67 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Land tenure system is a process of
Answer: C (acquiring land for agricultural purposes)
Land tenure is the system by which land is acquired, owned and used.
The disadvantages of land fragmentation include the following except
Answer: C (facilitating the use of simple and cheap tools)
Being able to use simple tools is not a disadvantage; the others are problems of scattered small plots.
Which of the following is not a component of soil?
Answer: E (Texture.)
Texture is a property of soil, not one of its components.
The soil nutrient which is important as a constituent of plant proteins and hormones is
Answer: E (sulphur.)
Sulphur is part of some amino acids (proteins) and plant hormones/vitamins.
Which of the following statements about crop rotation is not correct?
Answer: C (It encourages the build up of pests and diseases of crops)
Rotation breaks pest and disease cycles; it does not encourage them.
Which of the following is the best way to reduce surface run-off on farmlands?
Answer: B (Providing adequate plant cover)
Plant cover breaks the force of rain and slows water flowing over the surface.
In the process of recycling carbon in nature, carbondioxide is used by crops during
Answer: E (photosynthesis.)
Green plants take in carbon dioxide to make food in photosynthesis.
During the processes of soil formation, the cracks or crevices that are first noticed on the rocks are normally caused by
Answer: D (temperature)
Daily heating and cooling makes rock expand and contract, so it cracks.
The major climatic factors influencing agricultural activities in the tropics include the following except
Answer: D (pressure)
Rainfall, temperature, sunlight and wind directly affect farming; air pressure does not.
Which of the following is not a way of maintaining soil fertility?
Answer: E (Monocropping.)
Growing the same crop every year exhausts the same nutrients.
A soil with the pH range of 6.1 to 6.9 can be described as
Answer: D (slightly acidic)
pH 7 is neutral; just below 7 (6.1–6.9) is slightly acidic.
Which of the following statements is not correct about micronutrients? They
Answer: D (are the most abundant elements in plant leaves)
Micronutrients are needed and found only in tiny amounts.
A soil which consists of a mixture of sand, silt and clay in equal quantities is described as
Answer: D (loam)
Loam has roughly balanced amounts of sand, silt and clay.
Which of the following processes will not lead to the loss of nutrients from the soil?
Answer: B (Mulching)
Mulch adds organic matter and protects soil; the others remove nutrients.
The physical properties of soil include the following except
Answer: E (pH.)
pH is a chemical property.
Which of the following problems will not be considered before installing irrigation equipment in a farm?
Answer: E (Build-up of pests and diseases.)
Before installing, the farmer checks cost, water supply, power and salinity; pest build-up is a later management issue.
Which of the following is the source of energy used by green plants for photosynthesis?
Answer: D (Sun)
Photosynthesis uses light energy from the sun.
Which of the following farm operations cannot be mechanized?
Answer: D (Seed-germination)
Germination is a natural process inside the seed; machines cannot do it.
Which of the following is not a disadvantage of wind power?
Answer: B (Its source is the wind)
That its source is the wind is simply a fact, not a disadvantage.
Which of the following is not an effect of badly arranged farm?
Answer: A (Efficient management)
A badly laid-out farm makes management less efficient, not more.
Which of the following should be checked daily before using a tractor?
Answer: A (Engine oil)
The engine oil level must be checked every day before starting.
The botanical name of giant star grass is
Answer: D (Cynodon plectostachyum)
Giant star grass is Cynodon plectostachyus.
Cassava mosaic virus can be controlled by
Answer: E (growing resistant varieties.)
There is no cure for viral disease; resistant varieties are the best control.
Which of the following crops does not require nursery preparation?
Answer: D (Okra)
Okra is sown directly in the field.
To which of the following crops does the term ginning apply?
Answer: D (Cotton)
Ginning separates cotton lint from the seed.
The symptoms of coffee leaf rust are
Answer: A (leaf spots, loss of vigour and death of the leaves)
Coffee leaf rust causes orange spots, leaf fall and weak trees.
Breeding in self-pollinated crops can be regarded as
Answer: C (inbreeding)
Self-pollination joins gametes of the same plant: inbreeding.
An effective control method of the citrus moth is
Answer: E (timely harvesting of ripe fruits.)
The moth pierces ripening fruits, so picking them as soon as they ripen reduces damage.
