WAEC Agricultural Science 1997 past questions and answers

Which of the following is not correct about the importance of agriculture?

1. A.Supply of food
2. B.Provision of employment
3. C.Provision of the basic raw materials for agro-based industries
4. D.Serving as main source of foreign exchange
5. E.Serving as a source of income.

Most of the land used for agriculture in Nigeria are acquired through

1. A.purchase
2. B.pledge
3. C.donation
4. D.exchange
5. E.inheritance.

The roles of government in the development of agriculture include the following except

1. A.recommending loans
2. B.provision of subsidies
3. C.establishment of farm settlements
4. D.establishment of agricultural development projects
5. E.training of farmers' children.

Which of the following is not an effect of the North-East trade winds on agriculture?

1. A.Encouraging growth of natural pasture
2. B.Encouraging fruit setting or formation
3. C.Inducing fruit ripening
4. D.Causing heavy rainfall
5. E.Drying forest trees

The following are characteristics of quartz except

1. A.being granular
2. B.having shiny surfaces
3. C.being glass-like
4. D.having cleavage
5. E.being semi-translucent.

The factors which affect the number and the activities of soil micro-organisms include the following except

1. A.topography
2. B.soil moisture
3. C.soil aeration
4. D.degree of soil acidity
5. E.temperature

Which of the following does not influence rock weathering?

1. A.Water
2. B.Carbonation
3. C.Roots
4. D.Ammonification
5. E.Temperature

The amount of air and water in the soil is mostly affected by the

1. A.location of the soil
2. B.amount of annual rainfall
3. C.chemical composition of the soil
4. D.living organisms in the soil
5. E.structure of the soil

Which of the following is a soil micro-nutrient?

1. A.Magnesium
2. B.Potassium
3. C.Calcium
4. D.Iron
5. E.Phosphorus.

Crops grown in nitrogen deficient soil show the following characteristics except

1. A.poor setting of fruits
2. B.stunted growth
3. C.chlorosis in growing crops
4. D.yellowing of lower leaves
5. E.timely ripening of fruits.

Which of the following is not a function of organic matter in the soil?

1. A.Conserving soil water
2. B.Preventing soil erosion
3. C.Preventing leaching in soils
4. D.Inhibiting seed germination
5. E.Stabilising the structure of the soil.

The following crops can be grown as cover crops except

1. A.Pueraria phaseoloides
2. B.Stylozanthes gracilis
3. C.Centrosema pubescens
4. D.Nicotiana tabacum
5. E.Calopogonium mucunoides.

Effects of overgrazing on soil include the following except

1. A.exposure of soil to erosion
2. B.depletion of soil nutrients
3. C.soil compaction
4. D.improvement of soil structure
5. E.exposure of soil to direct rays of the sun.

A farm practice which assists in maintaining the structure and fertility of soil and reduction in risk of disease infestation is

1. A.bush burning
2. B.organic manuring
3. C.crop rotation
4. D.mulching
5. E.fertilizer application.

Drainage types include the following except

1. A.shadoof
2. B.open
3. C.channel
4. D.surface
5. E.underground.

Energy for photosynthesis in crops is provided by

1. A.man
2. B.animal
3. C.wind
4. D.sun
5. E.water.

Study the diagram. The farm implement represented by the diagram above is a/an

1. A.pin
2. B.ranging pole
3. C.pruner
4. D.spear
5. E.arrow.

Study the diagram. The farm implement is used for

1. A.marking surveyed stations
2. B.marking chain lengths
3. C.digging soils
4. D.making holes for transplanting
5. E.making drills.

Study the diagram. What is the approximate length of the farm implement?

1. A.2.0117 metres
2. B.20.117 metres
3. C.201.17 metres
4. D.2011.7 metres
5. E.20117 metres.

Cassava is normally planted at a spacing of about

1. A.0.1 m x 0.5 m
2. B.0.75 m x 1.0 m
3. C.2.0 m x 3.5 m
4. D.3.0 m x 3.0 m
5. E.4.0 m x 5.5 m

Cassava is cultivated in many ecological zones because of its

1. A.industrial and domestic uses
2. B.tolerance to low rainfall and soil fertility
3. C.early maturity and weed suppression
4. D.resistance to mosaic diseases and pest attacks
5. E.low production costs.

