AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

CLASS – SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (SS 1)

THEME: CROP PRODUCTION 

PREVIOUS LESSON – Agricultural Science Curriculum Guides (Plan Lesson Notes) for Senior Secondary Schools (SS 1)

 

TOPIC – CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS

LEARNING AREA

1. Introductory Activities

2. Classification of Crops based their Uses and Types

3. Classification of Crops based their Life Cycle

4. Classification of Crops based on Morphology

 

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES 

By the end of the lesson, most of the students should have attained the following objectives – classify crops based on

1. uses

2. life cycle

3. morphology

 

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The teacher will teach the lesson with the aid of:

1. Crop seeds

2. Fruits and leaves.

 

METHOD OF TEACHING

Choose a suitable and appropriate methods for the lessons.

Note – Irrespective of choosing methods of teaching, always introduce an activities that will arouse pupil’s interest or lead them to the lessons. 

 

REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Scheme of Work

2. National Curriculum for SSS Classes

3. Course Book

4. All Relevant Material

5. Online Information

 

CONTENT OF THE LESSON

INTRODUCTION

Farmers plant many crops for different reasons. They plant for foods or commercials. Crops are classified according to forms and lifespan and according to types and uses. Crops include maize, rice, tomato, pepper, okro, kolanut, beans, groundnut, etc. Crops can be classified into various categories based on different criteria such as:

1. Classification of Crops Based on their Uses

2. Classification of Crops Based on their Cycle

3. Classification of Crops Based on their Morphology

 

CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS BASED ON THEIR USES

Crops can also be classified based on their uses, which refers to the physical characteristics and structures of the plant. Here are some common classifications of crops based on their uses:

1. Cereal Crops – Cereal crops are grass-like plants cultivated for their edible grains or seeds. They typically have long, slender leaves and tall, upright stems. Examples of cereal crops include wheat, rice, guinea corn, maize (corn), oats, millet and sorghum.

2. Pulses/Legume – Pulses are leguminous crops grown for their edible seeds, which are high in protein and important for human and animal nutrition. They have compound leaves and typically produce pods that contain the seeds. Examples of pulses include soybeans, peas, peanut, cowpea, chickpeas, lentils, and beans.

3. Root/Tuber Crops – Root crops are cultivated for their underground storage organs, such as tubers, bulbs, or roots, which are consumed as food. They often have fleshy, underground structures that store carbohydrates and other nutrients. Examples of root crops include potato, yam, cassava, irish potato, carrots, beets, radishes, and onions.

4. Leafy Vegetables – Leafy vegetables are crops grown for their edible leaves or leafy parts. They are often consumed fresh as salads or cooked as part of a meal. Leafy vegetables have broad, flat leaves and stems. Examples include tomato, cabbage, okro, pepper, onion, carrot, lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, and Swiss chard.

5. Fruit Crops – Fruit crops are cultivated for their edible fruits, which are often sweet, fleshy, and contain seeds. These crops can be trees, shrubs, or vines and produce fruits that are consumed fresh or processed into products like juice, jam, and preserves. Examples of fruit crops include orange, mango, pawpaw, apple, pineapple, banana, grapes, strawberries, and bananas.

6. Oilseed Crops – Oilseed crops are grown for the oil-rich seeds they produce, which are used for culinary purposes, biofuel production, and industrial applications. They have seeds that are high in oil content and are typically pressed to extract the oil. Examples of oilseed crops include soybeans, sunflower seeds, canola (rapeseed), and flaxseed.

7. Food crops – These are crops that are grown for human consumption and provide essential nutrients and energy. Examples include cereals such as rice, wheat, and maize, as well as vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots.

8. Cash Crops – Cash crops are grown primarily for sale in the market rather than for personal consumption. These crops are usually high-value crops that bring in income for farmers. Examples include cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee, and tea.

9. Feed Crops – Feed crops are grown to provide food for livestock and poultry. These crops are rich in nutrients and are essential for the production of meat, milk, and eggs. Examples include alfalfa, corn, soybeans, and oats.

10. Fiber Crops – Fiber crops are grown for their fibrous materials, which are used to make textiles, ropes, and other products. Examples include cotton, jute, hemp, and flax.

11. Industrial Crops – Industrial crops are grown for non-food and non-feed purposes, such as for raw materials in industries. Examples include rubber, tobacco, oilseeds, and sugarcane (for ethanol production).

