SUST 316: Crop and Soil Management
Final Exam [52 pts]
Name:____________________________________________ [1 pt.]
An elementary school has decided to put in a raised bed garden on their school grounds. They constructed four, 3ft. X 6 ft. beds between the building and the playground. Their desire is to have students use the garden space for education and some food production. They come to you asking for recommendations on what to plant. School starts in early August. Create a plan/design for them.
Include a drawing of your design layout [4 pts.]
Label the types of plants you will include with its common name and botanical family [2 pt.]
Describe (in words or with arrows/pictures) your 3 year crop rotation suggestion. [2 pts.] Include at least one sentence of why you choose this rotation. [2 pts.]
Describe 1-3 sentences how you will maintain soil health in these raised garden beds. [2 pts.]
In 1-3 sentences describe your recommended water management plan. [3 pts.]
What are your other suggestions to help make this project a success? [1 pt.]
A farmer in northeast Indiana has 30 acres and tells you that they have “14 different soils ranging from a heavy clay to sand and everything in between.” Their goal is to raise their soil organic matter by 2% before they retire (20 years) and hand over their farm to the next generation. The farm was previously corn-soybeans on this rolling landscape and currently has an average SOM of 1.5%. The farmer has some limited cash resources and an off-farm job. What suggestions would you make to this farmer to build soil organic matter across their farm?
Discuss in 2-3 sentences the different challenges a clay soil presents compared to a sandy soil. [4 pts.]
Include your recommendations [4 pts.]
Include 1-2 questions you would ask the farmer for more information and/or 1-2 pieces of information that you would want to know. [2 pts.]
A neighbor heard that you enjoy gardening and took a class about crop and soil management. They tell you that their zucchini and squash plants are not looking good and invite you to come over and take a look. You notice some shiny, brown eggs under the leaves and gray bodied insects crawling around. What suggestions do you make to your neighbor?
Include 2 questions that you would ask the neighbor. [2 points]
Include your IPM (integrated pest management) recommendations in 2-5 sentences. [3 points]
An urban agriculture non-profit in Fort Wayne, IN wants to transition abandoned city lots to perennial, polyculture, food-forest, park-like, green spaces that also provide food for locals. They have acquired one lot, 50 ft. x 100 ft. What recommendations do you have?
Create a diagram of the lot. [5 pts.]
List your plant suggestions. [5 pts.]
In 2-5 sentences give your rationale for choosing the plants you did and why you chose to arrange them the way you did. [5 pts.]
Permaculture has an ethical framework for designing spaces [Earth-Care/People-Care/Fair-Share/Limits Aware]. In 3-5 sentences, discuss the aspect of this framework that challenges you and stretches your thinking/designing the most [3 points]. Include two personal examples [2 points].