Part A: Planting
For the 2 different plant species grown in Australia, gather and present the following information on planting/sowing in a commercial enterprise:
Name of the Plant
Time of Year for planting (best months or season in what region)
Soil Preparation Required (you may list equipment required)
Depth that seed is planted
Density of Seed (how close can the plants be placed for maximum yield)
Germination Time
How long before the plant is mature for harvesting
Include the following photographs:
The Seed
The Seedling (after germination)
The Mature Plant
Part A #1
Carrots (Nantes)
Carrots (Nantes)
The best time to plant carrots is in early spring, in a region with mild temperatures. The Nantes carrot needs to be planted in the cooler seasons.
Soil Preparation Required:
Prepare a deep seed bed, ruffly 17-20cm deep.
Prepare loose, friable (easily crumbled) soil.
Remove rocks and debris from the soil as they will fork when they hit an obstacle.
Add nutrients to the seed bed for the crop, such as phosphorus
Make sure your soil pH is between 6.2 and 6.8. Check soil every two to three years.
Keep your soil well watered, but do not overwater as carrots are not drought – tolerant.
Keep the shoulders of the carrots covered.
Control soil pests such as carrot root maggots.
4) Carrot seeds should be planted at around 0.5-1 cm deep.
5) When planting carrots, you should place seeds ½ inch (1 and ½cm) into the ground with a similar distance apart. This spacing can allow you to grow more than you need as you will need to compensate for seeds that don’t germinate. The spacing of carrots can also vary on the variety of carrots. The carrots will need roughly 25-30cm of row spacing and 2-5 cm of plant spacing.
Larger carrots with larger bunches of above-ground foliage will also need the extra space for air circulation around the plants.
6) Carrots usually take approximately 5-6 days to germinate.
7) Baby carrots are usually ripe and ready to harvest 65-90 days from the planting date. Older carrots need a few more weeks and are usually ready in about 75 days.
8)
Part A #2
Cotton
Part A: Planting
For the 2 different plant species grown in Australia, gather and present the following information on planting/sowing in a commercial enterprise:
Name of the Plant
Time of Year for planting (best months or season in what region)
Soil Preparation Required (you may list equipment required)
Depth that seed is planted
Density of Seed (how close can the plants be placed for maximum yield)
Germination Time
How long before the plant is mature for harvesting
Include the following photographs:
The Seed
The Seedling (after germination)
The Mature Plant
Cotton
August to September – Farm and Soil Preparation
September to November – Planting
November to February – Growing Season
March to June – Harvesting
June to August – Off Season
Weeds removed
Make sure fields are leveled and graded (the soil is moved around)
Nutrients added to the soil if necessary
Check your soil moisture and pre water your fields if necessary
Cotton should be planted at a depth of 1-2 cm into the ground.
Cotton should typically be planted in evenly spaced rows 1.5 metres apart, however, narrow row spacing may provide yield benefits under the ideal growing conditions. 2 plants per row foot should be planted to help maximize yield potential.
A cotton seed on average takes 4 to 15 days to germinate.
Cotton is mature for harvesting as soon as the seed begins to germinate. This usually takes 5-10 days.
Part B: Growing and Caring for the Plant
For the ONE of the plants chosen, describe the ideal growing conditions and discuss how the following factors can affect production:
Plant: Carrot
Growing Conditions
Soil (texture, pH, nutrients)
Climate (rainfall, temperature)
Environmental Factors
Humidity
Wind
Temperature (Air and Soil)
Rainfall
Soil
The growing conditions for Carrots can vary from region to region. Most varieties require sandy soil that is well drained This type of soil is named loam. It is sticky and gritty and perfect for the growth of carrots. But, remember to not plant on manured soil as this makes the carrots fork as they grow bigger. The soil which the carrots grow in should also have an average soil pH of between 6.5 and 6.8. The three main essential nutrients needed to grow any plants in soil are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Other important nutrients needed are Calcium, Magnesium and Sulfur. All of these nutrients help the plants to grow and germinate as soon as possible.
Climate
Rainfall can have a small effect on the growth of carrots. When it rains, the carrots can be flooded with water. Carrots are relatively drought tolerant, although they can be easily over watered. This means that when it rains carrots need to be taken care of during this period.
Temperature also has a major effect on carrots. In temperatures above 35℃, the germination of carrots may be severely reduced.
Humidity
Humidity has a major effect on the growth of plants. The reason behind this is that water is taken in from the soil into the roots and then evaporated through the leaves into the air. This process does cool the plant, but the humidity in the air can affect the flow of water through the plant. The higher the humidity, the slower transpiration occurs. (Water being passed out through the leaves of the plant.)
Wind
Wind can affect the growth of plants in many ways. Lots of crops are lost due to wind as they can damage the structures they are grown in and the plants themselves. Carrots are especially vulnerable as if the wind pulls them out of the ground, they cannot be put back and start growing again. That is now a lost seed. Wind can also affect germination as the plants can be damaged. Farmers will need to plan ahead and plant more seeds if they know that there is going to be bad weather during the growth period . WInd can rip roots out.
Temperature
Temperature is a key factor in plant growth and development. Temperature influences the plant in the short term as well as long term. The optimum temperature for a pant depends on a range of factors. A plants reaction to the temperature around it depends what cycle that plant is in. Plants have a type of “biological clock” built into them which determines their sensitivity to temperature. This can be good or bad. The temperature can affect the stomata (cells that open and close on the leaves,) limiting the amount of water that can evaporate. The higher the temperature rises, the more the stomata will evaporate when they are open. As the stomata open wider and wider, more gases can move in and out of the leaves.
Rainfall
When growing crops, rainfall is a big killer of crops. Excess rainfall can kill crops by drowning them. Low levels of oxygen in the root zone can trigger the effects of waterlogging on plant growth. The shallow root systems in plants limit the uptake of nutrients. The consumption of all nutrients (especially nitrogen and water,) particularly when the soil starts to dry in spring. Contrary to popular belief, water does not need to appear on the surface of the soil for waterlogging to be a potential problem; it can appear deep within the soil and flood the crops. When this happens, waterlogged soils release increased amounts.