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This training manual, the third volume in a four-volume series of curriculum guides for use in training Peace Corps agricultural development workers, deals with crops. The first chapter provides suggested guidelines for setting up and carrying out the crops component of the agricultural development worker training series. Included in the second chapter are lesson plans covering the following skill areas: the agricultural environment, crop production management principles, units of measure, soil management and fertilizer use, water management, insect control, disease and nematode control, weed control, vegetable production, and traditional field crops. The third chapter consists of a series of technical resources covering basic vegetable production practices from garden planning through harvest. Provided in the appendix are skill goals and objectives, a supply and equipment list, sample planting instructions, a sample field notebook page, and an exam. (MN)

This manual, developed for use by Peace Corps volunteers, attempts to help development counselors to understand the needs of remote-area groups and to provide for those needs through effective self-help projects. The projects covered are those that can solve most effectively, on the village level, the most pressing problems. The manual is written in as nontechnical language as possible and provides background information and step-by-step directions for many projects, illustrated with line drawings. Topics covered by the manual are agronomy, horticulture, entomology, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, agriculture, home industries, self-help engineering (making tools and equipment), and measurements and conversations. In addition, a background information section is provided for the counselor, dealing with cultural anthropology, sociology, education, and the effects of climate on plant and animal growth. (KC)

This manual presents a simple, step-by-step description of irrigated rice production in Sierra Leone. It is geared specifically to the role and needs of Peace Corps volunteers who, since the mid-1970s, have worked as agricultural extension agents in the Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The manual is designed to serve both as a training manual, complementing the curriculum taught during preservice training, and as a field guide that contains a ready source of technical information during the growing season. The 18 chapters in the manual cover the stages of rice plant growth, seed selection and preparation, land preparation, fertilizer, insect pest prevention, diseases of rice, weed control, harvesting, threshing, drying, and storage. References and a glossary complete the manual. (KC)

This manual, prepared for use by Peace Corps volunteers in developing countries, has been designed as an on-the-job reference for soil management and fertilizer use at the small farmer level. It provides information on yield-boosting techniques, especially in the areas of soil conservation, organic and chemical fertilizer use, and the safe and appropriate use of agricultural chemicals. The text is written in a "how to" format, in as nontechnical language as possible, and takes a problem-solving approach to soil management and fertilizer use. Organized into nine sections, the text covers the following topics: soil basics, spotting and fixing soil physical problems, seedbed preparation, soil fertility basics, determining fertilizer needs, how to use organic fertilizers and soil conditioners, chemical fertilizers, liming soils, and salinity and alkalinity problems. An appendix to the manual provides conversion tables, composition of common fertilizers, information on soil moisture content, erosion control approaches, and hunger signs in common crops. (KC)

This manual, prepared for use by Peace Corps volunteers, provides background information and practical knowledge about crop production. The manual is designed to convey insights into basic crop production, principles, and practices. Primary emphasis is given to providing explanations and illustrations of soil, plant, and water relationships as they affect crop production. The content is presented in as nontechnical language as possible. Each of the seven units of the text are complete, substantially self-contained, and provide information, tables, and illustrations. The units cover the following topics: soils, plants, entomology, cereal crops, pulse crops, sugar and fiber crops, and oil crops. A glossary of terms used in agronomy completes the manual. (KC)

This manual, primarily designed to help Peace Corps volunteers develop and strengthen their agricultural skills, deals with traditional field crops. The focus of the manual is on surveying and interpreting local agricultural environment and individual farm units, developing agricultural extension techniques and practices, and providing basic hands-on and technical skills for extension workers in operations from farm land preparation through harvest. Covered in the individual chapters of the guide are the agricultural environment; reference crops; planning and preparation; soil fertility and management; pest and disease control; and harvesting, drying, and storage of crops. Appendixes to the manual include a list of common units of measurement and conversion; guidelines for conducting field trial result tests and demonstration plots, structural analysis, and soil samples; directions for using pesticides and herbicides; suggestions for troubleshooting common crop problems; lists of hunger signs in reference crops; and a discussion of planting skills for field extension workers. Concluding the manual are a glossary, bibliography, and list of references. (MN)

