Correct Answer: D. Cutting with sickle

Correct Answer: B. inadequate technology

Correct Answer: D. sheller

Correct Answer: D. performance of offspring

Correct Answer: C. 150 days

Explanation

(a) Methods of calculating depreciation of farm machines: (1) straight -line method or fixed installment method (2) annual revaluation method (3) unit of production or output method (4) declining/reducing balance method (5) sum-of-the-years-digit method.

(b) Roles of capital in agricultural production: (i) enables acquisition of farm inputs (ii) enables acquisition of machinery and implements (iii) payment of wages and salaries (iv) expansion of scope of production (v) improvement of farm facilities (vi) facilitates marketing functions and services (vii) it enhances the adoption of agricultural innovations (vii) it ensures timeliness of farming operation .

(c) Roles of middlemen in marketing farm produce: (i) link producers with consumers who may be far apart (ii) they have financial ability to give loans to farmers to aid production and eventually buy the produce. (iii) most have transport facilities to collect produce from small and scattered farms and villages (iv) they build up the bulk of .the produce at great risk of price fluctuation, pest infestation etc. (v) provision of facilities for cleaning, storage, packaging, grading etc. thereby influencing produce quality (vi) supply of relevant information to producers on market trends and prices of necessary inputs.

Correct Answer: A. 0.250

Correct Answer: B. taungya farming

Explanation

(a) Functions of soil water to crops

- Cooling of plants through transpiration

- Needed for all metabolic reactions in plants

- Used in photosynthesis

- Needed for germination of seeds

- helps in transportation of manufactured food

(b) Factors that could cause low soil pH

- Acid rains in industrial areas

- Use of sulphur-based agro-chemicals/fertilisers

- Leaching

- Erosion

- Acid parent materials

- Absorption of basic cations from the soil/ Preferential nutrient uptake by plants

- Hydrolysis of aluminum

(c) Explanation of the cycle of Liver fluke

- Eggs pass from the uterus of the adult liver fluke into the bile duct of the host (livestock)

- The eggs move from the bile duck into the intestine

- They are passed out with the faeces of host on to pastures

- Eggs hatch into miracidiae

- The miracidiae penetrate the water snail (secondary host)

- The miracidiae develop into sporocysts in the snail

- By cell division, the sporocysts develop into rediae

- The rediae develop into carcariae

- The carcariae pass out of the water snail, remain in the pasture and become encysted (metacercaria)

- Encysted cercaria is eaten by livestock host along with the pasture

- Metacercaria develops into young liver fluke

- Young liver fluke swims through the intestine into the blood streams to the liver and finally locates at the bile duct

Explanation

(a) Rosette disease of groundnut discussed under:

Causal organism: Virus

Symptoms: (i) Infected plants shrink in size (ii) Leaves turn yellow with mosaic form of Mottling (iii) The leaves curl (iv) Plants become permanently stunted / retarded growth (v) Shortening of the internodes.

Method of transmission: The causative virus is transmitted to plants by aphids and other piercing and sucking insects.

Damage done: Reduction in size of leaves / curling of leaves - consequent reduction in photosynthetic area, resulting in very low yield,

Preventive and control measures: (i)use resistant varieties (ii) use insecticides to destroy / control vector (aphids) (iii) adopt early planting. (iv) burn all infected plants / farm sanitation. (v) practice close spacing as a cultural method of control

(b) Vegetable crop population calculation: Spacing for crop 30cm x 30cm = 0.3m x 0.3m :. Area of 1 stand of crop = 30cm x 30cm = 900cm² or x 0.3m =0.09m² Area of land (given) length = 60m width = 30m :. Area = (60 x 30)m². = 1800m² If a crop occupies an area of 0.09m², No of stand/crops of vegetable = 1800/0.09, or 18000000/900 = 20,000 crop stands