WAEC Agricultural Science 2005 Past Questions

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Inadequate food production in most developing countries is due to

A.high populatoon growth
B.inadequate technology
C.infestation of farms by pests
D.scarity of labour

(a) State three advantages and two disadvantages of manual labour. (b) Enumerate four qualities of good draught animals. (c) State two precautions to be observed when using draught animals. (d) Explain how power from each of the following sources are harnessed for use on the farm: (i) sun, (ii) biogas.

Which of the following groups of basic amenities should be provided in rural areas foe improves agricultural productivity?

A.water,electricity and helth care centres
B.electricity,guest houses and water
C.health care centres,water and airports
D.roads, airports and recreational centres

(a) List ten poultry equipment and state the main use of each. (b) Name two parts of a tractor involved in the coupling and operation of implements. (c) State four maintenance practices of a tractor.

Government laws and reforms are aimed at

A.increasing agricultural production
B.controlling farm profits
C.discouraging investment in agriculture
D.encouraging importation of agricultural produce

(a) Define climate and state three of its importance in agriculture. (b) Explain five ways in which high rainfall affects agricultural production. (c) State the forms in which water exist in the soil. (d) Mention three ways through which soil water may be lost

In order to ensure that crop and animal diseases are not transferred across international boundaries, government must

A.have a programme on agricultural education
B.endeavour to produce only disease resistant species
C.have and enforce quarantine services
D.increase surveillance of its borders by security agents

(a)In an experiment on soil porosity, the following measurements were taken and recorded: Volume of dry soil = 50 cm³, Volume of water = 50 cm³, Total volume of soil and water = 75 cm³. Use the above information to (i) find the volume of air space in the soil sample. (ii) calculate the porosity of the soil sample. (b) Mention three reasons why soil porosity is important in agriculture. (c) State four characteristics of each of igneous and sedimentary rocks.

The role of science and technology in the development of agriculture includes the following except

A.provision of insecticides and drugs
B.provision of good road network
C.introduction of artificial insemination centres
D.setting up produce marketing boards

(a) Define the term weed (b) Describe four methods of weed control. (c) Give six reasons for controlling weeds on the farm.

The total land area of a country available for farming depends on the

A.level of literacy of farmers
B.climate of the area
C.sex distribution of the population
D.number of houses and other structures

(a) List five aims of crop improvement (b) Define the term selection in crop improvement. (c) List three methods of selection. (d) Explain the following genetic terms: (i) homozygotes (ii) back cross (iii) dominance.

The scarcity of land often compels peasant farmers to practice

A.deforestation
B.selective exploitation
C.taungya system
D.afforestation

(a) Give four reasons for rearing goats in West Africa. (b) List three advantages and three disadvantages of the extensive system of rearing goats in West African. (c) State six general characteristics of West African cattle breeds.

In West Africa, a greater part of the land is used for

A.livestock farming
B.arable cropping
C.building houses
D.game reserves

(a) State seven characteristic features of a good layer. (b) Describe the preparations to be carried out for receiving day old chicks for rearing. (b) Explain how poor storage facilities affect agricultural marketing.

A piece of land can be considered more suitable for livestock production than for crop production when it is

A.moderately marshy
B.stony
C.fertile
D.infested with weeds

State three advantages and one disadvantages of each of the following marketing agents (i) retailers (ii) Wholesalers (iii) co-operative societies.

The first vegetation zone which runs across the coast of most West African countries is the

A.derived savanna
B.mangrove forest
C.guinea savanna
D.rain forest

(a) State seven objectives of agricultural extension. (b) List the three main types of extension teaching methods and explain any two of them

The most active agent of physical weathering in arid regions is

A.wind
B.water
C.temperature
D.ice

Soils in forest areas would normally have

A.low moisture content
B.high proportion of sand
C.high proportion of humus
D.low microbial activity

Clay particles hold cations because they

A.are negatively charged
B.become hardened when dry
C.are very small in size
D.have definite shapes

Under which of the following conditions will organic matter in the soil decompose fastest?