These units of instructional materials and teaching aids are part of a series of eight designed for use in rural agriculture programs for students in grades 9 and 10. Covered in the unit on livestock science are understanding the livestock industry, identifying breeds of livestock and poultry, selecting livestock, and feeding livestock. Identifying crop and weed seeds, judging the quality of grain for seed and for market, growing corn, and growing soybeans are discussed in the unit on crop science. Each of these units or problem area packets includes some or all of the following components: suggestions to the teacher, a content outline, a teacher's guide, information sheets, student worksheets, assignment sheets and keys, demonstrations, job sheets, transparencies, a discussion for the transparencies, and sample test questions and a teacher's key. (The remaining units are available separately--see note.) (MN)

One module is presented in units 203, 204, and 205, as a guide for students, and presents a general strategy for solving integrals effectively. With this material is a solutions manual to exercises. This document set also includes a unit featuring applications of calculus to geography: 206-Mercator's World Map and the Calculus. Unit 207-Management of A Buffalo Herd, features a Leslie-type model covering applications of linear algebra to harvesting. Two units include applications of linear algebra to economics: 208-Economic Equilibrium-Simple Linear Models, and 209-General Equilibrium-A Leontief Economic Model. Unit 210-Vicous Fluid Flow and the Integral Calculus, contains applications of calculus to engineering. Module 211-The Human Cough, views calculus applications to physics, biological, and medical sciences. Social science applications of calculus are viewed in 215-Zipf's Law and His Efforts to Use Infinite Series in Linguistics. Unit 216-Curves and their Parametrization, and 231-The Alexander Horned Sphere, focus on introductory topology. Finally, 232-Kinetics of Single Reactant Reactions, views calculus applications to chemistry. (MP)

This curriculum guide includes teaching packets for 21 problem areas to be included in a core curriculum for 10th grade students enrolled in a rural agricultural program. Covered in the four units included in this volume are crop science (harvesting farm crops and growing small grains); soil science and conservation of natural resources (understnading soils, judging land-use capability, buying and using fertilizers); horticulture (identifying trees, shrubs, and flowers; propagating plants sexually and asexually; and growing and caring for indoor plants); and agricultural mechanics (developing arc and acetylene welding skills, surveying in agriculture, and developing basic shop skills). Each problem-area packet includes some or all of the following components: suggestions to the teacher, teacher's guide, information sheet, student worksheets or assignment sheets and key, demonstrations, job sheets, transparencies, discussion guide for transparencies, and sample test questions and teacher's key. (MN)

Developed for use by vocational agriculture teachers in Iowa, this instructional unit provides information about the growing and marketing of sod for lawns. This document is one of three manuals making up a single package. (The other two are Christmas Tree Production and Marketing and Sod Production and Marketing). The manual includes an instructional plan and related technical information. The instructional plan features objectives, interest approach, a listing of materials needed, and teaching procedures. The technical information section provides concise information related to sod production and marketing. A reference list is included for teachers wishing additional information on the topic. Transparency masters and activity sheets are provided and coded to the unit. A list of 10 slides for use with the instructional materials is also provided. Eleven fact sheets from the Iowa Cooperative Extension Service discuss various aspects of turfgrass care. (KC)