The agent of controlled pollination in crops is

1. A.water
2. B.light
3. C.moth
4. D.butterfly
5. E.man.

Milling of rice is usually done

1. A.after parboiling and drying
2. B.before parboiling and drying
3. C.before parboiling and winnowing
4. D.after winnowing and drying
5. E.after winnowing and parboiling.

Common pasture grasses include the following except

1. A.guinea grass
2. B.carpet grass
3. C.elephant grass
4. D.Gamba grass
5. E.spear grass.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good pasture?

1. A.High quality grasses and legumes
2. B.High leaf to stem ratio
3. C.Drought resistance
4. D.Ability to withstand trampling
5. E.Slow growth.

Which of the following is a pasture grass?

1. A.Stylozanthes gracilis
2. B.Centrosema pubescens
3. C.Pueraria phaseoloides
4. D.Cynodon dactylon
5. E.Calopogonium mucunoides.

Reforestation is the

1. A.organised planting of trees in areas from which forest trees have been removed
2. B.establishment of forests in areas where there are previously none
3. C.development of young trees to replace old mature trees
4. D.planting of forest trees on an unproductive land
5. E.cultivation of forest trees for boundary demarcation.

The tree species widely used in afforestation programme is

1. A.neem
2. B.teak
3. C.oil palm
4. D.ebony
5. E.rubber.

Which of the following is not a reason for converting a piece of land into a forest reserve?

1. A.Low population pressure
2. B.Poor soil fertility
3. C.Disputed ownership of land
4. D.Prevention of natural hazards
5. E.Improvement of micro-climatic conditions of the environment.

The forest trees growing in the Sudan Savanna zone of Nigeria include the following except

1. A.mahogany
2. B.baobab
3. C.shea butter
4. D.neem
5. E.Eucalyptus.

The most important pests of vegetable crops are

1. A.rodents
2. B.birds
3. C.nematodes
4. D.insects
5. E.reptiles.

Which of the following group of crops can be attacked by smut diseases?

1. A.Sugarcane, maize and banana
2. B.Rice, maize and guinea corn
3. C.Guinea corn, sugarcane and rubber
4. D.Maize, guinea corn and yam
5. E.Rubber, rice and guinea corn.

Cultural methods of controlling pests include the following except

1. A.crop rotation
2. B.adequate spacing
3. C.timely planting
4. D.frequency of weeding
5. E.mulching.

The aims of crop improvement include the following except

1. A.increasing crop yield
2. B.increasing crop resistance of pests and diseases
3. C.improving the quality of the crop plants
4. D.improving crop growth habit
5. E.improving the infrastructural facilities in a farm.

The branch of crop production which is normally concerned with crop improvement is

1. A.plant breeding
2. B.plant science
3. C.horticulture
4. D.plant protection
5. E.crop physiology

Which of the following is the primary function of the gizzard?

1. A.Storage of food before digestion
2. B.Fermentation of ingested food
3. C.Grinding of ingested food into smaller particles
4. D.Exposure of food to enzymatic digestion
5. E.Absorption of digested food particles.

The act of mating in cattle is known as

1. A.tupping
2. B.treading
3. C.lambing
4. D.laying
5. E.service.

Gestation period is defined as the time

1. A.of fusion of the sperm and the egg
2. B.between conception and parturition
3. C.of release of ovum from the ovary
4. D.of the birth of the young animal
5. E.between mating of dam and weaning of young ones.

The hormone generally called 'pregnancy hormone' in farm animals is

1. A.testosterone
2. B.oestrogen
3. C.progesterone
4. D.androgen
5. E.relaxin

New-born animals should be fed with colostrum because it

1. A.is easily digested
2. B.contains antibodies protecting them against diseases
3. C.provides them permanent immunity against diseases
4. D.is the first milk produced before birth
5. E.contains food nutrients essential for the survival of the newborn

Which of the following statements is not true about rearing livestock under the free range system?

1. A.High risk of infestation of parasites
2. B.High mortality rate in the young livestock
3. C.Adequate veterinary care
4. D.Loss of animals
5. E.Fending for themselves

Pigs are normally classified into the following group except

1. A.weaners
2. B.fatteners
3. C.breeders
4. D.boars
5. E.piglets

The proportion of the different types of feed given to an animal daily is known as

1. A.concentrate
2. B.additive
3. C.supplement
4. D.ration
5. E.roughage.

Which of the following feed stuffs will not supply carbohydrate?

