STUDY GUIDE: AGRICULTURE: CROPS

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1 319 S. Naperville Road Wheaton, IL Phone: (630) Fax: (630) STUDY GUIDE: AGRICULTURE: CROPS MAIN FIELD CROPS GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES: 1. Corn 2. Soybeans 3. Wheat 4. Rice The United States produces more corn than any of the other main field crops. However, we export more wheat than any of the other crops. CORN Corn is an important agricultural crop. It is grown on every continent of the world except Antarctica. The Corn Belt is the name given to the area in our country that grows the most corn. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota are the four states in the Corn Belt that produce the most corn. Other states in the Corn Belt are: Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and South Dakota. Iowa usually leads in the production of corn and is followed closely by Illinois. Approximately 61% of the corn grown by U.S. farmers is used for feeding livestock, and about 22% is exported. There are four main types of corn grown in the state of Illinois. The four main types of corn grown in Illinois are seed corn, sweet corn, field corn, and popcorn.

2 Corn is measured in bushels. One bushel weighs approximately 56 pounds. Each piece of corn is called a KERNEL. The elongated oval in the center of the corn kernel is called the GERM. The germ contains most of the oil and some of the protein in the corn kernel. This is the part of the kernel that is used in cooking oils, margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressing. The fibrous outer layer of a corn kernel is the HULL. Corn is attacked by a variety of parasites and fungi. Corn smut, a parasitic fungus, produces a large mass of black spores on ears, stalks, or tassels. The corn rootworm, a larva of the cucumber beetle, feeds on the root system of corn plants. The European corn borer attacks the stem of the plants. SOYBEANS Soybeans originated in China, but today the United States leads the world in the production of soybeans. Brazil and China are also important soybean producers. Illinois is usually the leading soybean-producing state, and is followed closely by Iowa. Indiana, Minnesota, and Missouri are the next three largest soybean producers. Soybeans are usually planted in the Midwest in May or June. After six to eight weeks, small flowers appear on the soybean plant. The flowers may be purple, white, or pink. About two weeks later, the pods are produced. Each pod usually contains two or three soybean seeds, which are also called beans. It takes 30 to 40 days for the beans to mature. During this time, the plant continues to grow until it stands from two to four feet tall. The leaves turn yellow and fall to the ground. Combines are used to harvest the beans in late summer or early fall. Soybeans are legumes and belong to the same family as the pea. They thrive in fertile, well-drained soil, and require at least 20 inches of rain per year. Because they obtain nitrogen from the air, they do not require nitrogen fertilizers. Soybeans are the nation s largest source of vegetable oil and protein meal for livestock. Forty percent of the soybean is protein, and 20% is oil. Soybean oil is cholesterol-free and is the number-one edible oil in the world, and the most frequently consumed oil in our country. Each bushel of soybeans can be crushed to yield over 10 pounds of soybean oil, and 39 pounds of soy flour can be obtained from one bushel of beans. Soybeans are attacked by many different diseases. Diaporthe pod and stem blight is a fungal disease that attacks the pods and stems of the plant. Other pests, such as the bean leaf beetle, stinkbug, velvetbean caterpillar, and tiny worms called nematodes also attack the soybean plants. We export soybeans to many countries, but more soybeans are exported to the following countries than any others: Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, China, and the Philippines.

3 WHEAT Wheat is grown in many countries of the world. The countries producing the most wheat are listed below in order of their production. 1. Russia 2. China 3. United States 4. India 5. Canada 6. France The two main types of wheat are winter wheat and spring wheat. Winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring or early summer of the next year. It accounts for 70 to 80% of the U.S. wheat production. Spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in the summer of the same year. It is usually grown in cool, dry regions where the soil quality is poor. The wheat is usually planted by using a drill. The plant turns a golden brown when ready for harvesting. There are six major classes of wheat that are classified according to their hardness, color, and shape of their kernels. 1. Hard Red Winter Wheat 2. Hard Red Spring Wheat 3. Soft Red Winter Wheat 4. Durum 5. Hard White Wheat 6. Soft White Wheat Hard Red Winter Wheat is the largest class of wheat produced each year in the United States. It is grown mainly in the Great Plains states. Hard Red Spring Wheat contains the highest percentage of protein. It is grown mainly in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Hard White Wheat is the newest class of wheat grown in the United States. Wheat is grown mainly for flour that is used for breads and pastries. Many breakfast cereals are made from wheat, as well as tortillas and other snack foods. The wheat kernel contains three parts that are separated during the milling process to produce the flour. These three parts are the endosperm, bran, and the germ. The leading wheat-producing states in our country are North Dakota, Kansas, Montana, and Oklahoma.