Written in Spanish, this manual, which deals with traditional field crops, is primarily designed to help Peace Corps volunteers develop and strengthen their agricultural skills. The focus of the manual is on surveying and interpreting local agricultural environment and individual farm units, developing agricultural extension techniques and practices, and providing basic hands-on and technical skills for extension workers in operations from farm land preparation through harvest. Covered in the individual chapters of the guide are the agricultural environment; reference crops; planning and preparation; soil fertility and management; pest and disease control; and harvesting, drying, and storage of crops. Appendixes to the manual include a list of common units of measurement and conversion; guidelines for conducting field trial result tests and demonstration plots, structural analysis, and soil samples; directions for using pesticides and herbicides; suggestions for troubleshooting common crop problems; lists of hunger signs in reference crops; and a discussion of planting skills for field extension workers. Concluding the manual are a glossary, a four-page bibliography, and a list of six references. (CML)

Written in French, this manual, which deals with traditional field crops, is primarily designed to help Peace Corps volunteers develop and strengthen their agricultural skills. The focus of the manual is on surveying and interpreting local agricultural environment and individual farm units, developing agricultural extension techniques and practices, and providing basic hands-on and technical skills for extension workers in operations from farm land preparation through harvest. Covered in the individual chapters of the guide are the agricultural environment; reference crops; planning and preparation; soil fertility and management; pest and disease control; and harvesting, drying, and storage of crops. Appendixes to the manual include a list of common units of measurement and conversion; guidelines for conducting field trial result tests and demonstration plots, structural analysis, and soil samples; directions for using pesticides and herbicides; suggestions for troubleshooting common crop problems; lists of hunger signs in reference crops; and a discussion of planting skills for field extension workers. Concluding the manual are a glossary, a four-page bibliography, and a list of six references. (CML)

This manual was written as a guide for state migrant education recruiters who need to be familiar with the nature of seasonal and temporary work performed by Louisiana's migrating agricultural workers and fishing industry laborers. It is intended to teach recruiters about the agricultural and fishing activities necessary for raising and harvesting crops or fish and the time of the year in which they generally occur. The main purpose of this guide is to provide each migrant education recruiter with a precise and accurate vocabulary of work activities, for use in interviewing workers, fishers, growers, and processors. This should increase the recruiter's ability to determine migrant education program eligibility and strengthen documentation for the program. The agriculture section of the book includes information on 23 different crops, including cotton, rice, pecans, soybeans, sugar cane, hay, fruits, Louisiana citrus, strawberries, blueberries, crawfish, trees, fish farms, livestock, turf grass, nursery crops, vegetables, poultry, Christmas trees, tobacco, peaches, grain crops, and dairy products. The fishing section includes information on fish and shellfish. (TES)

This booklet, one in a series about life on modern farms, describes the daily life of the Don Riffel family, wheat farmers in Kansas. Beginning with early morning, the booklet traces the family's activities through a typical harvesting day in July, while explaining how a wheat farm is run. The booklet also briefly describes the wheat growing operation of Stan Timmermann of Oregon and the wheat harvesting business of Buster Finneman of North Dakota. Although the booklet focuses on wheat farming, it includes discussion of major topics that are common to all of the booklets: (1) farming as a business, (2) the impact of technology on farming, (3) the increasing specialization in farming, (4) the role of government in agriculture, (5) the diversity in farming, (6) the interdependence between agriculture and the rest of the economy, and (7) the way of life of farmers and their families. The booklet is illustrated with black and white photographs. (KC)

This booklet, one in a series about life on modern farms, describes farm operations and some activities in the lives of six vegetable farmers throughout the United States. The booklet visits the tomato growing of Carl Schneider and his partners and the lettuce growing farm of Norman Martella, both in California. It then includes brief accounts of the operations of the potato farm of Ferrell Palmer of Idaho, the fresh and processing vegetables farm of the Bergums in Wisconsin, the Florida vegetable farm of Johnnie Goodnight, and the small vegetable farm of William James of North Carolina. The booklet then describes a rare market auction in Faison, North Carolina. For each of these operations, the booklet includes some information about the skills needed, the economics involved, and the daily lives of the farmers and their families. Although the booklet focuses on vegetable growing, it includes discussion of major topics that are common to all of the booklets: (1) farming as a business, (2) the impact of technology on farming, (3) the increasing specialization in farming, (4) the role of government in agriculture, (5) the diversity in farming, (6) the interdependence between agriculture and the rest of the economy, and (7) the way of life of farmers and their families. The booklet is illustrated with black and white photographs. (KC)

