Crop production

• Cultural practices and management refer to the steps involved in the production of crops. The steps include the selection of site, land preparation, selection of variety, preparation of planting material, planting and replanting, cultivation or intertillage, fertilizer application, crop protection, water management, and harvesting.
• Selection of Site

  For those who still have the opportunity to select the site for crop production, the following should be considered: 1. Climate and Soil, 2. Labor Supply, 3. Market Accessibility, and 4. Peace and Order Situation. Otherwise, crops selected should fit the climate and soil factor of the area.
• Climate and Soil Factor. They will greatly influence the growth and development of crops, Not all crops will grow on a certain place under a given climate and soil type. For example, you cannot grow garlic, irish potato or grapes in all parts of the country. Some crops like corn or eggplant however, have a very wide adaptation. These crops grow in almost all parts of the country.
• Labor Supply. Intensive crop production method requires a lot of labor, thus, labor supply should be considered. Workers are needed to plow or harrow the land, apply fertilizer, spray pesticides, harvest, etc.
• Market Accessibility. The area should be accessible so that farm inputs, like fertilizer can easily be sold.
• Peace and Order Situation. Establishing a farm is very expensive and in case of trouble, one cannot run easily away with his standing crop Moreover, he will have problems on labor recruitment. Hence, the peace and order situation of the place where one plans to put up the farm is an important consideration.
• Land Preparation

  The primary objectives of land preparation are to: 1. Kill the weeds, 2. Pulverize the soil to increase water holding capacity thereby making easier and good root development is encouraged. 3. Incorporate organic matter, and 4. Killing hibernating pests
• Upland (dry condition) The following steps are intended for upland crops like corn, legumes, etc.
• Lowland (submerged condition) (The following steps of land preparation follows what is done for rice culture
• The seeds or planting materials may contribute more than 50% of the success in the crop production. They carry the genes that will dictate the potential in vield under favorable environmental conditions.
• The following should be considered in the selection of planting material:

  • Adaptable to the area • Resistant to pests • High percentage germination • Market demand and quality
• For rice the simplest way to select healthy seeds is through the floatation method. The seeds are placed in water and the seeds that float are discarded while those that sink are selected and grown
• Crop are classified as cross-pollinated and self-pollinated. Classes of seeds based on genetic purity are breeder's seed, foundation seed, registered seed, certified seed and good seed. It is recommended always to use certified seeds to insure purity.
• For cross pollinated crops such as corn, seeds are either open pollinated and or hybrid seeds Open-pollinated seeds are usually called composite varieties while hybrids are produced by selfing a number of generation then crossing inbred lines to produce first generation hybrids.
• Germination Test. Percentage germination or viability can be determined using the following method: 1. Ragdoll Method Seeds are placed on a wet cloth and rolled around a stick.

  2. Seedbox Method. Seeds are planted in the seedbox with sand or ordinary garden soil as a medium 3. Petri disc Method. The petridisc is a lined with wet filter or tissue paper and the seeds are placed on it this is good for small size seeds.
• Tetrazolium (TZ) Text. The seed is soaked in triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. The viable living tissue will turn red in color due to the formation of the insoluble compound called formazan The seeds that will not germinate (dead seed) will remain uncolored
• Planting material can be propagated through sexual and asexual means.
• Seeds, should be treated with fungicide or insecticide to protect the seed from fungal organisms or insects that may destroy the seeds.
• Sexual Method


  Plants derived from this method may not breed true-to-type
• Sexual Method

  • Uses seeds for reproduction
• Plants derived from Sexual Method

  • May not breed true-to-type
• Seed sizes

  • Big seeds
  • Small seeds
• Big seeds

  Can support themselves and are directly planted
• Small seeds

  Grown in seedboxes, polyethylene bags, etc.
• Seed treatment

  • Seeds with high percentages of germination
  • Seeds with low or unknown percentage of germinations
• Seeds with high percentages of germination


  Can be seeded directly
• Seeds with low or unknown percentage of germinations


  Should be transplanted
• Wooden seedboxes

  • Measuring 50x337 cms
• Medium for seedboxes

  • Sand
  • Compost
  • Garden soil
• Medium for seedboxes

  1. 1:1 ratio
• Disinfecting soil medium

  Applied by 40% formalin, methyl bromide or simply heating
• Disinfecting soil medium

  Heated at 100°C for one hour
• Large area involved like a seedbed

  Sterilization pests, weeds, seeds, etc.
• Asexual Propagation. This is also duplication of a whole plant from any living cell tissue or organ of that plant. This is possible because the vegetative organs of many plants have the capacity for regeneration. In fact, a single cell can generate into a new plant because each cell contain all the genetic information necessary to reproduce the entire organism. When a group of plants originate from a single individual and are propagate by vegetative means, this group is referred to as clones.
• Asexual propagation is resorted to when a plant does not produce seeds; when early fruiting or true to type plant is desired, and when immediate pest resistance or tolerance to extreme conditions are necessary. The asexual methods of propagation consist of. 1.) natural vegetative propagules, 2.) cuttings, 3.) grafting, 4.) budding, 5.) layering, and 6.) tissue culture.
• Natural vegetative propagule This include the use of runners (strawberry), bulbs (onion), rhizomes (bamboo), tubers (potato), crowns (pineapple), corms (gladiolus), etc,
• Cuttings In this method of propagation, a portion of the stem, root, or leaf is cut from the parent plant, after which this plant part is placed under certain favorable environmental condition and induced to form roots and shoots.
• The advantages of cuttings are: a. Many new plants can be started in a limited space.

  b. Inexpensive, rapid, simple and does not require special techniques necessary in grafting and budding c. No problem of compatibility. d. Breed true-to-type.
• Cleft grafting use plants that are 1-1.5 cms in diameter. The stock: cut back the stock to the point where there is active growth or where the bark easily separates from the wood. Split the stock down the center enough to hold the wedge. Insect the scion into the cleft, bind with tape, and cover all the cut surfaces
• Saddle grafting - the same procedure as cleft grafting, except that it is stock which has a wedge cut at the base