23/09/2021

Crop Production
AHS2130
Francis K. Ombwara

Communication

• Whatsapp: ‘ABE20Crop’
(0733721465)
• Official JKUAT email:
fombwara@agr.jkuat.ac.ke

• Kenet, if necessary

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Course Purpose and Objectives

‘…to impart knowledge and necessary skills
for the students to be able to manage crop
production systems that enhance food
security and wealth creation.’
1. Describe the principles of crop
production
2. Describe the environmental and
agronomic factors that influence the
quality of crops for direct consumption
and processing.

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What is Crop Production?

• The branch of agriculture that deals with growing crops for use as
food and fibre.
• Crop production management refers to the various processes applied
toward the effective cultivation and harvesting of crops.
• What is a crop?
• What is a weed?

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Key Performance Indicators

1. Attendance
2. Continuous Assessment Tests (3)
14th October, 4th November and 18th November 2021
3. Assignments
4. Seminar Presentations
5. Practical Report(s)
6. Main examination (Start 6 December 2021)

What is Crop Production?

• The branch of agriculture that deals
with growing crops for use as food
and fibre.
• Crop production management refers
to the various processes applied
toward the effective cultivation and
harvesting of crops.

• What is a crop?
• What is a weed?

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Economic considerations
Thomas Malthus (1798); The
Principles of Population.
Postulated exponential population
growth and arithmetic food supply
growth, i.e. the rate of growth of
the world’s population will outstrip
the capacity of land to provide the
food necessary to subsistence and
that only recurring famine,
pestilence, or wars keep down the
number of inhabitants….
A Malthusian catastrophe

Social-Political Context
1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
aka Global Goals; a collection of 17 interlinked
global goals designed to be a "blueprint to
achieve a better and more sustainable future
for all“.

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2. Vision 2030

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Agriculture and the path to development

Vision 2030 identifies five strategic thrust areas for agricultural growth;
(i) transforming key institutions in agriculture and livestock to promote
agricultural growth;
(ii) increasing productivity of crops and livestock;
(iii) introducing land use polices for better utilisation of high and medium
potential lands;
(iv) developing more irrigable areas in arid and semi-arid lands for both crops
and livestock; and
(v) improving market access for the smallholders through better supply chain
management.

Agriculture and the Kenyan Economy

• Agriculture contributes 24%
directly to GDP and 60% of
export earnings.
• Approximately 80% of the rural
population rely on agriculture as
their primary source of
livelihood.
• As outlined under the Economic
Pillar of Vision 2030, the
nation's economy will continue
to rely on agriculture as one of
the six key sectors identified to
contribute toward the targeted
10% economic growth rate per
annum

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3. The Big Four Agenda

4. ASTGS is anchored in
three outcomes:
increasing small-scale
farmer incomes,
increasing agricultural
output and
value-addition, and
boosting household food
resilience.

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The Green Revolution or Third Agricultural

Revolution
• The product of research and
technology transfer initiatives
occurring between 1950 and the late
1960s that increased agricultural
production worldwide, particularly in
the developing world.
• These initiatives resulted in the
adoption of new technologies,
including high-yielding varieties
(HYVs) of cereals, in association with
chemical fertilizers and agro-
chemicals, and with controlled water-
supply (usually involving irrigation)
and new methods of cultivation,
including mechanization.

Principles of crop production

Principle?

What is?

A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as

the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour or
for a chain of reasoning.

synonyms: truth, proposition, concept, idea, theory,

postulate; assumption, basis, fundamental, essence,
essential philosophy

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Classification
• Classify?

• What is?

synonyms: categorize; group; grade; organize; class; codify

Classification is universal practice…

• Age
• Gender
• Orientation
• Examination results
• Academic Progress
• Social standing
• Individual traits….

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Why Classify
• Grouping of crops will indicate that
these crops may have similar uses,
adaptation, growth habits and
methods of culture.

• Classifications of crops in
agriculture is varied from place to
place and from one country to
another

Common methods of Classification of Crops

1. By habit: grass/tree/herb/shrub. 5. By Usage
• seeds
2. By temperature: Warm • cereals
season/cold season crops. • fruit
• Vegetable
3. Economic or Agronomic • Spice
classification; based on their 6. By Intensity of care (horticultural
uses crops)
7. Extent of cultivation (Plantation)
4. Botanical classification; based on
morphological similarity of plant 8. Duration of growth; Perennial,
annual, biennial
parts and genetic markers

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Agronomic/economic classification

1. Beverage Crops

Agronomic/economic classification

2. Cereal or Grain crops

Cereals are grasses grown for their
edible seeds, the term cereal being
applied either to the grain or to the
plant itself. Cereals include wheat, oats,
barley, rye, rice, maize, sorghum,
millets, etc.

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Agronomic/economic classification

3. Fiber Crops
Fiber crops are grown for their
fiber e.g. cotton, jute, hemp and
sisal.

Agronomic/economic classification
4. Forage crops
These are herbaceous in nature,
fresh or preserved that are
utilized as feeds for animals e.g.
grasses, legumes, crucifers and
other cultivated crops.

Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum )

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5. Legumes
These include pea nuts, field
beans, cowpeas, soybeans, lima
beans, mug beans, chickpeas,
pigeon peas, broad beans and
lentils. They are grown for their
edible seeds.

Agronomic/economic classification

6. Oil crops
The oil crops include soyabean,
peanuts (groundnuts), sunflower,
safflower, sesame, castor bean,
coconut, mustard, cotton seed,
corn and grain sorghum.

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Agronomic/economic classification
7. Root and tuber crops
These include sugar beets, carrots,
sweet potatoes, yams, cassava,
potatoes and cocoyam.

Agronomic/economic classification
8. Rubber crops/latex crops
These are grown for the milky
sap, or latex which they
produce; such as the Rubber
tree.

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Agronomic/economic classification

9. Sugar crops
grown for their sweet juice from
which sucrose is extracted and
crystallized. They include
sugarcane and sugar beet.

Agronomic/economic classification
10. Vegetable crops
Includes potatoes, tomatoes,
kales, cabbages, onions

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Assignment
1. Create a table listing each of the different crops highlighted in
this presentation, itemizing them by common name, family
name , genus and species.
2. List the ten (10) most important crops to the Kenyan
economy, stating the basis or criteria by which you have
ranked them.

3. Submit your assignment at the start of our next session, next

week

To be continued….

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