This booklet, one in a series about life on modern farms, describes the daily lives of three orange growers in Florida and one in California. Two of the Florida orange growers also have other jobs, one as manager of a citrus cooperative and the other as a citrus insurance salesman. The operations of orange groves, the care and picking of oranges, and how oranges are processed are explained in the booklet. Although the booklet focuses on orange growing, it includes discussion of major topics that are common to all of the booklets: (1) farming as a business, (2) the impact of technology on farming, (3) the increasing specialization in farming, (4) the role of government in agriculture, (5) the diversity in farming, (6) the interdependence between agriculture and the rest of the economy, and (7) the way of life of farmers and their families. The booklet is illustrated with black and white photographs. (KC)

This curriculum guide is intended to assist persons teaching a course in microcomputer applications in agriculture. (These applications are designed to be used on Apple IIe or TRS-80 microcomputers.) Addressed in the individual units of instruction are the following topics: microcomputer operating procedures; procedures for evaluating and selecting a microcomputer system; microcomputer applications in farm business management, animal science, crop science, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, and agribusiness. Each unit contains some or all of the following: performance objectives, suggested activities for teachers and students, information sheets, transparency masters, assignment sheets, job sheets, tests, and answers to the tests. (MN)

This reference manual for training Peace Corps agricultural development workers deals with crops. The document begins with common units of area, length, weight, volume, and conversions between them. A practice problem is worked and other conversion problems are given. The second section is intended to show agricultural field workers how to survey and interpret the important features of a local agricultural environment and the individual farm units that are part of the environment. Section 3 is a guide to troubleshooting common crop problems. Section 4 offers guidelines for vegetable growing. Section 5 is an introduction to insects and insect control. Section 6 discusses nonchemical pest controls. Using chemical insecticides is the subject of section 7. Section 8 covers disease control. Section 9 discusses nematodes. Section 10 deals with weed control. An annotated bibliography suggests four vegetable-related references to be ordered for each trainee and references on vegetables and field crops to be placed in a training center library. Included among those library references are 7 on vegetables, 20 on insects, diseases, weeds, and nematodes; 3 on soil management and fertilizer use; 2 on irrigation; 13 on field crop production; 3 on root and tuber crops; 1 on tropical agriculture; and 2 on agriculture extension. (CML)

A brief introductory section contains the rationale for the course, the curriculum framework, a curriculum paradigm which indicates the approximate time ranges for each section, and notes on use of the guide. The guide itself is divided into units and subunits covering the following areas: Orientation to Pulpwood Harvesting; Tree Identification; Buying Pulpwood Timber (cruising, planning the legal aspects, establishing price, and exploring careers); Harvest Planning and Management (system selection, machinery and equipment selection, operational planning, cost analysis, records and insurance, and exploring careers); Harvest Operations (felling, limbing, and bucking, skidding and prehauling, loading and hauling, and exploring careers); and Pulpwood Mechanics (general shop skills, engine principles, small gasoline engines, engine troubleshooting and repair, hydraulics, major systems of a vehicle, machinery and equipment maintenance, and exploring careers). The material covered is presented under four headings: objectives, learning activities, topics, and resources. Additional resources are listed at the end of each subunit. Appendixes include a list of necessary facilities and equipment, a partial listing of professional and technical organizations, and a bibliography. (SA)

Dia de Dar Gracias (Thanksgiving) is the subject of this primary level unit. The unit objectives are to: (1) know about El Dia de Dar Gracias as it is celebrated in the United States; (2) know how the Mayas celebrated it; (3) understand the context of the stories in the unit; (4) know about the main food used, the turkey; (5) distinguish other peoples' customs from those of this country; (6) develop a minimum of 3 activities on the Thanksgiving theme; and (7) answer the major part of the final exam. The unit consists of a brief history of how the Mayas, along with the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Celts, had celebrations to give thanks for their harvest before the Pilgrims did; the story "Guivito El Guajolote"; a vocabulary list; a pretest and a posttest; suggested activities; and a form for teacher evaluation. (NQ)

