54 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
The storage structure usually installed by the government for bulk storage of grains in West Africa is
Answer: C (silo.)
Governments build large silos for strategic grain reserves.
Rural-urban migration of farm labour could be prevented by
Answer: D (establishing agro-based industries in villages.)
Rural industries give jobs and income, so young people stay.
The farming system generally recommended for farm settlement scheme is
Answer: C (mixed farming.)
Mixed farming combines crops and animals that support each other.
The part of a disc plough to which discs are connected is
Answer: D (standard.)
Each disc hangs from a standard fixed to the plough's beam.
A combine harvester is mainly used for harvesting
Answer: C (rice.)
Combines harvest grain crops such as rice.
The diagrams below illustrate different sources of farm power.
Which of the illustrated sources of farm power is the cheapest?
Answer: D (IV)
IV is the sun; solar energy is free.
The diagrams below illustrate different sources of farm power.
The machinery illustrated in diagram III could be used to power
I. planters
II. dryers
III. sprayers
Answer: B (I and III only.)
A tractor pulls planters and drives boom sprayers.
The diagrams below illustrate different sources of farm power.
Which of the illustrated sources of farm power decreases in efficiency due to constant use?
Answer: D (I, II and III)
Humans and animals tire, and tractors wear with continuous use.
High relative humidity in a brooder house could lead to
Answer: D (build-up of pests and diseases.)
Damp, humid houses favour germs and parasites.
Day-neutral crops are crops that produce flowers regardless of
Answer: B (day length being longer than the length of night.)
Day-neutral plants flower whatever the day length.
Which of the following tools are used in soil analysis?
I. pH meter
II. Sieve
III. Hygrometer
Answer: A (I and II only.)
A pH meter tests acidity and sieves separate particles; a hygrometer measures air humidity.
If 200 ml of water was poured on a soil sample in a beaker and 25% of the water drained the soil, determine the amount of water retained in the soil.
Answer: C (150ml)
25% of 200 = 50 ml drained, so 200 − 50 = 150 ml stayed.
Soil structure is described as the
Answer: C (arrangement of soil particles into aggregates.)
Structure is how particles group into crumbs or blocks; proportions describe texture.
A beneficial effect of bush burning is that it
Answer: B (encourages the regeneration of grasses.)
Burning old grass makes fresh, tender grass regrow for grazing.
The diagram below illustrates a method of compost making.
The method of compost making illustrated in the diagram is
Answer: C (pit.)
The materials are packed into a hole in the ground: pit composting.
The diagram below illustrates a method of compost making.
The part labelled I is used for
Answer: B (checking the decomposition rate.)
A test stick shows how warm and well-rotted the compost is.
The diagram below illustrates a method of compost making.
A material that could be used as starter in the method of compost making illustrated is
Answer: D (urine.)
Nitrogen-rich urine speeds up the microbes that make compost.
The bacterium which is responsible for conversion of ammonium compounds to nitrites in the nitrogen cycle is
Answer: C (Nitrosomonas.)
Nitrosomonas turns ammonium into nitrite.
Which of the following statements about underground drainage is true?
Answer: B (Water seeps into tiles to reach an outlet where it is discharged.)
Underground drains are buried tiles or pipes.
Monocotyledonous crops are characterized by
Answer: C (parallel-veined leaves.)
Monocots have parallel veins and fibrous roots.
Maceration is carried out in the processing of
Answer: C (oil palm.)
Palm fruits are pounded (macerated) to free the oil-bearing pulp.
If the seed rate for the cultivation of cowpea is 25kg per hectare, determine the quantity of cowpea seeds required to cultivate a farmland measuring 100m by 500m.
Answer: B (125kg)
100 × 500 = 50,000 m² = 5 ha; 5 × 25 = 125 kg.
Which of the following crops require a nursery?
Answer: D (Rubber)
Rubber seedlings are raised and budded in a nursery.
The diagram below illustrates a farm operation.
The illustrated farm operation is known as
Answer: C (winnowing.)
Pouring grain in the wind to blow away chaff is winnowing.
The diagram below illustrates a farm operation.
Examples of crops which require the illustrated farm operation are
Answer: C (rice, groundnut and millet.)
