Cash crops and a local crop production plan
Build a crop plan from local evidence covering crop groups, land and climate, planting, care, harvest, storage and records.
Section Component 2 · Practical Coursework preparation
Exam scope and assessment notes
Use this original lesson for the listed 2026, 2027–2028 and 2029–2031 Cambridge syllabus cycles. This route maps Cambridge's 2026 Version 2, 2027–2028 Version 1 and 2029–2031 Version 1 syllabuses. The 2026 update changes only a weblink; Cambridge reports no significant teaching changes for the 2027–2028 or 2029–2031 cycles. Exams are in the November series, and the qualification is not available in every administrative zone; confirm entry with your centre. Centre-selected local crop, weed, pest, disease and livestock examples must be checked against local agriculture. StudyForA does not replace supervised, risk-assessed practical work, the four assessed practical exercises, the individual practical investigation/report, teacher assessment or Cambridge moderation. Online practice is not an official mark or grade.
Before you begin
- Read the syllabus that matches your exam year and confirm your centre can enter you for code 0600. This route maps Cambridge's 2026 Version 2, 2027–2028 Version 1 and 2029–2031 Version 1 syllabuses. The 2026 update changes only a weblink; Cambridge reports no significant teaching changes for the 2027–2028 or 2029–2031 cycles. Exams are in the November series, and the qualification is not available in every administrative zone; confirm entry with your centre. Centre-selected local crop, weed, pest, disease and livestock examples must be checked against local agriculture. StudyForA does not replace supervised, risk-assessed practical work, the four assessed practical exercises, the individual practical investigation/report, teacher assessment or Cambridge moderation. Online practice is not an official mark or grade.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which item must be confirmed with local crop guidance before a real planting plan is used?
What you will learn
- Name legumes, roots and tubers, edible fruits and cereals and their products.
- Describe one locally important crop from site choice through record keeping using verified local recommendations.
Classify crops and products
Legumes include crops such as beans or groundnuts; roots and tubers include cassava, yam or potato; edible fruits include crops such as tomato or banana; cereals include maize, rice or wheat. Their products may be food, feed, oil, fibre or processed goods.
The list is illustrative, not a claim about what is locally important everywhere. A learner should use a crop selected by their centre or region.
Plan the crop cycle with local evidence
A complete plan records soil and climate needs; land preparation; sowing or planting time and method; cultivar; locally recommended seed rate and spacing; manure and fertiliser rates; pest, weed and disease controls; signs of maturity; harvesting; expected yield; storage; and a diary of events and production.
Do not copy generic input rates into a real farm plan. Rates, cultivar choice, legal controls and crop calendars vary by location, soil, season and product; confirm with the centre and reliable local extension guidance.
Keep useful production records
Record dates, field or plot, cultivar, input amounts and sources, labour, weather events, pest observations, harvest weight and storage losses. Consistent records help compare crops and improve future decisions.
Separate observations from estimates and note units. A yield comparison is meaningful only when plot area, harvest method and measurement are comparable.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Which item must be confirmed with local crop guidance before a real planting plan is used?
Worked example
Create a planning template for a locally important crop without inventing a seed rate or fertiliser dose.
Show the worked solution
- Name the crop and location, and identify the source and date for local recommendations.
- List soil, climate, planting time, cultivar, spacing, nutrient and protection decisions with fields left blank until verified.
- Add maturity signs, harvest, yield, storage and diary fields so outcomes can be compared.
Answer A sound template captures every syllabus planning factor and marks locally dependent rates for verification instead of treating illustrative numbers as advice.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A learner is asked to describe a local cereal crop but has only a crop name. Identify the information to collect before writing the cultivation sequence.
Give me a hint
Follow the crop from site and planting choices through post-harvest handling.
Compare my reasoning
- Confirm the locally important crop, cultivar and reliable local source.
- Collect soil and climate needs, planting time and method, spacing, input guidance and pest, weed and disease controls.
- Record maturity signs, harvest, expected yield, storage and the events that should go in a crop diary.
The syllabus expects a complete crop cycle, not just a crop name. Local details must come from a reliable centre or regional source.
Look for these in your work
- All stages included
- Local evidence required
- Records included
Compare two cultivars using a small local trial without claiming that one will be best in every season.
Give me a hint
Use replicated plots and record conditions that could affect results.
Compare my reasoning
- Choose cultivars recommended for the area and define the question being tested.
- Keep plot size, planting date and management as comparable as possible; use replication if feasible.
- Measure yield and relevant quality indicators, record weather and pest effects, and interpret results within the trial's limits.
A fair trial compares locally appropriate cultivars under recorded, comparable conditions. Results inform a decision but do not guarantee the same ranking in another season or field.
Look for these in your work
- Fair comparison planned
- Outcome measured
- Limits interpreted
A harvest record shows high total output from a larger plot. Explain how to compare its productivity with a smaller plot fairly.
Give me a hint
Convert harvest to yield per unit area and check that measurements are comparable.
Compare my reasoning
- Record harvested mass and plot area using consistent units.
- Calculate yield per unit area, for example kilograms per hectare, using the correct conversion.
- Compare crop, cultivar, season, moisture and harvest method before attributing a difference to management.
Total harvest alone is not comparable when plot sizes differ. Calculate yield per area and examine other conditions before drawing a conclusion.
Look for these in your work
- Area normalised
- Units handled consistently
- Confounding conditions checked
Common mistakes
- Using a crop example as if it were locally important everywhere
- Copying seed or chemical rates without local verification
- Leaving out harvesting, storage or production records
- Treating planned yield as observed yield
What can you explain now?
Which item must be confirmed with local crop guidance before a real planting plan is used?
Compare with the explanation
Cultivar, timing and input rates for the stated crop and location
These recommendations vary by crop and local conditions.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Name one crop from each major group and list five details needed for a locally grounded crop plan.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.