Cassava and sugarcane are mainly propagated by
Answer: D (cutting)
Both are grown from stem cuttings.
Control of weeds of forage crops can be carried out by the following methods except
Answer: A (cutting)
The key treats cutting as not a weed-control method here; burning, herbicides, biological control and grazing are the methods listed for forage weeds.
The aim of a plant breeder in producing a crop variety which is tolerant to extremes of cold, drought, wind and heat is based on the
Answer: A (adaptation of the variety to climatic conditions)
Cold, drought, wind and heat are climatic conditions.
The crops which can be processed into powdered form for effective preservation include the following except
Answer: E (kolanut.)
Maize, yam, pepper and soya bean are commonly dried and ground into flour or powder; kolanut is stored fresh.
The popular pasture crops in Nigeria include the following except
Answer: E (carpet grass.)
Carpet grass is mainly a lawn grass with low yield; the others are common pasture crops.
Parboiling is carried out in the processing of rice in order to
Answer: D (reduce percentage of breakage)
Parboiling hardens the grain so fewer grains break during milling.
Which of the following is not a leafy vegetable?
Answer: A (Lycopersicon esculentum)
Lycopersicon esculentum is tomato, a fruit vegetable.
Which of the following is not a control measure of cowpea weevil?
Answer: E (Innoculation of seeds.)
Inoculating seeds (with rhizobium) is for nitrogen fixation, not weevil control.
A pasture legume mixture cut and preserved but not dried for dry season feeding of livestock is referred to as
Answer: D (silage)
Green forage stored moist and fermented is silage; hay is dried.
The sites of microbial activities along the gastro-instestinal tract of ruminants include the following except
Answer: D (abomasum)
Microbes work in the rumen, reticulum and the large intestine; the acidic abomasum uses gastric juice.
The gestation period of a cow is approximately
Answer: D (283 days)
Cows are pregnant for about 283 days (9 months).
The following are important management practices in the husbandry of piglets except
Answer: C (provision of grass beddings for the piglets)
Castration, iron injection and teeth clipping are routine; grass bedding is not an essential practice.
Liming of fish pond is carried out in order to
Answer: A (increase pH of the water)
Lime neutralises acidity, raising the pH of the pond water.
The general symptoms of malnutrition in animals include the following except
Answer: E (increase in body size.)
Malnourished animals lose weight; they do not grow bigger.
The nymphs of lice reach maturity in about
Answer: C (three weeks)
Lice nymphs moult three times and become adults in about three weeks.
The interval from the beginning of one heat period to the beginning of another is known as
Answer: E (oestrus cycle.)
The oestrus cycle runs from one heat to the next.
Which of the following pond maintenance operations will ensure adequate supply of oxygen and hygienic conditions for fish in a pond?
Answer: A (Deweeding)
Removing excess weeds stops them using up oxygen at night and rotting in the water.
The part of the egg that prevents the yolk from being damaged by keeping the yolk at the centre of the egg is the
Answer: D (chalaza)
The chalazae are twisted strands that hold the yolk in the centre.
The aims of breeding in farm animals include the following except
Answer: D (evolving new breeds of animals suitable for all purposes)
No breed can suit every purpose; breeding targets particular aims.
Which of the following statements about ticks is not correct?
Answer: B (It has six pairs of legs)
Adult ticks have four pairs of legs, not six.
Cracking of eggs laid by a flock of layers in a farm can be corrected by
Answer: D (increasing the amount of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in their feed)
Strong shells need calcium and phosphorus, and vitamin D to absorb them.
Bull calves intended for breeding are sometimes nose-ringed in order to
Answer: E (facilitate easy handling of the bull.)
A nose ring lets the handler lead and control a strong bull.
The hormone that prevents abortion or expulsion of the foetus during pregnancy is
Answer: B (progesterone)
Progesterone maintains pregnancy.
Which of the following ingredients is required for the formation of egg-shell in poultry?
Answer: A (Bone meal)
Bone meal supplies calcium and phosphorus for the shell.
One of the sexually-transmitted diseases in livestock is
Answer: A (brucellosis)
Brucellosis can spread at mating.
The quantity of balanced diet supplied to an animal per day is described as
Answer: D (ratio)
The daily allowance of a balanced diet is a ration (printed "ratio").