Rice, groundnut and millet are winnowed to remove chaff and husks.
The reduction of three seedlings of maize to two plants per stand is referred to as
Answer: B (thinning.)
Removing extra seedlings is thinning.
Seedlings are best transplanted in the field
Answer: C (early in the morning and late in the evening.)
Cool hours reduce wilting after transplanting.
Which of the following combinations of NPK fertilizer is recommended for the cultivation of yam and cassava?
Answer: B (10:10:20)
Tubers need more potassium, the last number in N:P:K.
Post-planting operations in cocoa plantation include
I. rogueing
II. stumping
III. mulching
Answer: B (I and III only.)
Stumping is done before planting; rogueing and mulching come after.
Examples of cover crops are
Answer: A (Centrosema pubescens and Mucuna utilis.)
Centrosema and Mucuna are creeping legumes used as cover crops.
Which of the following products is not a primary forest product?
Answer: B (Pulp)
Pulp is made by processing wood, so it is a secondary product.
A major reason for encouraging afforestation in arid regions of West Africa is to
Answer: C (serve as windbreak to check desert encroachment.)
Tree belts slow the wind and stop the desert spreading.
Ornamental plants are primarily cultivated to
Answer: D (beautify the environment.)
Ornamentals are grown for beauty.
Cotton stainer is an insect pest of
Answer: C (okro.)
Cotton stainers attack plants of the cotton family, including okro.
The number of teats in the udder of a cow is
Answer: B (four.)
A cow's udder has four quarters, each with one teat.
The diagram below illustrates a reproductive process in a farm animal.
The reproductive process illustrated by the diagram is
Answer: D (gestation.)
It shows a foetus developing in the uterus: gestation (pregnancy).
The diagram below illustrates a reproductive process in a farm animal.
The parts which protect the foetus from mechanical injury are labelled
Answer: A (I and II.)
I and II are the membranes and fluid-filled sacs (amnion and chorion) that cushion the foetus.
The diagram below illustrates a reproductive process in a farm animal.
The foetus obtains dissolved oxygen and nutrients from the dam through the parts labelled
Answer: D (III and IV.)
III is the placenta and IV the umbilical cord, which carry food and oxygen to the foetus.
Assuming a sow was serviced on May 1 and conceived the same day, the expected date of parturition is
Answer: B (August 24.)
Pig gestation is about 114–115 days, which ends around 23–24 August.
In a poultry farm, 2,000 birds were laying an average of 1,680 eggs per day.
What is the percentage of birds that did not lay eggs?
Answer: A (16%)
2,000 − 1,680 = 320; 320 ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 16%.
In a poultry farm, 2,000 birds were laying an average of 1,680 eggs per day.
If an egg tray contains 30 eggs, how many trays of eggs will be collected in one week?
Answer: C (392)
1,680 × 7 = 11,760 eggs; ÷ 30 = 392 trays.
Steaming up ration should be fed to
Answer: D (pregnant animals.)
Steaming up is extra feed in late pregnancy.
A pest of honeybee is
Answer: D (bird.)
Bee-eater birds catch and eat bees.
Study the table below.
Cost price N20,000; useful life Y years; salvage value N5,000; annual depreciation N1,000/annum; total depreciation N15,000
Cost price N60,000; useful life 10 years; salvage value N18,000; annual depreciation N4,200/annum; total depreciation Z
The useful life represented by Y in the illustrated table is
Answer: C (15 years.)
(20,000 − 5,000) ÷ 1,000 = 15 years.
Study the table below.
Cost price N20,000; useful life Y years; salvage value N5,000; annual depreciation N1,000/annum; total depreciation N15,000
Cost price N60,000; useful life 10 years; salvage value N18,000; annual depreciation N4,200/annum; total depreciation Z
The total depreciation represented by Z in the illustrated table is
Answer: B (N42,000.)
60,000 − 18,000 = N42,000 (or 4,200 × 10).
Grading of farm produce is important because it
Answer: D (facilitates pricing)
Each grade gets its own price, so grading makes pricing easy.
The risk of production in agricultural business is borne by the
Answer: C (farm owner.)
