New Curriculum Second Term Agricultural Science examination for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: Second Term
Subject: Agricultural Science
Time: 2 hours
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all 40 questions. Choose the most appropriate answer. Each question carries 1 mark.

1. ________ is the broad agricultural activity involving the keeping and management of domestic farm animals.
   (a) Field crop rotation    (b) Animal farming    (c) Arable tillage alone    (d) Vegetable nursery production
2. Two cassava plots receive the same rainfall, but one has poor spacing and crowding. What is the most defensible explanation if its yield is lower?
   (a) Cassava cannot grow in fields receiving rainfall    (b) Higher plant density invariably raises yield without limit    (c) Competition among plants may have reduced resource availability    (d) The plot must contain a different species of soil
3. Which sequence shows crop rotation rather than mixed cropping?
   (a) Groundnut one season and maize the next on the same plot    (b) Maize and groundnut occupying the same plot simultaneously    (c) Maize planted repeatedly on the same plot every season    (d) Cultivation paused while natural vegetation restores a plot
4. The main reason organic and conventional farming should be evaluated against local conditions is that ____.
   (a) a single method necessarily suits every farm equally    (b) soil, climate, labour and available inputs influence their practical results    (c) production costs are always identical between methods    (d) environmental outcomes can be known without observation
5. Which proposed practice is NOT consistent with reduced environmental damage?
   (a) Repeatedly burning large new forest areas for single-season production    (b) Using the same land effectively where conditions permit    (c) Protecting soil cover between crops    (d) Choosing rotations suited to the farm environment
6. The figure shows an exposed slope with channels after rain. Identify the process shown.
   (a) biological pest control    (b) crop pollination    (c) water erosion of exposed soil    (d) formation of humus without loss
7. All of these can be benefits of a well-planned cropping system EXCEPT ____.
   (a) better use of available land    (b) reduced dependence on the same crop season after season    (c) improved management of soil fertility    (d) complete protection from every drought and pest outbreak
8. Topsoil repeatedly washes off an unprotected field. Which long-term management approach is most needed?
   (a) faster indiscriminate clearing    (b) continuous bare fallow without cover    (c) soil conservation    (d) removal of all organic matter
9. Which method directly reduces raindrop impact on bare farmland?
   (a) Removing all surface plant residues before storms    (b) Keeping every slope freshly bare    (c) Establishing cover crops between cropping periods    (d) Burning remaining ground cover repeatedly
10. ________ uses decomposed organic material to support soil fertility without depending solely on manufactured fertilisers.
    (a) Chemical-only nutrient replacement    (b) Burning all crop residues    (c) Soilless pest fumigation    (d) Organic manure management
11. Which change would LEAST likely cause soil degradation?
    (a) Maintaining protective ground cover on vulnerable slopes    (b) Indiscriminate deforestation    (c) Repeated uncontrolled bush burning    (d) Leaving erodible soil exposed to intense rainfall
12. A farmer clears fresh woodland each season for cropping. What environmental harm is most directly indicated?
    (a) improved forest biodiversity without replanting    (b) deforestation and habitat loss    (c) elimination of all soil erosion    (d) automatic enrichment of every nearby stream
13. Which feeding strategy is NOT based on the contrast between pigs and cattle?
    (a) Providing suitable forage as part of cattle diets    (b) Assuming both species have identical rumen fermentation    (c) Formulating pig rations for a non-ruminant digestive system    (d) Considering species-specific feeding requirements
