Agricultural Science·Plant production · NSSCO 3.2
Cereal crop production & cultivars
Narrated lesson · press play
In the north of Namibia, one small grey mahangu seed can grow into a tall plant that feeds a whole family. In this lesson we learn what a cereal crop really is, why a seed must be alive to be worth planting, how we test it with the germination percentage, and how a farmer grows a cereal step by step — from preparing the soil, through sowing with the rains, feeding, harvesting and storing, to selling the grain — plus why our drought-hardy cereals suit Namibia so well, and what a cultivar like Okashana-1 is.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Agricultural Science 3.2):
- Explain what is meant by a cereal crop
- Explain what is meant by seed viability and outline the importance of viable seeds
- Discuss factors that determine plant spacing and planting depth of cereal crops
- Describe the methods employed in the cultivation of a cereal crop (soil and climatic requirements; seed-bed preparation, sowing/planting time, planting depth, plant spacing and seed rate; application of organic and inorganic fertilisers; recognition of crop maturity, harvesting, storage and marketing)
- Explain reasons for the suitability of cereal crops for local conditions
- Explain what is meant by a cultivar, identify specific cultivars of a chosen crop, and explain reasons for choosing a particular cultivar
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Miss Olivia and Mike talk through the whole topic — with the figure and working drawn live.