12. Medicinal Crops – These crops are grown for their medicinal properties and are used in the production of pharmaceuticals, herbal supplements, and traditional medicines. Examples include aloe vera, turmeric, neem, and ginseng.

13. Ornamental Crops – Ornamental crops are grown for their aesthetic beauty and are used for landscaping, decoration, and floral arrangements. Examples include roses, tulips, orchids, and ferns.

15. Green Manure Crops – Green manure crops are grown to improve soil fertility and structure by adding organic matter and nitrogen to the soil. Examples include legumes like clover, vetch, and alfalfa.

 

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THEIR LIFE CYCLE

Crops can also be classified based on their life cycle, which refers to the duration of time they take to grow from planting to maturity. The understanding of classification based on life cycle of crops is important for proper planting, management, and harvest to ensure successful crop production. Here are the main categories of crops based on their life cycle:

1. Annual Crops – Annual crops complete their life cycle within one growing season. That’s, annual crops are crops that grow and live for about one year. They are planted in the spring or early summer, grow, produce flowers and seeds, and then die off in the fall or winter. Examples of annual crops include corn, rice, soybeans, and tomatoes, maize, okro, onion and carrot, yam, maize, groundnut, millet, garden egg, sorghum, cassava and potato.

2. Biennial Crops – Biennial crops have a two-year life cycle. That’s, biennial crops are crops that grow and live for about two years. They are planted in one year, grow vegetatively in the first season, overwinter, and then produce flowers, seeds, and fruits in the second season before dying off. Examples of biennial crops include carrots, onions, and sugar beets, pepper, alligator pepper, plantain, sugarcane, pineapple and pawpaw.

3. Perennial Crops – Perennial crops have a longer life cycle and can survive for multiple growing seasons. That’s, perennial crops are crops that grow and live for more two years. They produce crops year after year without needing to be replanted each season. Examples of perennial crops include fruits like apples, grapes, and berries, as well as nuts like almonds, walnuts, oil palm, cocoa, mango, citrus, guava and kola.

4. Seasonal Crops – Seasonal crops are classified based on the season in which they are grown. They can be further divided into summer crops, winter crops, and cool-season crops, depending on their preferred growing conditions and the time of year they are planted.

6. Ephemeral Crops – Ephemeral crops are crops marked by short life cycles. That’s, these crops germinate, produce seeds, flower, and die. For examples, tomatoes, etc.

 

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THEIR MORPHOLOGY

1. Monocotyledonous Crops – Monocotyledon crops are also known as monocotyledons or monocotyledonous crops. These crops have one seed leaf after germination. The key features are as follows –

I. Monocots have seeds with only one cotyledon.

II. Monocots have parallel leaf venation, meaning the veins in their leaves run parallel to each other.

III. Monocots have fibrous root systems.

IV. Monocots typically have floral parts in multiples of three (e.g., three petals, six stamens).

V. Examples of monocot crops include maize (corn), rice, wheat, barley, sugarcane, oats, and bananas.

 

2. Dicotyledonous Crops – Dicotyledonous crops are also known as dicotyledons or dicotyledonous. These crops have two seed leaf after germination. The key features are as follows –

I. Dicots have seeds with two cotyledons.

II. Dicots have reticulate leaf venation, where the veins form a network or grid pattern on the leaf.

III. Dicots have taproots or branched root systems.

IV. Dicots typically have floral parts in multiples of four or five (e.g., four or five petals, eight or ten stamens).

V. Examples of dicot crops include soybeans, peanuts, sunflowers, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and peas.

 

PRESENTATION

TEACHER’S ACTIVITIES

The teacher, 

1. display sample or chart showing collection of crops such as seeds, roots, fruits or leaves.

2. discuss the classification of crops with the students by encouraging active participation.

4. summarizes the lesson on the board.

 

STUDENT’S ACTIVITIES

The students, 

1. observe and note the differences and group that each belongs.

2. participate actively in the class discussion.

3. copy as the teacher writes.

 

CONCLUSION

To conclude the lesson for the week, the teacher revises the entire lesson and links it to the following week’s lesson.

 

LESSON EVALUATION 

Teacher asks students to identify and classify crops based on

1. uses,

2. lifecycles, and

3. morphology.