BPSC QUESTIONS MIDTERM 1
How to minimize agricultural water use - Answers -drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling,
and dry farming
how to reduce the negative impacts of conventional ag - Answers -organic farming (use
insects as natural pesticides, hand weed fields, cover beds to prevent weed growth)
how to improve soil fertility - Answers -cover crops, compost and mulch
How to achieve sustainable farm labor - Answers -mechanization and proper provisions
for farm laborers (water/rest breaks, shade, covid protection)
Why is BPSC 21 called California's cornucopia? - Answers -It is called California's
cornucopia because California is regarded as a cornucopia, a symbol of abundant food
source since it produces so much.
How does CA's agricultural production rank in the world? - Answers -CA has the 5th
largest economy in the world, mostly due to its agriculture. It provides 2/3 of fruits and
nuts, 1/3 of vegetables, and 81% of wine in the US.
How is food security defined? - Answers -"Food security exists when all people, at all
times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life" 1996 World
Food Summit
What are the four dimensions of food security? - Answers -1. Physical availability of
food, 2. Economic and physical access to food, 3. Food utilization (food, safety,
preparation, diversity), 4. The stability of the dimension 1, 2, and 3 over time (be stable
tmrw, the next, etc.)
What is hunger? Is it wide spread? - Answers -1. Hunger is the uncomfortable to painful
sensation caused by insufficient food energy consumption. It is wide spread, worldwide
821 million people were hungry in 2018
What is malnutrition? - Answers -Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in consumption
of macronutrients (protein, fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
How are food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty linked?: - Answers -Food insecurity
(due to low crop yields, bad quality [climate change, pests, pathogens, soils], diversity)
is hunger and malnutrition --> Leads to poor physical and cognitive development -->
Leads to low productivity --> Leads to poverty
How do plant biologists try to break the food insecurity cycle? - Answers -Plant
biologists can break the cycle by growing crops with high yields, better quality (resistant
, to climate change, pests, pathogens, soils), and grow with diversity (better for nutritional
balance)
What two non-food issues contribute to food insecurity? - Answers -Conflict and Climate
Shocks are major drivers of food insecurity. With conflict (war, civil unrest) there are
high rates of food insecurity, and climate change leads to unpredictable and more
frequent droughts, floods, etc. and this has led to spikes in food insecurity
What are the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity?: - Answers -
Covid has led to unemployment rates going up and this can increase poverty rates and
overall increase the number of food insecure Americans
What is the Pine nut syndrome (= pine mouth)? Does it impact everyone?: - Answers -
First identified in 2001 in Chinese pine nuts. 1-3 days after consumption, some people
develop a bitter or metallic taste that persists for 2-6 weeks. It can affect everyone who
chooses to eat pine nuts since there may be Chinese White Pine (note; these pines
have a dark tip)
Are most food plants gymnosperms, angiosperms or non-seed plants?: - Answers -Most
of our food plants are Angiosperms
How many progenitor species are there for citrus?: - Answers -There are 5 progenitor
species for citrus. They are Kumquats (Fortunella spp Citrus), Small-flowered Papeda
(Micrantha), Criton (Medica), Pummelos (Maxima), and Mandarins (Reticulata)
What have citrus breeders done to make the wide variety of citrus we have today?: -
Answers -They have used grafting and genetic crossing
How was the tango mandarin made? Why is Tango so valuable? - Answers -Created by
UCR's Mikeal Roose in 2011. They are a seedless W. Murcott citrus plant (the W.
Murcott plant is a sweet orange x mandarin cross). Tango is so valuable because they
are seedless, small, and sweet
How does CA rank in citrus production? Is CA different from Florida?: - Answers -CA is
#1 for fresh market citrus, fresh market oranges, lemon, limes, mandarins, and
kumquats. Florida is #1 for juicing oranges
What disease has decimated citrus industry? - Answers -The Huanglongbing (HLB)
disease is decimating the citrus industry
How is the HLB pathogen transmitted to citrus trees? - Answers -The HLB pathogen is
transmitted through the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). ACP is a bacterium plant pathogen
that resides in the phloem. It spreads HLB and causes citrus greening (yellow dragon
disease)
How to minimize agricultural water use - Answers -drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling,
and dry farming
how to reduce the negative impacts of conventional ag - Answers -organic farming (use
insects as natural pesticides, hand weed fields, cover beds to prevent weed growth)
how to improve soil fertility - Answers -cover crops, compost and mulch
How to achieve sustainable farm labor - Answers -mechanization and proper provisions
for farm laborers (water/rest breaks, shade, covid protection)
Why is BPSC 21 called California's cornucopia? - Answers -It is called California's
cornucopia because California is regarded as a cornucopia, a symbol of abundant food
source since it produces so much.
