Two farmers grow potatoes in their fields. They both have a problem with potato late blight infecting their crops.
Late blight is caused by a fungus-like pathogen. Describe how this pathogen can spread and how it enters plant leaves.
The farmers want to prevent their crops from getting late blight.
Explain how removing and burning infected potato foliage (leaves and stems) before harvesting can protect the potato tubers in the ground.
Explain how growing potatoes in the fields one year, then oats the next year can protect future potato crops.
The farmers test two different chemical fungicides.
They each grow potatoes in one of their fields. Each farmer sprays a different fungicide on their field. They then compare the potato yield in the two different fields.
How could you improve the farmers' experiment? Explain your answer.
127 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.2 Feeding the human race, covering 6.2.1 Biological factors affecting food security, 6.2.2 Agricultural solutions to growing demand, 6.2.3 Selective breeding, 6.2.4 Genetic engineering, 6.2.5 Steps in genetic engineering, 6.2.6 Benefits and risks of gene technology in agriculture, and 6.2.7 Biotechnological solutions to growing demand. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.