14. The ________ is the practice of raising field crops such as maize and groundnut for harvest.
    (a) crop farming    (b) animal husbandry    (c) forestry management    (d) livestock breeding
15. Which question would fairly compare organic and conventional plots?
    (a) Which method has the more attractive name?    (b) How do yield, soil condition and input costs differ under otherwise comparable conditions?    (c) Did one farmer plant two months earlier without adjustment?    (d) Which plot has the oldest fence regardless of crops?
16. A plot is left under natural regrowth for several seasons before cultivation resumes. Identify the practice.
    (a) relay cropping    (b) continuous cultivation    (c) bush fallowing    (d) plantation harvesting
17. Which method is NOT consistent with the stated organic-farming practices?
    (a) Incorporating suitable organic manure    (b) Using appropriate biological pest control    (c) Routine reliance on an unrestricted synthetic pesticide programme    (d) Managing soil through compost and crop residues
18. A smallholder wants to retain soil productivity while producing food every season. The ________ advantage of planned rotation is most relevant.
    (a) maintenance of fertility    (b) automatic immunity to weeds    (c) removal of the need for field records    (d) elimination of crop-water demands
19. The ________ of a soil surface using leaves or plant residues is called mulching.
    (a) ploughing    (b) covering    (c) flooding    (d) scarifying
20. Which observation best demonstrates why soil conservation matters to production?
    (a) Loss of fertile topsoil is accompanied by reduced crop growth    (b) Topsoil depth remains stable during severe erosion    (c) Exposed soil always retains more water than covered soil    (d) Erosion increases available soil nutrients indefinitely
21. All of the following are reasonable comparative criteria EXCEPT ____.
    (a) soil fertility trends    (b) pest-management costs    (c) amount and type of external inputs    (d) an unsupported claim that one method can never fail
22. Repeated bush burning leaves a field exposed. What explains the resulting soil degradation?
    (a) always increases the depth of productive topsoil    (b) prevents rainwater from ever entering the ground    (c) converts all mineral nutrients into crop roots    (d) destroys protective vegetation and can reduce soil organic matter
23. Cattle feed successfully on rough forage partly through microbial fermentation. How are these animals classified?
    (a) non-ruminants    (b) obligate carnivores    (c) ruminants    (d) monogastric pigs
24. The main reason to plan rotations deliberately is to ____.
    (a) manage crop demands and help maintain productive soil conditions    (b) ensure all crops remove exactly the same nutrients    (c) remove the need to monitor pest populations    (d) guarantee unchanged yields under every climate
25. A farmer plants maize on ridges and cassava on mounds according to local soil conditions. Which aspect of crop production is being planned?
    (a) Classification of cattle digestive systems    (b) Marketing processed milk products    (c) Calculation of poultry stocking rates    (d) Appropriate crop establishment and agronomical practices
26. The main reason properly decomposed manure is preferred to dumping fresh waste beside edible crops is to ____.
    (a) guarantee zero microorganisms in every sample    (b) remove the need to observe crop response    (c) ensure all crops receive exactly the same nutrients    (d) reduce hygiene risks and allow more stable nutrient release
27. A farming group wants to assess the ecological impact of expanding crop land. What evidence would be most useful?
    (a) The colour selected for the group's logo    (b) The number of markets operating in another state    (c) The age of the farmer's delivery vehicle alone    (d) Changes in vegetation cover, soil condition and water use
28. Which activity does NOT conserve the surface soil?