The number of animals that can be conveniently fed on a hectare of pasture is known as
Answer: B (carrying capacity)
Carrying capacity is how many animals an area can feed without damage.
Which of the following is not a problem of agricultural marketing in Nigeria?
Answer: C (High quantity of farm produce)
Having plenty of produce is not itself a marketing problem.
When there is large quantity of food items in the market with other factors remaining constant, demand
Answer: C (will increase and price will decrease)
A large supply lowers the price, and at a lower price people buy more.
Discuss briefly the ways in which the following factors contribute to the problems of agricultural development in Nigeria:
(a) finance
(b) farm input
(c) transportation
(d) storage and processing facilities.
(a) Finance: farmers are poor, lack collateral for loans, interest rates are high and loans come late, so they cannot expand or buy inputs
(b) Farm inputs: improved seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and machines are scarce, costly, adulterated or arrive late, so yields stay low
(c) Transportation: bad rural roads and few vehicles make inputs costly and produce cannot reach markets; perishable produce spoils
(d) Storage and processing: lack of stores and processing plants causes heavy post-harvest losses and forces sale at harvest-time low prices
Explain how each factor holds back farming.
(a) State two functions of a cultivator.
(b) Name five tools or implements for each of the following farm process (i) land preparation (ii) planting (iii) harvesting (iv) crop processing.
(c) Give four reasons why farmers cultivate small holdings.
(a) Any two: breaks up soil to a fine tilth; uproots/controls weeds between rows; loosens and aerates soil; mixes in fertilizer
(b)(i) Land preparation: cutlass, axe, hoe, plough, harrow, ridger, mattock, tractor, bulldozer
(ii) Planting: planter, seed drill, dibber, hoe, cutlass, transplanter, trowel
(iii) Harvesting: cutlass, sickle, combine harvester, knife, hoe, harvesting hook, cotton picker
(iv) Crop processing: grinding mill, cassava grater, rice mill/huller, sheller, palm oil press, cotton gin, thresher, dryer
(c) Any four: land tenure/fragmentation; lack of capital; reliance on simple tools/family labour; lack of mechanisation; small family labour; subsistence aim; poor access to credit; topography or poor soils
Five tools for each of the four processes.
(a) What is rock weathering?
(b) State four factors that affect formation of soil.
(c) Explain briefly four types of chemical weathering.
(a) The breaking down of rocks in place into smaller particles by physical, chemical and biological agents
(b) Parent material; climate (rainfall, temperature); living organisms; topography; time
(c) Any four: hydrolysis – water reacts with minerals (e.g. feldspar) producing clay and soluble salts; hydration – minerals absorb water, swell and crumble; oxidation – iron minerals combine with oxygen, weakening rock (rusting); carbonation – carbonic acid dissolves limestone; solution – soluble minerals dissolve in water; reduction
Name each chemical process and say what it does to the rock.
Describe briefly the effects of the following farming practices on the soil:
(a) bush burning
(b) overgrazing
(c) clean clearing
(d) fertilizer application.
(a) Bush burning: destroys organic matter and soil organisms; loss of nitrogen and sulphur; exposes soil to erosion; ash adds potassium and raises pH temporarily
(b) Overgrazing: removes plant cover; trampling compacts soil; erosion and loss of fertility
(c) Clean clearing: soil exposed to sun, rain and wind; erosion, leaching and loss of organic matter; high soil temperature kills organisms
(d) Fertilizer application: adds nutrients and raises yield; excess or wrong use causes acidity, salt build-up, harm to soil organisms and water pollution
Give the main effect of each practice on soil.
State two symptoms and two control measures of the following plant diseases:
(a) cassava mosaic
(b) groundnut rosettes
(c) root-knot of okra
(d) bacterial blight of cotton.
(a) Cassava mosaic (virus, whitefly): yellow-green mottling/mosaic on leaves, leaf distortion, stunting; control – resistant varieties, disease-free cuttings, uproot and burn infected plants
(b) Groundnut rosette (virus, aphid): stunted bushy plants, small yellow or mottled leaves crowded in a rosette; control – early planting, close spacing, resistant varieties, control aphids with insecticide, rogue infected plants
(c) Root-knot of okra (nematode): swellings/galls on roots, wilting, stunting, yellowing; control – crop rotation, nematicides, soil fumigation, resistant varieties, fallowing
(d) Bacterial blight of cotton (black arm): angular water-soaked leaf spots, black lesions on stems (black arm), boll rot; control – resistant varieties, seed dressing/acid delinting, crop rotation, burning debris
Two symptoms and two controls for each disease.