A.optimum pH
B.low temperature
C.anaerobic conditions
D.waterlogged condition

Which of the following materials can be applied to the soil in order to correct yellowing of leaves?

A.lime
B.urea
C.gypsum
D.bone meal

One importance of cover crops is that they

A.provide shade for crops
B.protect crops from pests
C.increase soil acidity
D.suppress weed growth

The appropriate irrigation method for upland rice field is

A.sprinkler
B.drip
C.flooding
D.underground

Drainage refers to

A.removal of excess water from the soil
B.removal of nutrients from the soil
C.addition of water to the soil
D.protection of soil from erosion

Energy in fossil materials may be harnessed as

A.water energy
B.wind energy
C.electrical energy
D.fuel energy

A decorticator is useful in the processing of

A.maize
B.cotton
C.cocoa
D.groundnut

Which of the following types of survey reveals the physical features of farmlands?

A.soil survey
B.topographical survey
C.chain survey
D.compass survey

Calculate the area of a rectangular vegetable garden measuring 100m by 26m in hectares.

A.0.250
B.0.200
C.0.125
D.0.004

Farm mechanization does not

A.involve the use of motorized equipment
B.require much capital
C.lead to unemployment
D.involve the use of only heavy machinery

A prolonged wet season at the early stage of growth in cotton will lead to

A.good vegetative growth and high yield of lint
B.tall plant with few bolls
C.premature dropping of leaves
D.waterlogged soil which increases availability of soil nutrients

The by-product in plant photosynthesis is

A.carbondioxide
B.carbohydrate
C.hydrogen
D.oxygen

Which of the following reasons explain why fertilizers are added to soils?

A.prevention of erosion
B.increasing the organic matter content
C.increasing the water retention capacity
D.increasing the nutrient level

A crop which is usually propagated sexually is

A.banana
B.pineapple
C.cowpea
D.ginger

Transplanting is best carried out in the evening because

A.it allows for greater plant respiration
B.roots show positive geotropism
C.moisture losses are low during cold waether
D.plnts grow faster in the dark

Some cassava tubers are poisonous to non-ruminant because they contain

A.hydrochloric acid
B.hydrocyanic acid
C.sodium chloride
D.sodium hydroxide

Which of the following factors does not affect the distribution of pasture grasses?

A.wind
B.temperature
C.soil
D.pests

Selective exploitation means felling trees of

A.different ages and girths
B.specific ages and girths
C.different girths and same species
D.different girths and different species

Streak disease of crop commonly attacks

A.millet
B.sorghum
C.maize
D.rice

Most viral diseases of plants are transmitted by

A.wind
B.rain
C.insects
D.rodents

Viral diseases of crop plants are best controlled by

A.planting resistant varieties
B.applying fungicides
C.aplying insecticides
D.flooding farmlands

The following problems are likely to be caused by insects except

A.loss of leaves of crop plants
B.rottening of cobs in storage
C.transmission of viral diseases
D.reduction of grains in storage to powder

Weed plants which grow on other plants without deriving nutrients from them are called

A.sedged
B.epiphytes
C.decomposers
D.saprophytes

When a farmland is heavily infested with striga, it may be concluded that the farmland

A.is undergoing drainage
B.had not ben regularly irrigated
C.may have been used for growing guinea corn
D.may have been used for cowpea production

A.reduces evaporation of soil water
B.increases soil acidity
C.prevents seedling diseases
D.improves soil texture

An accessory sex gland in a bull is

A.prostate gland
B.pituitary gland
C.thyroid gland
D.pancreatic gland

The most important reason for low livestock population in the rain forest zone is the

A.fast rate at which pasture crops become fibrous
B.shortage of forage crops during the long dry season
C.growth and proliferation of pathogens
D.thick vegetation cover which impedes animal movement