A farmer has decided to produce a particular crop for the first time - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question 5 - 2010

Common minerals normally present in the soil include:

1. Nitrogen (N)
2. Phosphorus (P)

A suitable crop that could be sown is potatoes.

A recommended fertilizer for potatoes is a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-20 or 7-6-17.

Preparing to cultivate potatoes requires detailed attention as follows:

(i) Preparation of seedbed. The seedbed for potatoes should be prepared by ploughing, removing stones, harrowing, and making drills to aerate the soil and reduce compactness.

(ii) Seed sowing date. Potatoes should ideally be sown in the spring, specifically between January and April.

(iii) Diseases or pests of the crop. Common pests include the potato blight, which can be caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. Other pests include nematodes and slugs.

(iv) A suitable method of disease or pest control (to match part (iii)). Effective control methods include spraying with fungicides to manage blight and insecticides to control pests.

(v) Harvest date. The first earlies are typically harvested in May-June, while maincrop potatoes are harvested from August-November.

(vi) Yield. For potatoes, the yield can range from 7 to 10 tonnes per hectare for first earlies and approximately 30-40 tonnes per hectare for maincrop.

To determine the earthworm population of the field, a researcher can use the following method:

1. Define an area of a specific size, e.g., 1 square meter.
2. Use a spade to dig into the soil, turning it over to a depth of around 15-20 cm.
3. Count the number of earthworms present in that area.
4. Repeat this process in different locations within the overall field to ensure a representative sample.
5. Average the counts from all samples to estimate the total earthworm population per area of the field.