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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the classification and characteristics of major plant and tree groups that are of agricultural significance (e.g., monocots, dicots).
- Apply knowledge of the structures and functions of cells, tissues, and systems of plants and of plant physiological processes, including trees.
- Apply knowledge of the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration in plants and trees.
- Analyze factors that influence plant and tree growth and maturation (e.g., light, temperature, day length, water, nutrients, hormones).
- Demonstrate knowledge of asexual and sexual reproduction in plants and trees, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the structures that are involved in the process.
- Apply knowledge of methods and techniques of asexual and sexual plant and tree propagation (e.g., cutting, rooting, grafting, layering, dividing, air layering) and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Apply knowledge of principles of inheritance and genetics and the use of these principles in selective breeding and hybridization of plants and trees.
Sample Item:
Which of the following functions best describes the role of phloem tissues in plants?
- transporting amino acids and sugars from leaves or storage organs to actively growing parts of the plant
- pulling water from the soil into the roots and transporting it through the root system through capillary action
- protecting the plant by adding rigidity to stems and forming bark or other types of protective coverings
- removing excess water from tissues and transporting it to stomata, where it can be eliminated through transpiration
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Phloem is one type of plant vascular tissue. Comprised of still-living cells, these structures transport the sap that contains sugars and amino acids to the locations that need those compounds.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of soil classification, characteristics, components (e.g., humus, sand, clay), and properties (e.g., texture, particle size, porosity) and their relevance to agricultural production.
- Apply knowledge of the suitability of different soils for various crops, procedures for performing and interpreting soil tests, and the types and uses of various soil amendments (e.g., lime, organic matter, types and formulations of fertilizers).
- Apply knowledge of principles and methods of soil management, conservation, and erosion control (e.g., cover cropping, crop rotation, minimum tillage), including various types of tillage and their uses in agricultural production.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic ecological principles (e.g., niche, ecosystem, food chains, succession) and their relevance to agriculture.
- Demonstrate knowledge of energy and biogeochemical cycles and their relevance to agriculture.
- Apply knowledge of types and characteristics of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources, including energy resources, their relevance to agriculture, and principles and methods for their sustainable use.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of various types of agricultural production systems (e.g., monoculture, polyculture) on the environment; strategies for preventing, minimizing, and mitigating environmental degradation due to agricultural production; and understanding the introduction and spread of invasive species.
- Apply knowledge of principles and methods of forest, wildlife, and habitat conservation, grazing, and management, including Best Management Practices (BMPs).
- Apply knowledge of social, legal, ethical, and safety issues related to agriculture and the environment.
Sample Item:
If heavy clay soils are plowed early in the spring while the soil is still wet, which of the following outcomes is most likely to occur?
- increased leaching of soluble nutrients
- reduced problems with annual weeds
- increased likelihood of soil erosion
- reduced capacity for drainage
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Soils that are high in smaller, clay-sized particles retain water better than other soil types. Plowing early in the spring when the soil is still wet can lead to soil compaction, or the reduction of soil porosity, because the water acts as a lubricant between the soil particles, allowing them to be pushed closer together than would be possible under drier conditions. Compacted soil has poorer drainage than non-compacted soils.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of species, varieties, and characteristics of different types of crops (e.g., field, fruit, trees, horticultural, greenhouse, nursery).
- Apply knowledge of practices, methods, and technologies for planting, growing, and harvesting agriculturally important crops (e.g., hydroponics, row crops, mechanical harvesting, hand harvesting, terracing, crop rotation, intercropping).
- Demonstrate knowledge of conventionally and unconventionally grown crops (e.g., genetically engineered, vertically grown, organic) and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Apply knowledge of the function of important plant nutrients, sources of nutrients, and nutrient deficiency symptoms in plants.
- Apply knowledge of types of common diseases of plants, their causes and symptoms, and methods for their prevention and control (e.g., planting resistant varieties, roguing diseased plants, controlling vectors).
- Apply knowledge of types and characteristics of common plant pests and toxic plants, including signs of the damage they produce and methods for their control (e.g., chemical pesticides, integrated pest management, intercropping).
- Apply knowledge of methods for the control of weeds (e.g., mulching, herbicides, tillage) in field, fruit, and horticultural crops.
- Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for processing, storing, and grading plant products, including laws related to the inspection of various products.
- Demonstrate knowledge of greenhouse and nursery systems (e.g., facilities, watering systems, growth media), principles and methods for growing greenhouse and nursery crops, and designing and managing landscapes.
Sample Item:
Use the information in the table below to answer the question that follows.
| Line |
Disease |
Plant Species |
Insect Vector |
| 1 |
smut |
corn |
corn borer |
| 2 |
mosaic |
soybeans |
aphids |
| 3 |
anthracnose |
apples |
codling moth |
| 4 |
late blight |
potato |
Colorado potato beetle |
Which of the lines in the table correctly matches a plant disease with its vector and host?
- line 1
- line 2
- line 3
- line 4
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Soybeans are one of the crops that can become infected by viruses in the Potyvirus genus. Soybean mosaic virus (Potyvirus spp.) is often transmitted by several aphid species including the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines), but it can also be spread through contact with contaminated tools or through infected seeds.
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