The owner (entrepreneur) bears the risk of loss.
In order to backup extension messages, an extension agent should
Answer: C (assist farmers in locating sources of farm inputs.)
Farmers can only act on advice if they can get the inputs.
(a) Differentiate between credit and subsidy in agricultural finance.
(b) Name five agricultural inputs that are subsidised by the government.
(c) Mention six periodic maintenance practices on a tractor.
(d) State five precautions that should be taken when operating farm machinery.
(a) Credit is a loan given to a farmer that must be repaid (usually with interest) over a period; a subsidy is a non-refundable part-payment or aid from government that lowers the cost of inputs or services.
(b) Any five: fertilizers; improved seeds/seedlings; agrochemicals (pesticides, herbicides); improved breeds/day-old chicks; veterinary drugs and vaccines; tractors and implements/tractor hire; irrigation equipment; feeds.
(c) Any six: change engine oil; change oil and fuel filters; grease/lubricate moving parts; check and adjust fan belt tension; recharge or service the battery; tighten loose nuts and bolts; replace worn parts; adjust brakes and clutch; clean or change the air filter; check hydraulic oil level; paint to prevent rust.
(d) Any five: follow the manufacturer's manual; only trained operators should drive; wear protective clothing; keep machines in good working order; do not operate when tired, sick or drunk; keep a first aid kit; take care when hitching implements; keep bystanders away; obey road safety rules and use lights/reflectors.
Credit is repaid; a subsidy is not.
(a) Explain each of the following terms: (i) agricultural ecology (ii) ecosystem.
(b) Mention: (i) two biotic components of a farm ecosystem. (ii) three abiotic components of a farm ecosystem.
(c) State five precautions that should be taken during storage of bags of maize in a store.
(d) Give four examples of bedding plants.
(a)(i) Agricultural ecology: the study of crops and farm animals in relation to their environment (living and non-living factors).
(ii) Ecosystem: a community of living organisms interacting with one another and with their non-living environment.
(b)(i) Any two: crops; farm animals; weeds; soil organisms (earthworms); microorganisms; pests.
(ii) Any three: temperature; rainfall; relative humidity; sunlight; wind; soil; water; rocks/minerals.
(c) Any five: dry grain properly before storage; store must be rain-proof and well ventilated; clean and fumigate the store first; place bags on pallets off the floor and away from walls; use insecticides/fumigants; rat-proof the store; inspect regularly; first in, first out.
(d) Any four: marigold; zinnia; petunia; salvia; celosia; periwinkle (Vinca); balsam; coleus.
Bedding plants are low flowering plants grown in beds.
(a) Discuss the root knot disease of tomato plants under the following headings: (i) causal organism; (ii) mode of transmission; (iii) two symptoms; (iv) two prevention and control measures.
(b) Describe three effects each of the following farming practices on the soil: (i) fertilizer application; (ii) clean clearing; (iii) overgrazing.
(c) Mention three agricultural uses of land.
(a)(i) Nematodes (eelworms), Meloidogyne spp.
(ii) Infested soil, infected seedlings/transplants, water run-off, contaminated tools and farm equipment.
(iii) Any two: galls/knots/swellings on roots; stunted growth; yellowing and wilting of leaves; low yield.
(iv) Any two: crop rotation with non-host crops; resistant varieties; soil sterilisation/nematicides; uproot and burn infected plants; plant clean seedlings; fallowing.
(b)(i) Fertilizer: adds nutrients and raises fertility; some (e.g. sulphate of ammonia) make soil acidic; excess may harm soil organisms/cause salt build-up.
(ii) Clean clearing: exposes soil to erosion; destroys organic matter; raises soil temperature and moisture loss; kills soil organisms.
(iii) Overgrazing: removes plant cover, causing erosion; compacts the soil; lowers fertility; leads to desertification.
(c) Any three: crop production; livestock rearing/grazing; fish farming; forestry/agroforestry; farm buildings/farmstead; wildlife (game) reserves.
Name the nematode in (a)(i).
(a) Outline four steps involved in the planting of cassava stem cuttings.
(b) State three uses of cassava tubers.
