Date 18.0.

2023

Exemplary examination questions Agricultural Production and Residues WS 22_23

The exam will contain only questions related to lectures and presentations which were really held.
This list is already the selection of questions for this year.
Very often the main answer is “hidden” only on some specific slide. You can copy/print them and
use for learning (similar to a learning with index cards) the respective question. The
sketches/figures/tables might support learning via visual memory also.

Introduction to Livestock Production (Slides 42-49)

1. Which future trend is expected for the carbon intensity of agricultural production. What are
the reasons?
-Global agricultural emissions are set to increase but the carbon intensity of agricultural
production is expected to decrease over the next decade
-The carbon intensity of agricultural production is declining
-This development is driven by both • yield improvements • and a declining share of
ruminant production in total agricultural production.
2. Slide 48-49: What are the main differences concerning the global emissions and distribution
among the main categories of emission between the supply chains for pig meat, milk and
beef milk.
Pig meat: feed emissions, manure management
Beef: entheric CH4, applied and deposited manure N2O,soybean CO2
Beef milk: entheric CH4, applied and deposited N2O, LUC pasture expansion CO2
Dairy Housing Systems
1. Explain the dairy cows production cycle.

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2. Explain the difference between and the contents of the room planning program
and the function planning program.

Room Planning Programme:

gives the type, number and the size of the rooms and the space required for the production
system depending on natural conditions: i.e. number of animals, storage for straw, roughage,
hay and other feed, for manure and for products such as milk
- Function Planning Programme:
gives the coordination and function of the parts/rooms („functional areas“) of a housing
system lying feeding walking/manure milking
3. How do body dimensions and behaviour of the cow influence the design of
cubicles and housing systems.
-standing up(catapult effect), laying down
- lying length [cm] = 1.11 x diagonal body length [cm] + 20 cm
- lying width [cm] = 0.85 x withers height [cm]
4. What are technophathies and how can we avoid them?
- Consequences for the design of a dairy house: • space-giving functional dimensions of
walking, feeding and lying areas • clean, dry and deformable/soft lying places • clean,
preferably dry and probably soft walking alleys • appropriate installations to support the
comfort behaviour, feed and water intake, moving and social behaviour

5. Describe the functional areas and design principles of a tie stall for dairy cows.

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6. Describe the functional areas and design principles of a free stall for dairy cows.

7. What are the advantages of soft walking for cows?

-knobbed, perforated elastic – sinking of the claw more foot sure shock-absorbin
8. Explain important design parameters for the feeding place of a cow.

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9. Describe/Sketch typical layouts for a milking parlour.

10. Describe your favourite innovation and/or agrifuture consept for dairy from the “Eurotier” or
other sources. https://www.eurotier.com/en

Pig Systems

1. Explain the pig production cycle.

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2. Define the pig production systems “continuous”, “all in all out”, “open” and “closed”.

3. What are the consequences for the design of functional areas in a pig house considering
their behavioural patterns (social, feeding, moving, exploration, playing, excretion).

4. What is a gestation stable (waiting stable) and how does group housing work.
-waiting stable – Group housing Group Housing is obligatory because of:  more room for
movement for the sows  improved structuring of the room  formation of strong social
patterns
5. How does an automatic feeding system for sows work?

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6. How does a sorting gate for large/mega groups work?

- Computer calculates wih the help of a camera the yield of every single pig walking
through the sorting gate.
7. Explain the design principles, advantages and disadvantages of a standard farrowing pen
compared to a free/moving farrowing pen.
-Standard: cage for the sow , access for the piglets to drink, easy monitoring, minimal danger
for the piglets, space efficient, cheap, unnatural,
-free: more space, sow moves freely, danger for the piglets(16-24%)loss, more space
needed, expensiv, animal friendly
8. Discuss the realization of different functional areas in a fully slatted floor pen for fatteners
compared to a straw flow system or systems with outdoor exercise yards.
- Lying area, feed area, manure area, constant manure transport
- Deep litter: straw, straw stays for a defined time until muck out.
- More space in outdoor exercise area, better health but also expensive production
9. Discuss experiences during meat inspection of pigs kept in organic/free range and
conventional indoor systems.
10. Describe your favourite innovation/agrifuture concept for pigs.
https://www.eurotier.com/en

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Poultry Production -Laying hens and broiler production

1. Name the four husbandry systems for laying hens (0,1,2,3). Are cage systems still allowed?

2. List three important needs of laying hens and assign housing elements which help to fulfil
this need(s). (document from Wageningen university might help to prepare a nice answer).

