Variety traits and selection
A variety is a type of a crop with its own traits. Traits to compare: how fast it ripens (early or late), how much it gives (yield), how well it fights disease (resistance), how it stores, and how it looks and tastes.
No variety wins on everything. A high-yield variety may need more water and food. An early variety sells first but may give less. So choose the variety for the job: the market you sell to, the season, the soil and the common diseases in your area. Use seed from a trusted seller and check the label for the variety name and the date.
Cropping types and cultivation plans
A cropping type means when you sow and when you harvest, such as spring-sown, summer-sown or winter-grown. Each vegetable has a best temperature range. Sow so that the growing months fall inside that range.
A cultivation plan is a written plan: crop, variety, sowing date, planting distance, manure, water, harvest date and expected yield. Write it before sowing. Work backwards from the day you want to sell. Early-season crops use tunnels or nursery trays; off-season crops fetch a higher price but cost more to grow.
Crop management
Crop management is the daily care between sowing and harvest.
- Watering: at the root, little and often for seedlings, deeper for big plants.
- Weeding: weeds steal light, water and food. Remove them while small.
- Thinning: keep one strong plant per spot so plants do not crowd each other.
- Support and training: stakes or strings keep tall crops (tomato, beans) off the soil.
- Fertiliser and pest watch: feed in small doses and look for insects or spots every week.
Commercialisation and product management
After harvest the job is not over. Commercialisation means turning the harvest into a product that sells. Harvest at the right ripeness and at the cool time of day. Then sort by size, colour and damage, grade (Grade A, Grade B), pack in clean crates and label. Keep the produce cool because vegetables lose water and freshness quickly.
To evaluate the crop, record the yield per area, the share that reached Grade A, the cost and the selling price. Compare with your plan and improve next season.
Using machinery and facilities
Facilities protect the crop from weather. A low tunnel or polyhouse traps heat, so you can grow in cold months. A shade net cuts the heat in summer. Drip pipes deliver water drop by drop and save water. Mulch film stops weeds and keeps the soil moist.
Machines save time: a power tiller prepares the bed, a seeder places seed at equal distance, a sprayer covers the field fast. Use each one safely: read the manual, wear protection and never let children near them.
Try it
Grow lettuce or coriander in two trays. Put one tray in full sun, one in shade. Water both equally. Predict first, then measure the height every two days. Next, thin one tray to 1 plant per spot and leave the other crowded. Which tray grows better? Match your result with the 3D scene.
Key formulas and definitions
- Growing season = sowing month + crop duration (about 3 months here)
- Good growth: temperature between about 15 and 30 degrees C
- Grade A share (%) = Grade A fruit / total fruit x 100
- Yield per area = total harvest / area
- Tunnel temperature is roughly outside temperature + 8 degrees C (in this model)
Worked examples
1. A crop needs 3 months and is sown in March. Which months does it grow in?
March, April and May. It is ready to harvest at the end of May.
2. In a model, months with 15 to 30 degrees are good. Month temperatures are Apr 23, May 28, Jun 32. How many of the 3 months are good for a crop sown in April?
Apr 23 is good, May 28 is good, Jun 32 is too hot. So 2 of 3 are good. Growth will be a bit slow.
3. Out of 200 tomatoes, 130 are Grade A. What is the Grade A share?
130 / 200 x 100 = 65%.
4. A tunnel adds 8 degrees. The outside temperature is 9 degrees. Is it good for growth (15 to 30)?
Inside = 9 + 8 = 17 degrees, which is between 15 and 30. Yes, the tunnel makes it good.
5. A bed of 20 square metres gives 90 kg. What is the yield per square metre? If Grade A sells at 40 per kg and Grade B at 25 per kg and 60 kg is Grade A, what is the income?
Yield = 90 / 20 = 4.5 kg per square metre. Grade B = 90 - 60 = 30 kg. Income = 60 x 40 + 30 x 25 = 2400 + 750 = 3150.
6. A farmer sows in January with no tunnel (needs 3 months, good range 15 to 30). Temperatures are Jan 8, Feb 11, Mar 17. How many good months? What can he do?
Only March (17) is good, so 1 of 3. He can use a tunnel (+6 to +8 degrees) or shift sowing to a warmer month.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a variety only because it gives the highest yield, and ignoring disease, market and season.
- Sowing in the wrong month, so the crop grows in weather that is too cold or too hot.
- Leaving weeds and extra seedlings until they are big. Remove them early.
- Harvesting and packing without grading, so the good fruit is sold at the low price.