How does CA's agricultural production rank in the world? - Answers -CA has the 5th
largest economy in the world, mostly due to its agriculture. It provides 2/3 of fruits and
nuts, 1/3 of vegetables, and 81% of wine in the US.
How is food security defined? - Answers -"Food security exists when all people, at all
times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life" 1996 World
Food Summit
What are the four dimensions of food security? - Answers -1. Physical availability of
food, 2. Economic and physical access to food, 3. Food utilization (food, safety,
preparation, diversity), 4. The stability of the dimension 1, 2, and 3 over time (be stable
tmrw, the next, etc.)
What is hunger? Is it wide spread? - Answers -1. Hunger is the uncomfortable to painful
sensation caused by insufficient food energy consumption. It is wide spread, worldwide
821 million people were hungry in 2018
What is malnutrition? - Answers -Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in consumption
of macronutrients (protein, fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
How are food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty linked?: - Answers -Food insecurity
(due to low crop yields, bad quality [climate change, pests, pathogens, soils], diversity)
is hunger and malnutrition --> Leads to poor physical and cognitive development -->
Leads to low productivity --> Leads to poverty
How do plant biologists try to break the food insecurity cycle? - Answers -Plant
biologists can break the cycle by growing crops with high yields, better quality (resistant
, to climate change, pests, pathogens, soils), and grow with diversity (better for nutritional
balance)
What two non-food issues contribute to food insecurity? - Answers -Conflict and Climate
Shocks are major drivers of food insecurity. With conflict (war, civil unrest) there are
high rates of food insecurity, and climate change leads to unpredictable and more
frequent droughts, floods, etc. and this has led to spikes in food insecurity
What are the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity?: - Answers -
Covid has led to unemployment rates going up and this can increase poverty rates and
overall increase the number of food insecure Americans
What is the Pine nut syndrome (= pine mouth)? Does it impact everyone?: - Answers -
First identified in 2001 in Chinese pine nuts. 1-3 days after consumption, some people
develop a bitter or metallic taste that persists for 2-6 weeks. It can affect everyone who
chooses to eat pine nuts since there may be Chinese White Pine (note; these pines
have a dark tip)
Are most food plants gymnosperms, angiosperms or non-seed plants?: - Answers -Most
of our food plants are Angiosperms
How many progenitor species are there for citrus?: - Answers -There are 5 progenitor
species for citrus. They are Kumquats (Fortunella spp Citrus), Small-flowered Papeda
(Micrantha), Criton (Medica), Pummelos (Maxima), and Mandarins (Reticulata)
What have citrus breeders done to make the wide variety of citrus we have today?: -
Answers -They have used grafting and genetic crossing
How was the tango mandarin made? Why is Tango so valuable? - Answers -Created by
UCR's Mikeal Roose in 2011. They are a seedless W. Murcott citrus plant (the W.
Murcott plant is a sweet orange x mandarin cross). Tango is so valuable because they
are seedless, small, and sweet
How does CA rank in citrus production? Is CA different from Florida?: - Answers -CA is
#1 for fresh market citrus, fresh market oranges, lemon, limes, mandarins, and
kumquats. Florida is #1 for juicing oranges
What disease has decimated citrus industry? - Answers -The Huanglongbing (HLB)
disease is decimating the citrus industry
How is the HLB pathogen transmitted to citrus trees? - Answers -The HLB pathogen is
transmitted through the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). ACP is a bacterium plant pathogen
that resides in the phloem. It spreads HLB and causes citrus greening (yellow dragon
disease)