3. According to the German minimum requirements: Which stocking density is allowed? Resp.
which area per laying hen is required? Compare it with the requirements for free range
systems or organic farming. (slide 52) and for broilers (conventional and organic) (slide 60;
86)

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4. List the four different fattening systems, how many days do they last?
1. Short mast 28-32d
2. Medium long mast32-35d
3. Long mast (roaster fattening)38-40d
4. Splitting procedur

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5. Sketch the lying behaviour of chickens (distribution) when it is too warm, too cold, an air
draft.

Crop & Mechanization I Tillage

1. What are the components of a mouldboard plough?

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2. What characterizes a stratified seedbed?

The most important properties of the seedbed are to:
 absorb heavy rain, providing stability against crusting and erosion
 act as a barrier to evaporation
 provide capillary water transport for germinating seeds
 act as a nutrient, water and oxygen reserve
 promote root development
3. Why is onland-ploughing better for the soil than normal mounted mouldboard
ploughing?
-spreads the weight of the machine better on the groung. Otherwise deep compacting can
happen in den soil with is a problem for the following crop
4. What are the pros and cons of conventional tillage?
■ Pros:
□ Clean surface
□ Good burial of weeds / plant residues / manure
□ Inverting the soil (nutrients)
□ Good yields
□ Increase porosity and aeration
□ All soil types
□ Comprehensive experience
□ Less disease problems
■ Cons:
□ Plough pan / soil compaction
□ Clean surface exposes the soil / bare soil (erosion)
□ High energy requirement, big machinery (CO2 emission)
□ Low work rates / time consuming
□ Burial / excavation of weed seeds
□ Anaerobic conditions (residues, manures)
5. How to brake up soil compaction?
-with a subsoiler
6. What are the advantages of conservation tillage?
Pros:
■ Less soil compaction
■ Higher soil organic matter content
■ Better load carrying capacity

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■ Non-inverting top soil (less erosion, keeping natural layer system)

■ Preserving soil moisture and soil structure
■ Better soil hydraulic conductivity
■ Increase of soil biological activity
■ Less energy requirements
■ Higher work rates / high capacity
■ No burial of weed seeds
7. What are the disadvantages of no-tillage systems?
Cons:
■ (as conservation tillage)
■ Low and unstable field emergence
■ Higher weed pressure
8. How does the earthworm population change with the use of no-till?
-it’s a lot higher, because no worms are killed by the machinery

Crop & Mechanization II Sowing & Planting

1. Explain the difference between germination rate and emergence rate ?
■ Germination Rate
□ Percentage of germinated seeds
 Seeding machines should not harm seeds
 Metering systems must be adapted to seed size, shape etc.

■ Field Emergence
□ Percentage of seeds showing up at field surface as seedlings
 Germination rate is important
 Soil seedbed condition ▫ crumb size distribution, soil density, aeration, water availability
etc.)
2. Explain the difference between bulk drilling and precision drilling?
Bulk drilling □
Mainly used but produce randomly distributed seeds within the row
□ NOT an ideal seed spacing
□ BUT more simple & robust and affordable system

■ Precision drilling
□ Even seed spacing (normal distributed)

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□ Better depth control

□ Lower capacity
□ More costly
3. Describe the components of a mechanic metering unit

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4. Compare the mechanic drill with a pneumatic seeder

5. A precision drill is usually required for sowing which crops?

-Sugar beet
6. Why do you grow carrots on dams/ridges?
-better seedbed
-loose soil for straight carrots
-warms a lot faster
-no staying water

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-uniform crop
7. Explain the pros and cons of Polyethylene Mulching?
Advantages
 Earlier planting dates
 Soil moisture retention
 Weed management
 Reduction in the leaching of fertilizer
 Improved crop quality
 Reduction in soil compaction
 Reduction in root damage

Disadvantages
 Cost
 Planting requires specialized equipment
 Environmental problems

Crop & Mechanization III/IV Fertilizer application

1. What are the main macronutrients?
Three main macronutrients:
■ Nitrogen (N): Leaf growth.
■ Phosphorus (P): Development of roots, flowers, seeds, fruit.
■ Potassium (K): Strong stem growth, movement of water in plants, promotion of flowering
and fruiting
2. Describe the main Qualifications of a disk spreader?
A fertilizer spreader has to meet the following qualifications:
 Equal distribution of the fertilizer in both transversal and longitudinal direction, with full
and partly empty hoppers, with different travel speeds and different application rates.
 Sufficient capacity of the hopper.
 Possibilities for adaptation to relative high crops.
 Easy and accurate adjustment of mass flow.
 Possibilities for border spreading.
 High resistance against corrosion.
 Easy cleaning.
 High capacity.

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3. What is the difference between an pneumatic spreader and a sprayer?