    (a) Leaving a sloping field bare before the peak rains    (b) Using protective plant cover    (c) Retaining suitable organic mulch    (d) Maintaining vegetation where erosion risk is high
29. ________ means protecting soil against degradation and maintaining its productive capacity.
    (a) Crop marketing    (b) Soil conservation    (c) Livestock sorting    (d) Commodity packaging
30. A maize crop performs better after a well-managed leguminous crop. Which explanation best fits the advantage of the cropping system?
    (a) Rotation eliminates every soil pest permanently    (b) Maize no longer requires water after a legume    (c) Improved soil fertility can benefit the following cereal    (d) All legumes physically turn clay into sand
31. Maize is planted after a leguminous crop on the same land. Identify the cropping system.
    (a) continuous monocropping    (b) bush fallowing without cultivation    (c) mixed livestock grazing    (d) crop rotation
32. A vegetable grower spreads dry grass on the beds. Which immediate benefit should be expected?
    (a) reduced evaporation and protection of exposed soil    (b) complete prevention of every weed species    (c) conversion of mulch into pesticide gas    (d) instant sterilisation of the soil profile
33. Which measurable outcome would best test whether a new rotation improved production?
    (a) Count only the number of rotation names students remember    (b) Use different planting dates without recording them    (c) Judge performance solely by leaf colour in one plant    (d) Compare yields from similar plots under rotation and continuous cropping
34. A farmer plans to reduce synthetic chemical use but still protect yields. The best comparison of production approaches is that ____.
    (a) organic systems never require pest management    (b) organic systems emphasise biological and organic inputs whereas conventional systems may rely more on synthetic inputs    (c) conventional systems contain no living soil organisms    (d) both systems necessarily have identical input rules
35. Which choice best links a vegetable crop to a suitable agronomical decision?
    (a) Plan seedbed condition and spacing before establishment    (b) Treat every vegetable as a grazing ruminant    (c) Apply animal-feeding schedules in place of planting    (d) Assess weaning age to determine seed depth
36. A farmer adds well-rotted compost and uses natural predators against caterpillars. Which approach is being adopted?
    (a) Exclusive reliance on synthetic fertiliser    (b) Continuous chemically intensive pest control    (c) Open dumping of non-degradable waste    (d) Organic farming practices
37. Tree clearing has accelerated erosion on a farm. Select the most suitable corrective action.
    (a) clear remaining trees to expose more soil    (b) restore protective cover and reduce further damaging runoff    (c) burn mulch before every heavy rainfall    (d) direct runoff across the most eroded surface
38. How does careful resource use improve the sustainability of a cropping system?
    (a) make rainfall unnecessary for crops    (b) replace all soil conservation with harvesting    (c) obtain useful production without unnecessary pressure on land and water    (d) ensure more land clearing is always preferable
39. A farmer changes a pig's diet based on its digestive system. Which statement provides the best basis?
    (a) A pig has the same multi-compartment stomach as cattle    (b) A pig is non-ruminant and cannot use a rumen to ferment feed like cattle    (c) Pigs obtain all feed directly from pasture fermentation    (d) Pigs and cattle are identical in digestive anatomy
40. A conservation intervention is planned on two similar plots. The correct step before claiming it succeeded is to ____.
    (a) choose only the most attractive post-intervention photograph    (b) compare dissimilar crops without noting differences    (c) record comparable soil-loss or crop-growth measurements before and after intervention    (d) ignore seasonal rainfall variation entirely

