WAEC Agricultural Science 1989 Past Questions

Practice each question, then open it to see the full details.

Peasant farmers sell almost all their produce immediately after harvesting because

A.stored produce would be lost to pests
B.there are inadequate storage facilities
C.stored produce lose their quality
D.the commonest method of land tenure in nigeria
E.the prices offered for stored produce are low

List and explain the four major systems of land tenure in Nigeria.

The commonest method of land tenure in Nigeria is

A.lease
B.inheritance
C.outright purchase
D.pledge
E.state allocation

Write short notes on the following sources of farm power:(a) Work animals; (b) Machine engines, (c) Water (d) Sun

Which of the following constitutes a direct monetary cash assistance from government to farmers?

A.agricultural development programmes
B.extension services
C.supply of inputs
D.loans
E.tractor hiring services

(a) What is weathering ?

(b) Enumerate three processes involved in rock weathering

(c) List and discuss briefly the agents of two of these processes

The cross-section of a segment of soil showing the horizons or layers is known as the soil

A.structure
B.texture
C.section
D.depth
E.profile

(a) Distinguish between irrigation and drainage (b) State and explain four systems of irrigation and two of drainage.

If a crop requires 1.5 kg phosphorus per hectare, how many kg of manure will be required per hectare if 1 kg manure contains 0.49 kg of phosphorus?

A.2.47
B.2.97
C.7.35
D.12.39
E.30.61

Describe briefly the economic importance and the control measures of the following: (a) Stem borers of cereal, (b) Grain weevils of stored produce: (c) Cotton stainer; (d) Cassava mealy bug

The factor that does not influence land use is

A.toptgraphy
B.population pressure
C.population graph
D.forest establishment
E.soil type

Write short notes on the following: (a) Selective exploration; (b) Deforestation; (c) Regeneration (d) Afforestation

Which of the following environmental factors is likely to have the greatest influence on crop production in Nigeria?

A.temperature
B.vegetation
C.air movement
D.moisture
E.pressure

Discuss rinderpest disease of livestock under the following sub-headings: (a) Causal organism; (b) Transmission c) Symptoms (d) Effects and economic importance (e) Control

The process whereby rocks are broken down into small particles through both physical and chemical factors is known as

A.rock hydration
B.rock degradation
C.oxidation
D.erosion
E.weathering

(a) What is meant by agricultural extension ? (b) Discuss briefly how the following can be used disseminating new idea and techniques to farmers in Nigeria. (i) mass media; (ii) individual method; (iii) group method

The parent material of a soil is formed from the disintegration of

A.sand
B.gravel
C.silt
D.rock
E.organic matter

Define farm records and farm accounts. (b) Give seven reasons for keeping such records.

Nitrogen is made available to plants in the form of nitrates through the process of

A.deamination and nitrification
B.ammonification and denitrification
C.deamination and ammonification
D.nitrification and dentrification
E.nitrification and ammonification

a) Describe five factors required for establishing a fish pond (b) Enumerate six management practices for maintain-rig high fish yield

Which of the following is not an effect of burning on the soil?

A.increasing the organic matter in the soil
B.increasing the soil nutrients
C.increasing the acidity of the soil
D.exposing the soil to erosion
E.sterilization of the soil

The function of soil micro-organisms include the following except

A.decomposition of dead plant and animal remains
B.recycling of nutrients
C.causing plant or animal diesases
D.living as parasites on crop plants
E.filtration of soil water for plant use

Slate is derived from

A.schist
B.sandstone
C.shale
D.gneiss
E.quartzite

The following are advantages of the sprinkler method of irrigation except

A.rate of application of irrigation water can be controlled
B.portable nature of many sprinkler system make them suitable for use
C.the sprinkler system can be made automatic
D.method can be where topography affects horrowing of land
E.method may be difficult for local farmers to use

Rhizobium supplies nitrogen to leguminous plants by

A.changing some mineral salts to sulphate of ammonia
B.incoporating urea into its body
C.fixing atmospheric nitrogen
D.decomposing plant remains
E.increasing the PH value of the soil

The advantage of providing drainage ditches in farms is that it

A.requires periodic clearing
B.is inconvenient for farm mechanization
C.is labour intensive
D.is unsuitable for draining basement of farm buildings
E.is easily adopted by samll scale farmers

Which of the following sources of farm power cannot be effectively used for processing agricultural products?