Designed to provide Nevada's school population with information that will facilitate awareness and understanding of past and present Native Nevadan lifestyles and contributions, this generalized curriculum guide might constitute a social studies unit for upper elementary and/or junior high schools. Emphasis is on the cultural-historical influence of Nevada land and climate and plant, animal, and bird life. The narrative is supplemented by pictures (sketches of plants, food preparation, and food harvest); a word study list (40 words); a physiographic map of the United States; and a Nevada map, delineating county boundaries and the historical territories of the Washoe, Northern and Southern Paiute, and Shoshonean Indian tribes. Basic concepts include geographical influence on lifestyle; semi-nomadic and semi-sedentary cultures; food gathering and food preparation; medicinal use of plants; staple foods; the necessary ethic of "waste not"; and the implements and means of animal food procurement. The word study list includes such terms as metate, staple, mahogany, spawn, migratory, pits, atlatl, terrain, nomadic, prehistoric, pinon, and intense. (JC)

The unit of instruction is designed for use by teachers in planning and conducting young farmer and adult farmer classes. The purpose of this course is to develop the effective ability of farmers to efficiently handle forages for economic livestock feed on Kentucky farms. The unit is divided into five lessons. The lessons deal with the following topics: (1) the extent of mechanization of forage handling desirable in order to produce the most economical feed, (2) harvesting forages by grazing, (3) harvesting and storage forages in barn type structures, (4) harvesting, storing, and feeding silage, and (5) harvesting, storing, and feeding forages in the field. Transparency and handout masters are found at the end of each lesson in the unit. Teaching forms and a unit evaluation questionnaire are appended. (VA)

This package contains an instructor's manual, an instructor's resource package, and a student workbook for a course in agricultural production and management as it relates to crop production. The module contains 17 units of instruction, each of which contains some or all of the following components: objective sheet, instructor's guide, information sheet, assignment sheet, job sheet and skill test record, written test, answers to assignment sheets and written test, transparency masters, learning activity package (LAP) sheet handouts, and other required media. These components are organized within three sections as follows: (1) instructor's manual--information on measuring student performance gains, required criteria for a competency-based education program, a curriculum and duty-task matrix, a basic skills matrix, one set per unit of the instructor's guide, answers, and test code sheets; (2) instructor's resource section--a LAP sheet, transparency masters, and the written test; and (3) student workbook--objective sheets, information sheets, assignment sheets, and job sheets. Unit components are tied to measurable and observable learning outcomes, and most units of instruction are designed for use in more than one lesson or class period. The following topics are covered in the 17 units: introduction to soil, plant, and crop science; safety; careers; soils; soil sampling; fertilizers and irrigation; soil conservation practices; land uses and classification; land legal descriptions; growth and reproduction; seeds and plants; common pests; controlling pests; native and improved pastures; harvesting; marketing crops and grades; and price trends and cycles. A booklet describes the NPK$PLUS interactive software program on soil testing that is available from the Department of Agronomy, Oklahoma State University. (KC)

This document consists of two separately published guides for a course on crop science: an instructor's guide and a student's reference manual. Each part contains nine lessons on the following topics: (1) economic importance of crops; (2) crop uses (products and byproducts); (3) plant and seed identification; (4) certified seed and variety selection; (5) stand establishment; (6) managing the crop; (7) harvesting and storing grains; (8) harvesting and storing forages; and (9) controlling crop pests. Introductory matter in the instructor's guide includes: major competency profile; sections: objectives; competencies; motivational technique or interest approach; evaluation; and references and materials. Each lesson in the instructor's guide contains some or all of the following: objective; study questions; references; teaching procedures--introduction, motivation, assignment, supervised study, discussion, other activities, conclusion, competency, answers to evaluation, and answers to work sheet; evaluation; and transparency masters. Each lesson in the student reference manual consists of lesson contents, summary, credits, tables, and figures. (NLA)