Discuss briefly the production of tomato under the following headings:
(a) climatic and soil requirements
(b) land preparation
(c) nursery practices
(d) planting and spacing
(e) fertilizer application
(f) staking
(g) harvesting.
(a) Warm temperature (about 20–27 °C), moderate rainfall (600–1250 mm) or irrigation, plenty of sunshine; well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter, pH 6–7
(b) Clear, plough, harrow; make beds or ridges; add manure
(c) Sow seeds in nursery boxes/beds, light shade, watering, thinning, hardening off; transplant at 4–6 weeks (4–5 leaves)
(d) Transplant in the evening or on cool days; spacing about 60–90 cm × 45–60 cm
(e) Apply manure before planting; NPK (e.g. 15-15-15) at about 200–400 kg/ha after transplanting; nitrogen top dressing
(f) Stake plants with sticks about 1 m tall to keep fruits off the soil, reduce rot and ease spraying and harvesting
(g) Harvest 2–3 months after transplanting by hand when fruits turn red/pink; pick every few days
Each heading needs specific practical details.
(a) State eight functions of water in livestock management.
(b) List eight essential mineral elements required in animal nutrition.
(c) State four functions of the mineral elements in the body of animals.
(a) Any eight: regulates body temperature; solvent for digestion; transports nutrients and wastes; part of blood and body fluids; lubricates joints; needed for milk and egg production; removes waste (urine, sweat); keeps cells turgid; used in cleaning houses and equipment; cooling animals
(b) Any eight: calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, copper, cobalt, zinc, iodine, manganese, selenium
(c) Any four: bone and teeth formation (Ca, P); blood formation – haemoglobin (Fe, Cu, Co); eggshell formation (Ca); regulating body fluids and nerve impulses (Na, K, Cl); hormone formation (iodine for thyroxine); enzyme activation
List clearly; match functions to minerals where possible.
(a) Describe four methods of harvesting fish.
(b) Discuss briefly four fishery regulations.
(a) Any four: netting (drag/seine, gill, cast nets); hook and line; traps and baskets; draining the pond and hand-picking; spear/harpoon; trawling
(b) Any four: minimum mesh size of nets so young fish escape; closed seasons during breeding; licensing of fishermen and boats; catch quotas/limits; ban on poisons, explosives and electro-fishing; size limits on fish caught; protected areas/reserves
Describe how each method works; explain what each regulation protects.
Explain eight roles of agricultural extension in the development of agriculture in Nigeria.
Any eight: teaching farmers improved practices; carrying research results to farmers; feeding farmers' problems back to research; demonstrating new inputs and methods; helping farmers obtain credit and inputs; helping form cooperatives; advising on marketing; improving rural life (home economics, health, youth clubs); informing farmers of government policies; increasing food production and farm income; training farmers' leaders
Each role should show how it raises output or living standards.
(a) Explain the meaning of each of the following terms in relation to agricultural practices: (i) appreciation (ii) depreciation (iii) salvage value.
(b) A Fiat tractor was purchased by a farmer in 1978 for N12,000.00. In 1987, the tractor was sold off for N3,000.00 when it was no longer economical to maintain it. Calculate the: (i) salvage value of the tractor (ii) total depreciation (iii) annual depreciation (iv) appreciation.
(a)(i) Appreciation: increase in the value of an asset over time (e.g. land, buildings)
(ii) Depreciation: loss in value of an asset through use, wear and tear, age or obsolescence
(iii) Salvage value: the value (price) of an asset at the end of its useful life, when it is sold off
(b)(i) Salvage value = N3,000.00
(ii) Total depreciation = 12,000 − 3,000 = N9,000.00
(iii) Useful life = 1987 − 1978 = 9 years; annual depreciation = 9,000 ÷ 9 = N1,000.00 per year (straight-line)
(iv) Appreciation = nil (N0), since the tractor lost value
Show the working: cost − salvage value, then divide by the years used.