A.animals
B.electricity
C.sun
D.machines
E.wind

The instrument used to measure the relative humidity is

A.thermometer
B.anemometer
C.hygrometer
D.hydrometer
E.rain gauge

The most important limitation of agricultural mechanization is

A.small holdings
B.lack of technical know-how
C.poor marketing system
D.inadequate storage facilities
E.pest attack

The best tool(s) a farmer should use to measure out a large farm accurately include(s) the

A.garden line and measuring tape
B.measuring tape and ranging poles
C.measuring tape only
D.garden line only
E.ranging poles and garden line

The distance between two successive yam mounds should be about

A.0.10 m
B.1.00 m
C.10.00 m
D.100.00 m
E.1000.00 m

The desirable characteristics of forage crops include the following except

A.palatability
B.dependability
C.high yield
D.resistance to trampling
E.poor reproductive ability

The growing of both forest and agricultural crops on the same piece of land is termed

A.mixed cropping
B.mixed farming
C.forestry
D.taungya system
E.poor reproductive ability

Which of the following is not an effect on man of the various preventive and control measures of diseases and pests of crops?

A.air pollution
B.water poisoning
C.food contamination
D.poor health
E.poor utilization

The units of inheritance which determine the various characteristics of crop are called

A.chromosomes
B.nuclei
C.genes
D.cytoplasm
E.membranes

Which of the following crops is a raw material for production of chocolate?

A.kolanut
B.coffee
C.banana
D.cocoa
E.avocado pear

In the establishment of pastures, it is best to

A.plant only grasses
B.plant only legumes
C.plant a mixture of grasses and legumes
D.let the natural grasses grow
E.allow weeds to mix with the forage crops

A forest established for watershed management will perform the following functions except

A.reducing water pollution
B.controlling fish population
C.controlling erosion
D.maintaining a steady stream flow
E.reducing evaporation

The disease which most attacks groundnut is called

A.rosette
B.mosaic
C.soft rot
D.powdery mildew
E.brown rot

The process of meiosis in plants ensures the production of reproduction of reproductive cells with

A.the same number of chromosomes like the parent plant
B.half the number of chromosomes of the parent plant
C.no chromosomes like the parent plant
D.thrice the number of chromosomes of the parent plant
E.twice the number of chromosomes of the parent plant

Why should a seed-producing farmer spray an insecticide on his crops only when the bees are not around?

A.the bees would sting him and he therefore avoids them
B.the farmer does not want to waste his chemicals
C.bees are important for pollination of his crops
D.bees produce honey for him in his farm
E.bees are harmless insects

The average seed rate for maize is 25 kg per hectare. Allowing for a seed wastage of 5 per cent.How many kilogram of seeds would be required in planting 10 hectares of farmland?

A.237.5
B.238.0
C.250.0
D.255.0
E.262.5

Thrips cause serious mechanical damages to crops by their

A.feeding activities on flowers, leaves and fruits
B.laying eggs on plants
C.sucking of the sap of crops
D.burrowing activities causing damping off in crops
E.activities as vectors of bacterial diseases

The expression of a gene in the phenotype irrespective of whether the cell is homozygous or heterozygous is known as

A.recessive
B.partial dominance
C.test-cross
D.segregation
E.dominance

Vegetables propagation can be carried out through the following processes except

A.seedling
B.cutting
C.layering
D.grafting
E.budding

Contact insecticides are used to control

A.pod borers of legumes
B.stem borers of cereal
C.leaf beetles of legumes
D.peel worm of legumes
E.bollworms of cotton

The part of the ruminant stomach from which digestive juices secreted is the

A.rumen
B.reticulum
C.omasum
D.paunch
E.abomasum

At which of the following ages are gilts normally mated?

A.8 - 12 months
B.14 - 15 months
C.15 - 20 months
D.21 - 24 months
E.over 25 months

Which of the following breeds of cattle is regarded as the best dairy breed in Nigeria?

A.red bororo
B.keteku
C.sokoto gudali
D.muturu
E.white fulani

The symptoms of vitamin deficiency diseases in livestock includes the following

A.scurvy
B.loss of appetite
C.poor blood clotting
D.improved fertility
E.rickets