Designed for students enrolled in the Vocational Agricultural Cooperative Part-Time Training Program, this course of study contains 13 units for crop farm employees. Units include (examples of unit topics in parentheses): introduction (opportunities in farming, farming as a science, and farming in the United States), farm records (keeping farm records, and using records in farm management), farm machinery--maintenance and operation (proper use of machinery and equipment, and maintenance of power machinery and equipment), farm structures and equipment (maintenance of farm structures and equipment, and building and maintaining farm fences), crop selection (important factors affecting the choice of crops), land preparation (importance of a good seedbed, row crop seedbed preparation, and land management practices), fertilizers (plant nutrients and their functions, types of fertilizers, and applying fertilizers), irrigation (importance of irrigation, sources of water and principal methods of irrigation, and irrigation management), weed control (importance of weed control, classification and identification of weeds, and control by mechanical and chemical methods), insect and pest control (safety, definition and classification of an insect, management, and insecticides), diseases and control (definition and classification of diseases by pathogens, principles of plant disease control, and chemical control), harvesting equipment (cotton pickers and strippers; corn snappers and pickers; corn combines; and forage harvesting equipment), and major crops (cotton, corn, forage and hay crops, grain sorghum, peanuts, rice, and small grains). Introductory materials include a course outline and a list of supplementary references. Provided for each unit topic is: an assignment sheet that presents the objective, a list of references, and a list of questions and activities; and information sheets with diagrams and drawings. Other contents include answer sheets for the questions and activities, tests on each topic, and answer sheets for the topic tests. (YLB)

This curriculum guide contains guidesheets for the ornamental horticulture production occupations. Each guidesheet provides a job-relevant task; performance objective, with task, performance standard, source of standard, and conditions for performance of task; enabling objectives; a list of resources; teaching activities; a criterion-referenced measure; performance guide; and evaluation checklist. A total of 165 performance objectives are categorized into seven duties: (1) performing administrative functions; (2) preparing soil and growing media; (3) propagating horticultural plants; (4) growing plants; (5) performing maintenance operations; (6) harvesting plants; and (7) performing sales. Appendixes include a task list and job titles, definition of terms, tool and equipment list, 234-item bibliography, 13-item state-of-the-art literature bibliography, and 22-item sources of standards bibliography. (YLB)

Project COULD (Career Orientation Utilizing Language Development) was developed as a means of building skills, knowledges, and attitudes on elementary children's previously acquired backgrounds. Children begin to speak the grammar and vocabulary characteristic of the language heard most frequently at home and in the immediate environment. A series of units of instruction were developed from the concepts and vocabulary of the industries indigenous to Coos County (Oregon). Each unit of the instructional guide is designed to promote vocational awareness, exploration, and language development. Intended for fourth grade use, the four-week unit on harvesting shellfish focuses on the harvesting process, terminology, key occupations, and environmental influences. It is divided into eight sections: (1) a summary; (2) a unit outline; (3) project goals; (4) unit performance objectives; (5) vocabulary; (6) suggested learning activities (games, puzzles, and evaluation and followup activities); (7) lists of resource persons and materials (audiovisual and print media) and outlines for use by the resource person (suggestions, discussion topics, and related vocabulary); and (8) background information (suggested teacher reading; job and process flow charts for crab, shrimp, and oyster fishing; and job descriptions for 17 shellfish industry-related occupations). (Author/BP)

