Farmers around the world have a very difficult job. Some grow crops to sell, and some grow crops for their families to eat. Either way it is very important for them that they produce a good quality crop, and a high yield. Unfortunately farmers face lots of different challenges when they are growing crops, including weeds, insects and diseases, this presentation takes the audience through many of these challenges.
2. Wicked Weeds…
Johnson Grass
grows faster than
the crop and blocks
out the sunlight, it is
also poisonous if
animals eat it.
Bindweed can
climb up the crops
and stop them from
getting lots of Rye Grass is a very
sunshine, water tough weed, with
and nutrients. very strong roots.
Once it is in your
field it is very difficult
to remove.
3. Ferocious Fungi…
Potato blight can
wipe out an entire
crop in 3 days, Though fungus is very damaging
and its spores can to plants, it is also very useful. It
stay in the soil for breaks down plant matter, helping
up to 7 years. the composting process, so
without fungi the world would be
full of compost – even the sea!
4. Bothersome Beasties…
Weevils eat all types of
plant tissue, laying eggs
inside the stems. When
they hatch the larva eats
it’s way to the surface of
the plant, causing lots of
crop damage.
Aphids will eat many
types of plants, hiding
under the leaves and in
the flowers as they
munch away at the
plants, they also have up
to 30 babies!
5. More Greedy Grubs…
Grasshoppers like
to fly in swarms,
Corn borers live in the and they cause a
stem of the corn plant huge amount of
and eat their way damage by eating
around the plant. This the crop.
means the plant
becomes weak and
can fall over Some caterpillars
can eat 20 times
their body weight
everyday until
they turn into a
chrysalis!
6. The Farmer’s Little Helpers…
There are
approximately 40
different types of
ladybirds in the UK, and
their aphids are their
favourite food.
Butterflies are adult
Bees are vital caterpillars. Although they
for the are a pest when in the
pollination of larval stage (because they
many plants. eat the plant), they are
very helpful as plants
pollinators as adults.
7. What Next…?
Try our game ‘The
Good, the Bad and
the Bugly’ to see
how much you can
remember about the
challenges farmers
face!
You will need to pull up
weeds quickly and catch
the bugs that could
damage your crop. Can
you remember which
bugs helped the farmer?