Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. In basic farm trivia, which of these crops is classified as a cereal grain?
   Wheat
2. Rice is the staple food for most people living in East and Southeast Asia.
   True
3. Many farming questions mention "loam" soil. What does this soil texture term describe?
   Soil with a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay
4. Broiler chickens are raised primarily for egg production.
   False
5. In livestock farming trivia, which of these animals is a ruminant that relies on a multi-chambered stomach to digest fiber?
   Cow
6. In global agriculture trivia, which region produces the largest share of the world’s cocoa beans used for chocolate?
   West Africa
7. Clay soils generally have lower water holding capacity than sandy soils.
   False
8. A vegetable grower in a dry region has limited water and wants to maximize water use efficiency. Which irrigation method is usually best suited to this goal?
   Drip irrigation
9. A farmer growing continuous corn notices rising insect pressure and more herbicide-resistant weeds. Which primary benefit of crop rotation could help address this problem?
   Breaking pest and disease cycles
10. A farmer has a sloping field that is losing topsoil during heavy rains. Which practice is most effective at slowing runoff and keeping soil in place on that slope?
    Contour plowing
11. Organic certification in most countries allows some approved pesticides, such as certain mineral or biological products, to be used on crops.
    True
12. A Midwestern grain farmer rotates maize (corn) with soybeans and wants to reduce purchased nitrogen fertilizer for the maize. Which practice would most directly help achieve this?
    Plant a legume cover crop before maize
13. In most cases, traditional flood irrigation uses water more efficiently than a well managed center pivot sprinkler system.
    False
14. A swine producer who tracks how many kilograms of feed are required to produce one kilogram of liveweight gain is measuring feed efficiency.
    True
15. A country depends heavily on imported wheat and worries about short-term price spikes hurting low-income consumers. Which strategy most directly improves its short-term food security?
    Building and managing emergency public grain reserves
16. Arrange these steps in the typical sequence for using soil testing to create a fertilizer plan for a field.
    Correct order: Collect soil samples from the field → Send samples to a laboratory for analysis → Review the laboratory test report → Adjust fertilizer and lime applications based on recommendations
17. An extension agent recommends conservation agriculture to a grain farmer who wants more sustainable production. Which description best captures the core package of conservation agriculture practices?
    Minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and diverse crop rotations
18. During a lecture on Green Revolution history, a professor summarizes its main strategy. Which description best matches the core approach of the Green Revolution in developing countries?
    Developing higher yielding cereal varieties supported by increased fertilizer use and irrigation
19. A farmer on saline, poorly drained soil has very limited high-quality irrigation water but still needs to grow a cash crop. Which approach best addresses soil salinity while conserving scarce water?
    Use drip irrigation combined with occasional leaching and adequate drainage