WAEC Agricultural Science 1990 Past Questions

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

Subsistence farming can be appropriately described as planting of crops and rearing of livestock

A.for the benefit of the whole country
B.as export for earning foreign exchange
C.for the benefit of the community only
D.for the benefit of the farmer and his family
E.as raw materials for agro-based industries

Discuss eight problems of agricultural development in Nigeria and suggest one possible solution to each of the problems

Which of the following is not the role of government in agricultural production?

A.provision of loans and credits
B.building of storage facilities
C.establishment of efficient marketing outlets
D.provision of subsidies
E.provision of labour

a) i) What Is farm surveying ? (ii) Outline the importance of farm surveying. (b) List and discuss four survey equipment commonly used in the farm.

In encouraging farmers to produce more of a particular crop, the Nigerian government has helped farmers in marketing that crop through the establishment of

A.rural schools of agriculture
B.markets for the sale of crops
C.marketing boards
D.rural extension offices
E.universities of agriculture

(a) Mention two major elements of climate. (b) Discuss six ways by which climate and vegetation influence soil formation

Which of the following factors affecting land availability and use is a socio-economic factor?

A.population pressure
B.soil type
C.topography
D.farming systems
E.climate

(a) Explain the term soil structure and state its importance in agriculture. (b) State four properties each of clay and sandy soil.

A crop not requiring more than 750 mm annual rainfall is most suitable for cultivation in

A.swampy forest
B.sahel savanna
C.rain forest
D.sudan savanna
E.guinea savanna

In a tabular form, discuss cocoa, yam and millet production under the following sub-headings: (a) climatic requirement; (b) soil requirement; (c) cultural practices; (d) method of propagation.

The major factor influencing the physical or mechanical breakdown of rocks into finer particles include the following except

A.man
B.animal
C.wind
D.water
E.solution

(a) State the laws of Mendel (b) Discuss three advantages and two disadvantages of: (i) introduction-, (ii) selection in crop improvement

Which of the following nutrient element is a macro-nutrient?

A.phosphorus
B.zinc
C.iron
D.manganese
E.boron

(a) What is rangeland ? (b) Discuss seven practices of management and improvement of rangeland

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using organic manure on the soil?

A.spreading of pests and diseases
B.reducing the rate of evaporation from soil surfaces
C.improving the nitrogen content of soil
D.increasing the humus content of soil
E.preventing erosion and leaching

Explain how each of the following practices can bring about high yield from a fish pond: (a) deweeding: (b) desilting (c) supplementary feeding (d) fertilization.

Which of the following factors is not considered in 5the use of irrigation?

A.weed seed distribution over the farm
B.cost of maintenance
C.availability of water
D.build up of pests and diseases
E.prevention of salt accumulation through adequate drainage

Enumerate eight functions of an extension agent in the life of a rural farmer

By which of the following ways is the agricultural production in Nigeria affected by topography

A.lowering of crop quality
B.determining the manure requirement of a farm
C.lowering the leve of production
D.increasing the pest incidence on crops
E.influencing the area of land, actually available for agriculture

(a) Explain the meaning of agricultural finance and agricultural credit. (b) Name six sources of agricultural credit available to the small-scale farmer (c) Mention six problems associated with agricultural credits.

Which of the following will not contribute to soil formation in Nigeria?

A.carbonation
B.oxidation
C.temperature
D.hydrolysis
E.glaciation

The type of soil formed is affected by the following factors except

A.farming systems
B.climate
C.vegetation
D.topography
E.parent material

Which of the following is the function of nitrosomonas in the nitrogen cycle?

A.ammonification
B.volatilization
C.nitrification
D.dentrification
E.nitrogen fixation

Which of the following farm practices does not have a very harmful effect on the soil?

A.crop rotation
B.land clearing
C.overgrazing
D.flooding
E.bush burning

Soil can be drained by the use of the following except

A.sprinklers
B.channels
C.gutters
D.ditches
E.porous pipes

What are give and take lines often used in farm surveying?

A.leveling measurements of farms
B.chain measurements of farmlands
C.measuring diversion or obstruction in a farmland
D.measuring turning points during surveying
E.measuring farms with irregular boundaries

Which of the following is not a limitation of farm mechanization?

