Theory question 102
Farm Machinery and Mechanisation(a) Explain each of the following terms: (i) farmstead; (ii) secondary tillage.
(b) State one function of each of the following parts of a mouldboard plough: (i) hitch; (ii) furrow wheel; (iii) disc coulter; (iv) plough share; (v) mouldboard.
(c) Describe one natural process that takes carbon away from the atmosphere.
(d) Outline three ways of replenishing plant nutrients in the soil.
(e) State two deficiency symptoms of calcuim in crops.
(f) List four soil organisms.
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(a)(i) Farmstead: the part of the farm where the farmer's house and farm buildings (stores, pens, sheds) are located.
(ii) Secondary tillage: working the soil after ploughing (e.g. harrowing, ridging) to break clods into a fine tilth, level it and prepare the seedbed.
(b)(i) Hitch: attaches the plough to the tractor. (ii) Furrow wheel: runs in the furrow to keep the plough steady and control width/depth. (iii) Disc coulter: cuts the soil and trash vertically ahead of the share. (iv) Ploughshare: cuts the furrow slice horizontally. (v) Mouldboard: lifts and turns (inverts) the furrow slice.
(c) Photosynthesis: green plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and, using sunlight and water, turn it into carbohydrates (sugar and starch) stored in their bodies, releasing oxygen. (Or: dissolving of CO2 in oceans/rain.)
(d) Any three: application of organic manure/compost; fertilizer application; growing legumes/crop rotation; bush fallowing; liming; mulching/cover cropping; erosion control.
(e) Any two: death of terminal buds and young leaves; poor root growth; weak stems; blossom-end rot of fruits (tomato); curling of young leaves.
(f) Any four: earthworms; termites; ants; nematodes; bacteria; fungi; protozoa; rodents; millipedes.
One clear function for each plough part.