To connect a crop-cycle diagram with observations, match each change in the data to the stage whose description fits it. The data gives the evidence and the diagram gives the name.
This lesson belongs to the wider SPM subjects and learning resources section. The crop and numbers below are original and fictional.
What does each stage look like in data?
Each stage leaves a pattern in the data. Vegetative growth shows a steep rise in height and no flowers.
Flowering and fruiting show flower counts rising while height levels off. Harvest comes when the fruits reach the ripeness the crop needs.
Learn these patterns first, and the table becomes easier to read.
Worked example: a fictional vegetable plot
An original cycle diagram has five labelled stages: land preparation, sowing, vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting, harvest. A student records the average plant height and the number of flowers counted across the plot each week.
| Week | Average height (cm) | Flowers counted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | 18 | 0 |
| 4 | 30 | 0 |
| 5 | 41 | 3 |
| 6 | 47 | 11 |
| 7 | 49 | 18 |
| 8 | 50 | 22 |
Weeks 1 to 4. Height rises from 4 to 30 cm, about 9 cm a week between readings, with no flowers. This matches vegetative growth.
Weeks 5 to 8. Height rises only from 41 to 50 cm, while flowers rise from 3 to 22. The plant is putting energy into flowers, which matches the flowering and fruiting stage.
Link. The shift in the data at week 5 is the change from one stage to the next.
The mistake that loses marks
A weak answer says: “The crop goes through land preparation, sowing, vegetative growth, flowering and harvest.” That is the diagram copied into words and uses none of the data.
A stronger answer cites evidence: “Height rose from 4 to 30 cm in four weeks with no flowers, which fits vegetative growth.”
Careful reasoning about causes
A table shows what happened, not always why. If growth slowed in week 3 in another plot, weather, shade or soil could be involved.
Write what the data supports, then a possible reason with careful wording such as “may be because”. Then suggest what to check, for example comparing with a second plot on the same dates.
Check yourself
In a second fictional plot, mean height goes 5, 11, 15, 16, 16 cm over five weeks with no flowers. Describe the pattern in one sentence and suggest one thing worth checking.
Answer
Height rose quickly in the first three weeks, then levelled off at 16 cm while no flowers appeared, so growth seems to have stalled before flowering.
One thing worth checking is whether the plants received enough light or water in weeks 4 and 5, since a change there could explain the levelling off.
What to study next
Practise matching evidence to explanation with the structured-answer self-review tool. A similar table-reading habit is covered in interpreting an aquatic-system observation table.
For a teacher to read more growth tables with you, see online one-to-one Food Crops tuition or the one-hour trial class (from RM50). Field work stays with your school.