SECTION B: THEORY (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer Question 1 and any other TWO questions. Each question carries 10 marks. Show your reasoning and use labelled diagrams where appropriate.

Question 1 (10 marks)
(a) Distinguish ruminant from non-ruminant farm animals using cattle and pigs. (4 marks)
(b) Explain three implications of this distinction and crop-management practices for a mixed farm. (6 marks)

Question 2 (10 marks)
(a) Distinguish crop rotation from bush fallowing. (4 marks)
(b) Explain three ways cropping-system choice may affect soil fertility, yield stability or the environment. (6 marks)

Question 3 (10 marks)
(a) Define soil conservation and identify two causes of degradation. (4 marks)
(b) A slope shows rills after heavy rain. Design three practical methods to reduce degradation, explaining how each works. (6 marks)

Question 4 (10 marks)
(a) Identify two inputs or approaches associated with organic farming. (4 marks)
(b) A farmer compares organic and conventional plots. Specify three measurements or controls needed for a fair judgement and give reasons. (6 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (b) Animal farming
Question 2 – ✅ (c) Competition among plants may have reduced resource availability
Question 3 – ✅ (a) Groundnut one season and maize the next on the same plot
Question 4 – ✅ (b) soil, climate, labour and available inputs influence their practical results
Question 5 – ✅ (a) Repeatedly burning large new forest areas for single-season production
Question 6 – ✅ (c) water erosion of exposed soil
Question 7 – ✅ (d) complete protection from every drought and pest outbreak
Question 8 – ✅ (c) soil conservation
Question 9 – ✅ (c) Establishing cover crops between cropping periods
Question 10 – ✅ (d) Organic manure management
Question 11 – ✅ (a) Maintaining protective ground cover on vulnerable slopes
Question 12 – ✅ (b) deforestation and habitat loss
Question 13 – ✅ (b) Assuming both species have identical rumen fermentation
Question 14 – ✅ (a) crop farming
Question 15 – ✅ (b) How do yield, soil condition and input costs differ under otherwise comparable conditions?
Question 16 – ✅ (c) bush fallowing
Question 17 – ✅ (c) Routine reliance on an unrestricted synthetic pesticide programme
Question 18 – ✅ (a) maintenance of fertility
Question 19 – ✅ (b) covering
Question 20 – ✅ (a) Loss of fertile topsoil is accompanied by reduced crop growth
Question 21 – ✅ (d) an unsupported claim that one method can never fail
Question 22 – ✅ (d) destroys protective vegetation and can reduce soil organic matter
Question 23 – ✅ (c) ruminants
Question 24 – ✅ (a) manage crop demands and help maintain productive soil conditions
Question 25 – ✅ (d) Appropriate crop establishment and agronomical practices
Question 26 – ✅ (d) reduce hygiene risks and allow more stable nutrient release
Question 27 – ✅ (d) Changes in vegetation cover, soil condition and water use
Question 28 – ✅ (a) Leaving a sloping field bare before the peak rains
Question 29 – ✅ (b) Soil conservation
Question 30 – ✅ (c) Improved soil fertility can benefit the following cereal
Question 31 – ✅ (d) crop rotation
Question 32 – ✅ (a) reduced evaporation and protection of exposed soil
Question 33 – ✅ (d) Compare yields from similar plots under rotation and continuous cropping
Question 34 – ✅ (b) organic systems emphasise biological and organic inputs whereas conventional systems may rely more on synthetic inputs
Question 35 – ✅ (a) Plan seedbed condition and spacing before establishment
Question 36 – ✅ (d) Organic farming practices
Question 37 – ✅ (b) restore protective cover and reduce further damaging runoff
Question 38 – ✅ (c) obtain useful production without unnecessary pressure on land and water
Question 39 – ✅ (b) A pig is non-ruminant and cannot use a rumen to ferment feed like cattle
Question 40 – ✅ (c) record comparable soil-loss or crop-growth measurements before and after intervention

Theory Marking Scheme

Question 1:
(a) Cattle possess specialised ruminant digestive system and microbial fermentation (2); pigs are non-ruminants with a simple stomach (2). (4 marks)
(b) Two marks each for suitable forage planning for cattle, formulated pig rations, separate animal health/feed management, matching crop production and residues to animal needs, or manure management. (6 marks)

Question 2:
(a) Crop rotation alternates different crops on the same land in successive seasons (2); bush fallowing rests land under regrowth for a period (2). (4 marks)
(b) Any three appropriately explained 2 marks each: nutrient demands/legumes; pest break; soil cover/erosion; need for land and deforestation risks; resource efficiency. (6 marks)

Question 3:
(a) Soil conservation maintains productive soil and reduces loss (2); any two of water erosion, bush burning, deforestation (1 each). (4 marks)
(b) Any three well-linked 2 marks each: cover cropping/mulching reduces raindrop impact; restore vegetation slows runoff; avoid burning; protect slopes and maintain soil cover. (6 marks)

Question 4:
(a) Compost or organic manure (2); biological pest control (2). (4 marks)
(b) Similar crops/soil and planting dates (2); measured yield/input cost/soil condition (2); replicated records and explicit differences in synthetic/organic inputs (2). (6 marks)
Accept scientifically correct equivalents. Award method marks for valid reasoning; do not award a mark twice for the same point.