(c) If yam is cultivated at a spacing of 100cm by 100cm on 1.5 hectares of farmland and each yam tuber weighs an average of 3.5kg after harvesting, calculate the: (i) expected number of yam plants on the farmland; (ii) total weight of yam tubers harvested in kilogramme.
(d) Distinguish between diet and ration in animal nutrition.
(a) Select healthy, mature stems (about 12–18 months old); cut into pieces 20–30 cm long with 5–8 nodes; plant on prepared ridges/mounds, slanting or vertically, with about two-thirds buried and buds pointing upwards; plant at about 1 m × 1 m; plant early in the rains.
(b) Any three: food (garri, fufu, tapioca, flour); livestock feed; starch for industry; ethanol/alcohol; glucose; adhesives.
(c)(i) 1.5 ha = 15,000 m²; each plant has 1 m × 1 m = 1 m²; number = 15,000 plants.
(ii) 15,000 × 3.5 kg = 52,500 kg.
(d) Diet is the kind and amount of food an animal normally eats; a ration is the measured amount of feed given to an animal in 24 hours to meet its needs.
Convert hectares to square metres first.
(a) Complete the table below on diseases of farm animals.
Symptoms: constant cough and production of stringy sputum with blood or pus, in pigs — Disease (i) — Prevention and control (ii), (iii)
Symptoms (iv) — Disease: Ringworm — Prevention and control (v), (vi)
Symptoms: blood-stained diarrhoea; pale comb in poultry — Disease (vii) — Prevention and control (viii), (ix)
(b) State two functions each of the: (i) queen bee; (ii) worker bee, in a bee colony.
(c) Give five reasons why a compost pit should be covered during composting.
(a)(i) Tuberculosis. (ii), (iii) Any two: isolate/slaughter infected animals; test herds regularly (tuberculin test); good ventilation and hygiene; disinfect pens; avoid overcrowding.
(iv) Circular, scaly, hairless patches of skin, with itching/crusts.
(v), (vi) Any two: isolate infected animals; apply antifungal ointment/iodine; disinfect pens and equipment; good hygiene.
(vii) Coccidiosis. (viii), (ix) Any two: coccidiostats in feed or water; keep litter dry and change it regularly; clean feeders and drinkers; avoid overcrowding.
(b)(i) Queen: lays eggs; produces pheromones that hold the colony together and control workers.
(ii) Worker (any two): collects nectar and pollen; makes honey and wax; builds comb; feeds larvae and queen; guards the hive; cleans and cools the hive.
(c) Any five: keeps in heat to speed decomposition; prevents rain from leaching nutrients; prevents drying out; keeps away flies, rodents and animals; reduces bad smell; prevents loss of nitrogen as ammonia; keeps material from being blown away.
Name the disease for each set of symptoms.
(a) Using the information below, prepare a profit and loss account for Wellness Farms for the year ended 31st December 2016.
Opening valuation N400,000
Cost of point-of-lay N200,000
Cost of feed N150,000
Cost of drugs N10,000
Transportation costs N10,000
Wages paid to workers N80,000
Sale of eggs N240,000
Sale of spent layers N100,000
Eggs consumed by farmer N10,000
Closing valuation N600,000
(b) Mention five problems faced by financial institutions in granting credit to crop farmers.
(c) State four characteristics of Centrosema pubescens.
(a) Debit (expenditure): opening valuation 400,000; point-of-lay 200,000; feed 150,000; drugs 10,000; transport 10,000; wages 80,000; total N850,000. Credit (income): sale of eggs 240,000; sale of spent layers 100,000; eggs consumed by farmer 10,000; closing valuation 600,000; total N950,000. Net profit = 950,000 − 850,000 = N100,000.
(b) Any five: farmers lack collateral; high risk from weather, pests and diseases; poor or no farm records; small, scattered farms; illiteracy of farmers; loan diversion and default; long gestation of some crops; high cost of administering small loans.
(c) Any four: a perennial legume; trailing/climbing habit with trifoliate leaves; fixes nitrogen; high protein forage; shade tolerant; good cover crop that controls erosion and weeds; purple/mauve flowers; tolerates fairly acidic soil.
Put opening valuation and costs on the debit side, sales and closing valuation on the credit side.