1. winter
   fall
2. spring
   summer

Many farmers drill the soil a bit to open the top layer. This makes it easier to plant new seeds, which are then placed at the optimimum depth for best possible growth.

1. acres
   bushels
2. square miles
   acorns

Square miles would be a useless term for farmers with irregular plots of land. Acres, on the other hand, is a universally understood unit of property holdings.

1. dehydration
   degradation
2. torsion
   erosion

Farmers take many measures, like terracing, to reduce erosion, which is frequently caused by water runoff and wind. Erosion can ruin fields and reduce a land's potential for crops.

1. gene-spliced milo
   growing mostly oats
2. glandular modifications for bovines
   genetically modified organism

For many years, researchers have been tweaking the genes of plants to improve certain good traits to help them grow better and increase crop yields. But GMOs have gotten a bad rap in some quarters, as people worry that they may cause more harm than benefit.

1. its smell
   its texture
2. its pH level
   its levels of calcium

You don't need your PhD in agronomy to know that "acid" refers to a soil's pH levels. Below 7.0, a soil is regarded as having an acid reaction.

1. to increase corn growth
   to reduce peanut plant size (in effect increasing ultimate yield)
2. to kill harmful fungus
   to lay waste to mice populations

Various types of fungi may attack large swaths of crops. But modern fungicides can help to keep these damaging organisms at bay.

1. near the hog lot
   outside the sheep barn
2. in the chicken coop
   in the middle of corn field

Not all chickens are great for egg production. Those that consistently produce eggs, though, are called layers.

1. combine
   incubator
2. jack
   auger

Farmers use screw-like augers to move grain through tubes. Augers are simple but vital tools, and when they fail or become jammed, they may cause time-consuming work delays.

1. a three-story grain bin
   a semi truck
2. thresher
   cotton gin

Combines are incredibly useful for farmers. They combine threshers and harvesters, making the fall harvest much more efficient than in olden times.

1. chickens
   a type of corn
2. pork transport trucks
   soybeans

Broilers are young chickens. They can be either male or female, but they're always around 7 weeks old.

1. growing food just for one's family
   using all-organic processes
2. sheep farming
   deploying synthetic fertilizers eight times per year

In many places of the world, farming isn't a job, it's a means for survival. Subsistence farming means the farmer is growing just enough food to feed his or her own family.

1. feedlot
   nearby ditches
2. wheat field
   sandlot

Feedlots are (often enormous) feeding areas where farmers fatten cattle for market. It's an easy way to quickly bring a product to market, but some nutrition and environmental concerns do arise in these facilties, in part due to the close quarters and large amounts of animal waste that must be disposed of.

1. to improve tractor traction during harvest
   to double the size primary crops
2. to ward off rats
   to protect the soil

Cover crops might be species such as buckwheat that are planted between rows of primary crops. They help to protect the soil from erosion and often improve soil quality, too.

1. lazy
   infertile
2. dry
   barren

Dry cows are those that aren't producing milk. Various life cycle processes -- or even high stress -- can cause a cow to go dry.

1. planting different crops on the same land in successive years
   digging up plants from one field and moving them to another
2. spinning the crops to remove chaff
   applying massive amounts of fertilizer

Crop rotation means planting different crops in the same field in successive years. Changing the crops tend to improve soil quality.

1. weed killer
   pest destruction
2. fertilizer
   animal feed

Farmers stuff plant material into large, airtight bags to create a fermentation process. This silage is eventually used as animal feed.

1. making a huge mistake
   increasing traction
2. bedding the field
   practicing no-till farming

In many places, the practice of no-till farming is becoming more acceptable. It leaves crop stalks in the fields, a fact that drastically reduces erosion and protects the soil.

1. double crop
   marginal land
2. backfill
   erosion

Farmers like to make the most of their land. In a double crop season, they might plant wheat early, harvest it, and then plant soybeans for harvest in autumn.