4 The principal diseases of wheat are RUST and SMUT. RICE Rice requires warm temperatures and at least 40 inches of rainfall per year to grow. The rice is planted by low-flying airplanes and grown in flooded fields called rice paddies. Rice grows to be about one meter tall. It has perfect flowers with six stamens and one pistil. The rice grain is actually the fruit of the plant, and is produced in spikelets at the top of the stalk. The white endosperm is enclosed by a layer of bran and surrounded by a brown husk. In the United States, a flooded field, called a paddy, is seeded by an airplane. The field is kept flooded during most of the growing season. The crop is harvested and threshed by machine, producing brown rice. If white rice is desired, the bran is removed from the rice, leaving the white endosperm intact. This white internal kernel is polished with glucose and talc to improve its appearance. The four main rice-growing states in our country are Arkansas, California, Texas, and Louisiana. Rice is also grown in Florida, Missouri and Mississippi. China is the leading rice producer in the world. It is followed closely by India. The main rice diseases are seedling blight, leaf smut, stem rot, and kernel spots. Most of these diseases are caused by fungi. Seedling blight occurs when a fungus infects the seedlings. Leaf smut, another fungus, is very prevalent in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Stem rot attacks the stalks of rice, causing them to weaken and break.

5 FARM MACHINERY: Tractor: Plow: Disk harrows: Corn planters: Manure spreader: Cultivator: Combine: Auger: Hay baler: Cotton gin: Chisel plow: Drill: Float: Header: The tractor is the most important implement used on a farm because it pulls many other types of farm machinery. The plow is used to break the ground and prepare the soil. It has bladelike plowshares that cut into the soil, lift it up, and turn it over. Harrows are then used to cover the seeds. These are sometimes used before plowing to chop up crop residues that have been left in the field from the previous crop. Corn planters are used to plant corn seeds in rows. A special wheel picks up small amounts of corn seed and places them in the ground. This wagon has a conveyor belt that carries the manure to a beater attachment where it is pulverized and then scattered on the ground to serve as a natural fertilizer. This machine destroys weeds and loosens the soil, thus allowing air to enter. This machine harvests corn, soybeans, and several other crops. It removes the fruiting heads, beats the grain kernels, and cleans the grain. Corn is also picked with a corn picker, which strips the ears from the stalks. This is a spiral device on a shaft. It resembles a giant, rotating screw that is used to move grain through a tube. This machine compresses the cut hay into bales and secures them with heavy twine. It twists the cotton fibers from the boll and removes the seeds. This machinery is pulled behind a tractor to break up very hard soil. This piece of machinery pokes holes in the soil for the seeds, plants the seeds, and covers them up. This device is pulled behind a tractor to level or smooth the soil. The header is the part of the combine that cuts the talks and conveys them to the threshing part of the combine.

6 TYPES OF FARMING METHODS: Strip cropping: No- Till: Crop rotation: Farmers grow clover crops in strips between other crops to help hold the soil in place. Fields are not plowed or tilled after the crops have been harvested. Stalks and other parts from the crop are left in the ground until the spring. This helps prevent wind and water erosion. Because different crops use different nutrients from the soil, one crop is grown in a field the first year and a different crop is grown in the same field the next year. Plants, such as legumes, can revitalize the soil and help maintain good yields. Dry farming (or dry land farming): Crops are grown without irrigation. Contour plowing: Terraces: Furrows are plowed at right angles to a slope to help catch the rainwater and retain runoff, thus halting erosion. Rows are made around a hill instead of vertically up and down. A flat, wide ledge is cut into the side of a hill or mountain to create a level place for crops to be grown.