This document discusses maintaining the healthy growth of crops through proper crop walking, pest management, disease prevention, weed control, ensuring proper nutrient levels and irrigation, and avoiding drought stress, compaction, and other environmental damage. It covers identifying and managing pests, diseases, weeds, and nutrient deficiencies. The document also addresses legislation, equipment, waste management, and potential environmental impacts of farming activities.

1. Unit 206: Maintain the healthy
growth of crops

2. Crop Walking
• Why do we walk crops?
• How often should we walk crops?

3. Pest Damage
• What do pests do?
• How much damage is tolerable?
• Thresholds
Courtesy of Bayer Crop Science

4. Diseases
• How are plants affected by diseases?
• Seed
• Leaves
• Stem
• Roots
• Ears/pods
Courtesy of Bayer Crop Science

5. Weeds
• What is a weed?
• Why are weeds a problem?
• Competition
• Problems at harvest
• Poisonous
Courtesy of Bayer Crop Science

6. Nutrient Deficiency
• What are the main three major nutrients
crops need?
• What other nutrients are needed?
• What happens if not all nutrients are available
in enough quantity?
• How can you identify it?

7. Water-logged Soil
• When all air pores in the soil are full of water
• Depends on how long for
• Why is it a problem?
• What are the main causes?
• Compaction
• Soil type
• Drainage

8. Drought Stress
• What is this?
• Why is this a particular risk this year?
• What crops may be more susceptible?
• How is it usually avoided?
• What is the situation on your farms?

9. Equipment
• What equipment does your farm use to look
after crops and why?
• Notice the variation between different farms

10. Legislation
• Food and Environment Protection Act
• Health and Safety at Work Act
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regs
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regs
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

11. Environmental Damage
• Nutrients in water courses – eutrophication
• Pesticides in water courses – water quality
• Nutrients in hedgerows
• Ground nesting birds
• Wildlife food sources
• Physical damage to trees and hedges
• Running on margins
• Running on wet soil

12. Waste
• Waste Regulations 2006
• What types of waste is produced?
• Plastic bags
• Waste fertiliser
• Waste seed
• Waste chemical
• Waste from maintenance
• How is each disposed of?