1. It affects her water access.
   It means she can only use seed from one company.
2. It refers to fertilizer usage.
   It actually has nothing to do with farming.

Riparian rights are water rights. In dry regions -- or those crushed by drought -- riparian rights can mean the difference between a farm that survives and one that goes bankrupt.

1. He's forgoing fertilizer.
   He will never plant that field again.
2. He's farming without irrigation.
   He's leaving the field falllow.

Dry land farming means there's no irrigation system in place. The crops will survive (or fail) on natural precipitation alone.

1. beef farming
   corn yields
2. turkey housing
   soygbean type

The beef industry has been pushing the "Angus" type of beef for years. Angus beef has been very popular with consumers all over the country.

1. when you put grain from multiple years' harvests into one bin
   when you accidentally mix soybeans and corn
2. when you plant more than one type of crop in the same field at the same time
   when you plant at least three varieties of corn

Farmers sometimes plant more than one type of crop in the same field. This can greatly reduce erosion and the plants will benefit each other in terms of nutrients.

1. It helps the plants create stronger roots.
   It doesn't.
2. It drowns plants.
   It adaequately waters them.

Gravitation water is water that either seeps through the soil or merely runs off on the surface. In either case, it doesn't offer much moisture for crops in the area.

1. chickens
   soybeans
2. corn
   grapes

Viticulture is the foundation of the grape industry. Without it, no bagged grapes or bottled wines would be possible

1. 8
   18
2. 28
   88

Bushels are how farmers measure their yields of corn, wheat, etc. One bushel of these products is equal to about 8 gallons of liquid.

1. in southern Florida
   during a short drought
2. in poor climate or the off-season
   only for sweet corn

Hydroponics refers to systems that grow plants in nutrient-laced water. The concept is particularly useful in areas where growing conditions aren't ideal for outdoor fields.

1. They can be overhauled at the manufacturer.
   The rear is equipped with a different harvester.
2. They are actually used for just one crop type.
   They have removable heads.

Combines are adapatable machines. Swap out the head and you can use them to harvest many types of crops.

1. lack of water
   compaction
2. locust invasion
   topsoil reduction

When too many farmers tap into groundwater for irrigation, they are overdrafting the supply. In some places, overdrafting can have terrible consquences for farmers and their families.

1. turkey
   almonds
2. beef
   cereal grains

Corn, rice and wheat are just three examples of cereal grains. These grains all have an inedible outer coating, called chaff, that must be removed before the grains are used as food.

1. It has no nutritional value.
   It may spontaneously combust.
2. It is borderline toxic.
   It is fermented.

To make silage, farmers pack grassy crops (or even grass) into a nearly airtight area. The material begins to ferment, and after about two weeks it can be used as animal feed for ruminants.

1. They add specific microorganisms.
   They burn the edges of the plants.
2. They use leaf blowers to aerate the pile.
   They add 50% manure.

Some farmers trust native microorganisms to properly ferment the silage. Others add specific bacteria to the mix in order to make the silage a better quality product.

1. combining
   irrigation
2. fertilizing
   tilling

Pivot irrigation refers to large sprinklers that spray their life-giving fluids all over a dry field. In some places, farming isn't possible without pivots.

1. for pest control
   to increase plant height
2. to reduce root depth
   to ward off drought

Bacillus thuringiensis is often found in native soils. Farmers acquire Bt in large quanties and then spray in on their fields, as it is a good pest deterrent in some climates.

1. reduces crop yield
   attracts predators
2. the end product contains poisons
   pollution

Silage fermentation results in liquids that aren't good for the environment. Furthermore, if those liquids aren't captured, they can contaminate groundwater.

1. It protects the environment and consumers.
   It uses only 20 tons of fertilizer per year.
2. It is exclusively monoculture.
   It is only organic crops.

Sustainable agriculture maximizes the health of the overall environment. Its practices embrace long-term farming that benefits every part of the farming process, from start to finish.