AGRONOMIC CLASSIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS

Agronomically, field crops are most often grouped according to the way in which they are used. Some 6f our crop plants have several uses; for example, corn is most often grown as a grain crop, but it is also known as one of the most productive forage crops. Another example is soybeans that are most often produced as an oil crop, but they are also grown as a hay or green manure crop¹.

The most common agronomic classification divides field crops into the following main groups:

I. Cereals or Grain Crops. A cereal is a grass grown for its edible
grain. The most important grain crops widely grown throughout the
world are wheat, com, barley, oats, rye, rice, sorghum, and millets. Grain crops are mainly used as bread crops and as concentrates in feeding
livestock. They are well adapted to machine harvesting and processing.
All of them are annuals, producing seed in the year of sowing.

II. Large-Seeded Legumes. The principal legumes grown for seeds are field peas, field beans and soyeans. The edible legumes are widely grown by man, for they are a very important source of protein. The growing of legumes is very useful for improving soil fertility.

III.Root Crops. Crops known as root crops are cultivated for their enlarged nutritious roots. The most widely grown root crops are vege­table crops used as human food. They are carrots, radishes, beets and others. Unlike cereals, they are biennials. The food collected by them the first year is stored up in their roots and used for producing seeds the second year.

W. Forage Crops. These are the crops used as feed for animals in a fresh or preserved form. Forage crops including grasses, legumes and some other crops are cultivated and used for hay, pasture and sila­ge. Most forage crops are perennials, that is², they can live and produce seeds for many years in succession³.

24

V. Tuber Crops. The most important tuber crop cultivated through-
out the world is potatoes. A tuber is not a root, it is a short thickened
inderground stem. Like root crops tubers are biennials, but people grow
them as annuals.

VI. Fibre crops. As the name shows, these crops are grown for
their fibre which is used in making clothes or for different purposes in
industry. Almost all fibre crops produce seed containing oil used either
as human food or as industrial material. Of the fibre crops cotton, flax
and hemp are of greatest importance for man.

Some other groups of field crops can be named, such as sugar crops, drug crops, oil crops, etc.

Пояснения к тексту

1) green manure crop — культура на зеленое удобрение, сидеральная культура;

2) that is — то есть;

3) in succession — подряд.

Запомните

like — подобно

unlike — в отличие от

for — 1) (предлог) для; в течение;

2) (союз) так как (часто после запятой).

Лексический минимум к тексту А

field beans, field peas, millets, rice, root crop, sorghum, tuber, vege­table, green manure crop, fibre, to adapt, to process, source, valuable, useful, purpose, throughout the world, like, unlike, for, main, mainly.

АУДИТОРНАЯ РАБОТА

VI. Выборочная проверка упражнений из задания на дом № 1.

VII. Определите, к какой части речи относятся следующие
слова, и дайте их русские эквиваленты, не пользуясь словарем
(устно):

1) to form, a form, formal, formally, formation, forming, formed;

2) to select, selected, selection, selective, selecting, selectively;

25

3) to depend, dependence, dependent, independence, independent, depending, depended, independently.

VIIL В следующих предложениях определите функцию слов с окончанием -ing. Переведите (устно):

1. The farmers are harvesting sugar beet now. 2. Using the impro­ved cultural practices the farmers obtain more grain per hectare. 3. Different forage crops are grown for feeding farm animals. 4. Sowing spring wheat in our region should be done in May. 5. Sowing wheat, one should use high quality seed. 6. Preparing the soil for planting potatoes farmers of our collective farm used new tractors. 7. The soil and clima­tic conditions should be favourable for the developing of corn plants. 8. We know of their producing high yields of potatoes every year. 9. This type of soil is well adapted to potato growing. 10. Planting field crops should begin when the seedbed is warm. 11. There are two ways of raising crop production. 12. They will begin planting potatoes in 3 days.

     IX.    Переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание
на выделенные слова (устно):

1. Corn like wheat has a fibrous root system. 2. Unlike cereals alfalfa and clover have tap roots. 3. Unlike animals plants can manu­facture food by the process of photosynthesis. 4. Rice like cotton does best under warm conditions. 5. Unlike wheat buckwheat is not affec­ted by the day length.

6. Air like temperature and light is an important environmental factor.

     X.     Переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание
на разные значения слова "for" (устно):

1. Many factors are essential for good growth of soybeans. 2. We shall grow cereals in this field for three years. 3. Corn for grain should be grown in the South, for this crop requires the temperature of 25 to 30°C and short day for its best development. 4. Air is an essential fac­tor, for it supplies carbon dioxide and oxygen necessary for plant growth. 5. Perennial crops are those that can grow and produce seeds for more than two years. 6. Root crops are grown for the food value of their roots. 7. The crop will not grow well, for the temperature of the soil is too low for it.

     XI.    Назовите по-английски все культуры, которые используются человеком в пищу.

ХII. Назовите по-английски прядильные культуры и скажите по-русски (по-английски), как они используются человеком.