-Broadcasting of fertilizer □ Machinery: Spinning discs and full-width spreader (pneumatic)
-Foliar application of diluted nutrient solutions or suspensions by spraying the leaves □
Machinery: Sprayer
4. Why is the fertilizer placed next to the seeds when they are sown at the same
time?
-accurate dose
-near the roots
-optimal distribution
-no danger of water erosion
-optimal supply of nutrients for the plants
5. Describe the different parts of a disc spreader

6. What is boundary spreading?

Boundary spreading. If the field is adjacent to a road or cycle path, no fertiliser must be
thrown beyond the border of the field.
7. What is the difference between working width and spreading width?

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8. Why you need overlapping when applying fertilizer?

-to ensure a more or less even distribution of the fertilizer
- look at question 7

Crop & Mechanization VI Crop protection

1. What is a pest?
A pest is considered anything that impedes or competes with crop plants
□ Weeds
□ Insects & rodents
□ Fungi
□ Diseases (Aphids)
2. What is the difference between systemic and contact pesticides?
Systemic :
□ Absorbed by the plant: Roots, leaves,…
 Can interfere with ongoing crop growth
 Applied to soil or foliage / canopy
 Spray (= liquid)
 Granules, powder … (=solid)

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Contact:
□ Direct contact to the pest
 Spray (= liquid)
 Granules, powder … (=solid)
3. Describe the optimal spraying conditions?
■ Weather conditions
□ Wind - Light breeze only
□ No rain
□ No hot conditions, strong sunlight etc.

■ Crop conditions
□ Growth status in accordance with pesticide & pest

■ Documentation (Data logging)

□ Day, time
□ Weather conditions
□ Amount of water used = concentration & dosage
4. List the components of a mounted spayer?

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5. Discuss sprying problems in terms of drift?

6. Describe the relation between drift and droplet size

7. List all physical weeding principles

■ Burial / Uprooting (Tillage)
□ Hoe, tine (finger/goosefoot), rotary tine/hoe
■ Thermal □ Gas, radiation (UV-light), steam, laser
■ Electric □ Electro-static
■ Cutting □ Mowing, laser
■ Pneumatic

Crop & Mechanization VII Harvesting (harvest parts)

1. Name the different components of the cutting header

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2. Name the components of the threshing unit

3. Differentiate between an axial and a tangential rotor combine

4. What does a mower do?

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5. What does a tedder do?

6. What is the name for the device used for windrowing grass?
Rakes:
Rakes gently lift the forage and place it in a loose, fluffy windrow. Modern side delivery rakes
can be classified as wheel rakes, and rotary rakes
7. Name the important components of a loader wagon?
-pick-up unit
-rotor
-knives
-chain floor
8. Describe the mass flow of the forage through the forage harvester

9. Name the individual steps of sugar beet harvest

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Ppt Karaoke Soil protection and amelioration

1. Definition soil protection soil amelioration
Soil protection (pre-activity) involves protecting the soil so as to retain its functions.

Soil amelioration (post-activity) on the other hand is the improvement of soil structure
through mechanical inputs (carbon) with the primary aim of improving air and water balance
within the soil.
2. Describe in keywords (in more detail) a soil problem and its solution (choose one)
Low organic matter
Composition of SOM
 Usually 1–6% organic matter by weight

Importance of SOM
 Stabilization of soil aggregates
 Increase of soil water-holding
 Buffering capacities
 Reservoir of nutrients

Causes for low SOM

 Burning of vegetation
 Rainwater runoff, soil erosion
 Monoculture of crops
 Overgrazing
 Removal of crop residues
 Fertilizer and pesticide use
 Tillage practices
Decrease of soil organisms
Management practices to stabilize or increase SOM
 Conservation tillage
 Crop rotations
 Adequate rate of fertilizer application
 Organic manure
 Preservation of pastures

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3. Sketch/Describe the effects of soil compaction

4. Describe the soil organic matter and how to improve this (list of measures)

Composition of SOM
 Usually 1–6% organic matter by weight

Importance of SOM
 Stabilization of soil aggregates
 Increase of soil water-holding
 Buffering capacities
Reservoir of nutrients
Management practices to stabilize or increase SOM
 Conservation tillage
 Crop rotations
 Adequate rate of fertilizer application
 Organic manure
 Preservation of pastures

5. Why can biochar be valuable for soil?

What makes Biochar stand out?
Biochar has a handful of characteristics that makes it valuable to the soil:
 Its water retaining capacity (presence of tiny holes and large surface area)
 Electrically charged surface that attracts chemicals
 pH of 8 that unlocks nutrients of poor soils
 It is bug friendly which encourages soil life

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Check for additional questions for the upcoming ppt presentation.

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