Find in the text the following word combinations:

запасать питательные вещества, благоприятные условия, зародышевое растение, хранить в сухом месте, семенная кожура, высокая жизнеспособность, хорошо прорастать, растение в состоянии покоя, содержание влаги.

 

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the text.

1. A seed consists of …. 2. The food supply is stored either … or …. 3. The seed coat encloses and …. 4. The portion of the food  supply  that   is outside  of  the  embryo  is  referred to as ….     

5. The  seeds  of  the  legumes  do  not …. 6. The supply of food in legumes is stored inside the embryo in …. 7. The change from the dormant condition to one of activity is …. 8. For germination to occur the following conditions are necessary …. 9. Unless all three conditions are met, the seeds …. 10. The most favorable temperature for germination varies ….

 

Agree or disagree with the statements. (True or False)

1. The seed consists of two main parts. 2. The portion of the food supply that is outside the embryo is referred to as the endosperm. 3. The   seeds  of   the   legumes   contain   an   endosperm.

4. When the seed is sown or planted under improper conditions in the field, the process of germination starts immediately. 5. Oats, for example, will germinate at much higher temperature than corn. 6. Based on their method of emergence from the soil, plants are classified as having a) active hypocotyls or b) inactive hypocotyls. 7. The seeds are the means by which most plans reproduce.

Distribute the given sentences in the same sequence as in the text.

1.  To most people, especially the farmers, the life cycle of a plant begins with the seed.

2.  The root is a part of the plant that grows downward into the soil.

3.  Thus, a seed can be divided into three main parts.

4.  Plants reproduce a) by producing seed; b) vegetatively; c) or both by producing seed and vegetatively.

5.  When conditions become favorable, the young dormant plant begins to grow.

6.  Roots grow downward into the soil from the lower parts of the plant, while the upper part of the plant penetrates through the soil and emerges from the surface.

7.  The most favorable temperature for germination varies with the crop.

Choose the sentences from the text describing the process of seed germination.

8. Find in text A answers to the following questions:

1. What factors are necessary for germination? 2. What happens if the soil is high in organic matter and conditions are favorable for decay? 3. What conditions are necessary for germination? 4. What is necessary in order to understand how plants produce seeds?

Find key sentences in each paragraph of text A and make up the plan of retelling it.

Text B

Skim text B and find in it answers to the following questions.

1. Why is good seedbed necessary? 2. Is moisture required by germinating seeds? 3. What is cultivation done for? 4. Why is it recommended to cultivate the soil early in the season? 5. What should be done to conserve moisture? 6. Is a good seedbed the only factor providing proper germination of seed?

Seedbed Preparation

Good stands start with good seed. However, even the best seed will not produce optimum yields unless other factors are favorable. A good seedbed that supplies the proper environment for germination is of the greatest importance in ensuring an optimum stand of the crops to be grown. Such seedbed is to ensure adequate moisture for germination at the due seeding depth. The soil particles must be in contact with the seed they surround to allow maximum water absorption for rapid germination.

Before planting, a grower has to perform cultivation and at the same time preserve soil structure and minimize water loss due to evaporation from the soil surface. If the soil were too finely pulverized, crusting would occur. To maintain good structure the soil should not be cultivated when it is wet. The first tillage operation following the preceding harvest is to destroy crop residues and to incorporate them into the soil to be used for seeding. In some regions this is done in the fall, while in areas with short growing season this operation is delayed until early spring. Early cultivation allows more time for organic matter to decompose. Final seedbed preparation is complete in spring or late summer for crops to be sown in the fall. The first step is to cultivate with discs or harrows, or both. The surface soil is to be worked finely enough to minimize evaporation and to insure fine and mellow seedbed. It has to be cultivated deeply to kill early growing weeds. After cultivation, fields are sometimes rolled to ensure a firm seedbed. This is quite common in preparing the seed for most forage grasses. For crops that require irrigation, beds should be formed before rolling. To conserve moisture, final seedbed preparation should be followed by immediate planting.

However, even the best seedbed will not ensure a good stand unless there is enough oxygen and proper temperature for seed germination.