XIII. Контроль чтения и понимания текста А.

26

Задание на дом №2

XIV.     Употребите вместо пропусков слова из текста А в соответствующей форме (письменно):

1. The increase in grain production is the main problem of agriculture … … …2. Edible grain is the most important... of human food. 3. Wheat is a valuable grain crop ... to different soil and climatic conditions. 4.There are some farm crops which may be grown for many different ... . 5. Carrots, beets and radishes are nutritious… … 6. The growing of a large-seeded legume as a … …is useful for increasing soil fertility. 7. Sugar beet is a biennial crop... food the firstyear and produ­cing seed the second year. 8. Rice, sorghum and millets ... wheat be­long to cereals. 9. ... are a very important human food crop as their tubers are high in protein and vitamins. 10. The seed of cotton, flax and other... crops may be... into oil widely used by man either as food or as industrial material.

XV.       Поставьте глагол, данный в скобках, в нужной форме (причастие I, причастие И, герундий) (письменно):

1. Grain is the product (to obtain) by man by (to grow) cereals.

2. These are the two crops (to differ) in the structure of the roots.

3. Some soils are rich in all kinds of food (to require) by plants. 4. The grain crops (to require) cool conditions for their best growth are wheat, barley, oats and rye. 5. Crop production can be raised by (to cultivate) new land or by (to increase) crop yields. 6. We know many environ­mental factors (to influence) the growth of farm crops. 7. Corn, sorg­hum, rice and millets are the crops (to adapt) to conditions of short day.

XVI. Переведите на английский язык (письменно):

а) 1. Пшеница широко выращивается во всем мире. 2. Зерно
может использоваться в кормлении скота. 3. Хлопок и лен — наиболее ценные прядильные культуры, используемые для многих целей. 4. Большинство корнеплодов используется в пишу человека. 5. Зерновые культуры убираются машинами. 6. В отличие от зерновых культур, картофель производит семена на второй год,

б)    1. Полевые культуры можно классифицировать или согласно их использованию, или согласно сходству их частей. 2. С точки
зрения агрономии полевые культуры делятся на шесть основных
групп. 3. Сельскохозяйственные машины широко используются для
уборки зерновых культур. 4. Среди зерновых культур наиболее
важными и наиболее широко выращиваемыми являются пшеница,
кукуруза и рис. 5. Сахарная свекла — важнейшая корневая куль-

27

тура, возделываемая для получения сахара и на корм скоту. 6. Зерновые бобовые очень важны, так как, выращивая их, можно решить три главные задачи: увеличение производства зерна, уве­личение растительного белка и улучшение почвенного плодоро­дия. 7. Как листья, так и стебли люцерны используются на корм скоту.

АУДИТОРНАЯ РАБОТА

   XIII. Проверка домашнего задания.

   XIX.В следующих предложениях замените указанные в скобках русские слова и сочетания слов их английскими эквивалента-
ми (устно).

1. The problem of the (борьба) of pests and diseases is a very important one in agriculture. 2. The (вегетационный период) of spring wheat is from 75 to 115 days. 3. Corn requires a long and (безмороз­ный) period for its good growth and development. 4. The (содержание белка) in legumes is high. 5. Soil fertility may be increased by plowing under (растительные остатки) of legumes grown. 6. Crops have eit­her (мочковатый) or (стержневой) roots. 7. Our farm has a great (опыт) in growing soybeans. 8. This crop produces high yields only (в благоприятных условиях). 9. Legume crops are often grow n as (куль­туры на зеленое удобрение). 10. Cereals are highly valued (во всем мире).

   XX.Определите, к какой части речи относятся выделенные
слова; переведите предложения (устно):

1. We value these crops for their fiber. 2. The value of cereals is known to all people. 3. People use the seeds of peas for food. 4. The agronomist spoke about this new field crop and its use in food indust­ry. 5. We worked in the field yesterday. 6. Rye yields well under cool conditions. 7. Rye yields are usually high under cool conditions. 8. Yield increases can be obtained by growing improved varieties. 9. Our farm increases soil fertility by applying fertilizers and growing legumes. 10. Agronomists group field crops according to their use. 11. Corn has manv uses. 12. Next summer our group will work on the farm "Zarya".

XXI.Ответьте на следующие вопросы к тексту А (устно):

1.What is the principle of classifying field crops agronomically? 2. What crops have several uses? 3. How can corn be used? 4. Into what groups are field crops classified agronomically? 5. What is a cereal?

28

6. Why are large-seeded legumes so important for man? 7. Are root crops annuals or biennials? 8. When do biennial crops produce seed? 9. What is a forage crops? 10. How long can a forage crop grow? 11. What is the most important tuber crop? 12. How can fiber crops be used?

XXII. Просмотрите текст В и скажите, о какой культуре говорится в нем.

Text В