandatory 3-year transition period without organic premium pricing creates an economic barrier that deters many conventional producers.
Allelopathy in crop management refers to:
Answer: Chemical inhibition of one plant species by compounds released from another
Allelopathy involves biochemical interference where plant-released compounds suppress germination or growth of neighboring species.