Project COULD (Career Orientation Utilizing Language Development) was developed as a means of building skills, knowledges, and attitudes on elementary children's previously acquired backgrounds. Children learn to speak the grammar and vocabulary characteristic of the language heard most frequently at home and in the immediate environment. A series of units of instruction were developed from the concepts and vocabulary of the industries indigenous to Coos County (Oregon). Each unit of the instructional guide is designed to promote vocational awareness, exploration, and language development. The unit on harvesting fish was prepared for approximately four weeks of instruction at the third grade level. It is divided into eight sections: (1) a summary; (2) an outline of all elementary units on fishing; (3) project goals; (4) unit performance objectives; (5) vocabulary; (6) suggested learning activities (games, puzzles, and evaluation and followup activities); (7) lists of resource persons and materials (audiovisual and print media) and outlines for use by the resource person (suggestions, discussion topics, and related vocabulary); and (8) background information (suggested teacher reading, job and process flow charts for salmon and tuna trolling, and job descriptions for captain, deck hand, and fishing supply store sales clerk and stockboy). (Author/BP)

Presented is information recommended for inclusion in a short course to help extend knowledge of water resource development and research techniques in arid and semi-arid regions. Information is particularly intended for applicability in developing nations. Included are considerations of livestock grazing, use of hydrologic data, vegetation manipulation, watershed rehabilitation, water conservation practices in arid regions, and control of erosion. (RE)

This competency-based horticulture curriculum guide is designed to provide secondary and postsecondary horticulture teachers with a task-oriented program for training turfgrass maintenance workers. It contains a master resource list, a listing of turfgrass maintenance resources available from various states, and 59 competency task sheets organized into 11 competency areas. These areas are equipment operation and maintenance; general turfgrass maintenance; maintenance of trees and shrubs; maintenance of greens and trees; maintenance of fairways, roughs, and traps; maintenance of water hazards; maintenance of facilities; ground preparation; propagation and growth; harvesting; and maintenance. A task statement, a performance objective, suggested learning activities, evaluation procedures, selected resources, and a performance guide are provided in each competency task sheet. Instructor checklists designed to help instructors determine acceptable levels of student performance are also included in the units. (Related competency-based horticulture curriculum guides in the areas of gardening/groundskeeping and floriculture are available separately through ERIC--see note.) (MN)

This competency-based horticulture curriculum guide is designed to provide secondary and postsecondary horticulture teachers with a task-oriented program in floriculture. It contains a master resource list, a listing of floriculture resources available from various states, and 89 competency task sheets organized into nine competency areas. These areas are maintenance and repairs; field soils; media mixes; planting and propagating plants; cultural and environmental control practices; irrigation practices; plant pest and disease control; harvesting crops; and packaging, storing, and shipping. A task statement, a performance objective, suggested learning activities, evaluation procedures, selected resources, and a performance guide are provided in each competency task sheet. Instructor check lists designed to help instructors determine acceptable levels of student performance are also included in the units. (Related competency-based horticulture curriculum guides in the areas of gardening/groundskeeping and turfgrass maintenance are available separately through ERIC--see note.) (MN)

This document is a teacher's guide for a unit in vocational agriculture for college freshmen. It is intended to be used for 20 hours of instruction as an introductory course on the crop industry. It provides a broad background of the industry, including production, marketing, processing, and transportation, with emphasis on identifying major crops and their uses. It also covers the first phases of the production cycle. (Subsequent units in plant science and crop production build upon this unit.) The objectives of the unit are to help students to develop an understanding of the functioning of the crop industry; an ability to identify primary plant parts, major North Dakota crops and their uses, and prohibited and restricted noxious weeds; in addition to the ability to determine seed quality and to prepare seed for planting. The unit is divided into material for six jobs, as follows: (1) examining the crop industry; (2) identifying plant parts; (3) identifying major North Dakota crops and their uses; (4) identifying weeds; (5) determining seed quality; and (6) preparing seed for planting. Each of the jobs includes objectives, guide questions, references, an approach to interest students, key facts about the content of the material, worksheets, and transparency masters. (KC)