1. A.Maize
2. B.Guinea corn
3. C.Rice bran
4. D.Palm kernel cake
5. E.Bone meal

The main component of egg shell is

1. A.nitrogen
2. B.calcium
3. C.sodium
4. D.molybdenum
5. E.zinc

The effects of practising rotational grazing in a livestock farm include the following except

1. A.controlling livestock pests
2. B.eliminating attack of livestock diseases
3. C.allowing the regrowth of pasture crops
4. D.increasing the amount of herbage yields
5. E.maintaining steady increases in growth rate of animals

The causal organism of mastitis in cattle is

1. A.fungus
2. B.bacterium
3. C.virus
4. D.protozoan
5. E.worm

In cattle, high fever and sudden death are symptoms of

1. A.anthrax
2. B.foot rot
3. C.pneumonia
4. D.bloat
5. E.red water.

Night blindness in an animal is caused by a deficiency of

1. A.vitamin A
2. B.calcium
3. C.vitamin B
4. D.phosphorus
5. E.vitamin E.

An aquarium contains all the following except

1. A.different types of fish
2. B.pieces of broken wood
3. C.clean sand
4. D.supplementary feed
5. E.submerged and floating plants

Progeny selection involves selection of breeding stock on the basis of

1. A.feed conversion efficiency of the parents
2. B.sire-dam relationships
3. C.merits of the dam only
4. D.merits of each animal
5. E.performance of offspring.

The following are functions of a farm manager except

1. A.planning farm programme of work
2. B.co-ordinating the farm activities
3. C.organising sales of farm products
4. D.controlling farm workers
5. E.planting crops and vegetables.

When granting loans to farmers, the credit officer should consider mostly the

1. A.age of the farmers
2. B.consumption needs of the farmers
3. C.family size of the farmers
4. D.production and essential need of the farmers
5. E.experience of the farmers.

Farm financing may be obtained from the following except

1. A.Commercial banks
2. B.Agricultural insurance scheme
3. C.Mortgage banks
4. D.Agricultural and co-operative bank
5. E.Savings and thrift societies.

The difference between the total assets and total liabilities of a farm enterprise within a specified period before taxation is known as

1. A.net profit
2. B.liability
3. C.current asset
4. D.gross profit
5. E.networth

Commodity Boards were responsible for the marketing of the following crops except

1. A.grains
2. B.cocoa
3. C.yams
4. D.palm produce
5. E.groundnut

Dissemination of new ideas and techniques to farmers can only be effective if the agricultural extension officer

1. A.works with existing community organisations and local leaders
2. B.gives only financial support to the farmers
3. C.stays only in the village where the farmers live
4. D.gives farmers all the equipment they need to work with
5. E.supplies farmers with input only.

Discuss briefly the essential features of the following: (a) communal land tenure. (b) individual land tenure and their effects on agriculture.

Discuss briefly four sources of farm power.

(a)(i) Define weathering. (ii) State two types of weathering.
(b) Discuss briefly four factors which influence weathering.

(a)(i) State six uses of lime in agriculture. (ii) List four common liming materials.
(b) State: (i) three examples of a nitrogenous fertilizer. (ii) three examples of a phosphorus fertilizer.

(a) Define the term hybridization.
(b) State five aims of crop improvement.
(c) Describe a mono-hybrid cross as explained by Mendel's law of segregation. Illustrate your answers with clearly labelled diagrams.

Differentiate between the digestive systems of the sheep and poultry. Illustrate your answers with clearly labelled diagrams.

Explain briefly four of the following terms in animal production:
(a) oestrus cycle
(b) heat period
(c) gestation period
(d) parturition
(e) colostrum.

(a) Explain briefly each of the following types of credit in agricultural production: (i) short term credit (ii) medium term credit (iii) long term credit.
(b)(i) List four sources of agricultural credit. (ii) Explain briefly four reasons why farmers find it difficult to get loans from banks.

Explain the following terms.
(a) salvage value
(b) farm inventory
(c) farm assets
(d) point of diminishing return
(e) depreciation.