A.technical know-how
B.capital
C.small holdings
D.lack of spare parts
E.labour

Incubators are used to supply heat to

A.day-old chicks
B.sick fowls in cold weather
C.cockerels to increase their libido
D.poultry attendants for protection against cold
E.fertilized egg for chick development

Root knot of tomato is caused by a

A.fungus
B.bacterium
C.virus
D.protozoan
E.nematode

If the seed rate for guinea corn is 5.6 kg per hectare, what will be the amount of seeds required for planting 35 acre farm?

A.75.1
B.78.4
C.568.2
D.784.5
E.960.3

The most common weed of pastures in Nigeria is

A.spear grass
B.goat weed
C.water leaf
D.tridax
E.sida

The following are forestry crops except

A.tectona grandis
B.gmelina arborea
C.anarcadium
D.pinus eliotis
E.chlorophora excelsa

The pest designated as a national pest by the Nigeria Agricultural Advisory Council is

A.variegated grasshopper
B.thrips
C.capsid
D.cricket
E.weevil

Which of the following groups comprises only oil crops?

A.groundnut, jute and cotton
B.melon, coconut and sisal hemp
C.coconut, cotton and sunflower
D.sunflower, rubber and jute
E.oil palm, sunflower and jute

The mosaic symptom commonly associated with viral diseases of crops can be best observed on

A.roots
B.stem
C.leaves
D.fruits
E.flower

Pests of crops that feed by piercing and sucking plants include the following except

A.stem borers
B.aphids
C.cocoa mirids
D.cotton stainers
E.cassava mealy bugs

Maize grows best on

A.sandy soil
B.sandy-clay soil
C.clayey-loam soil
D.loamy soil
E.silty-clay soil

Soil may be exposed to erosion when a pasture is

A.undergrazed
B.overgrazed
C.paddocked
D.weeded
E.fanced

Taungya farm involves the combination of

A.crop and animal husbandary
B.crop husbandary and forestry
C.forestry and animal husbandary
D.crop husbandary and fish farming
E.forestry and fishing farming

The destructive effects of variegated grasshoppers are conspicuously observed on

A.cassava and yam crops
B.cocoa and citrus crops
C.cowpea and maize crops
D.maize and cassava crops
E.citrus and weeds

A castrated male fowl is known as

A.cock
B.capon
C.cockerel
D.hen
E.broiler

The type of feed which contains the essential nutrients in the right concentrations and proportions is known as

A.growers mash
B.weaners diet
C.creep feed
D.concentrate
E.balance diet

Which of the following is not a reason why planting a mixture of grass and legume on a pasture is economical to the farmer? The

A.mixture can harbour pests
B.mixture helps in preventing soil erosion
C.farmer will save on fertilizer
D.mixture provides a balanced feed for livestock
E.mixture increases the rate of productyion of livestock

The parts of the body affected by Newcastle disease of poultry are the

A.digestive and circulatory systems
B.reproductive and excretory tracts
C.nervous system and respiratory tract
D.air-sac and the comb
E.comb and the legs

A fish pond in an enclosed body of water is for

A.rearing fish for consumption
B.rearing aquatic organisms for feeding fish
C.storing fish and other organisms
D.keeping ornamental fish and aquatic plants
E.rearing fish and other aquatic mammals

The breed of goat noted for its production of high quality morocco leather is the

A.west african dwarf
B.kano brown
C.ouda
D.bornu red
E.sokoto red

Which of the following is not a source of minerals in animal nutrition?

A.green pastures
B.fish meal
C.blood meal
D.cereal
E.palm oil

The following are all leguminous forage crops except

A.centrosema pubescens
B.vigna sinensis
C.stylodsnyhrd htsvilid
D.panicum maximum
E.pueraria phaseoloides

Which of the following livestock diseases is transmitted by ticks?

A.red water
B.coccidiosis
C.aspergillosis
D.trypanosomiasis
E.brucellosis

Dissolved oxygen in fish ponds is maintained at normal level in order to

A.accelerate decay of plant materials
B.prevent disease attacks
C.prevent acquatic plants from competing with fish
D.keep fish activities normal
E.improve the quality of fish