Correct Answer: A. land is fragmented

Correct Answer: C. do not withstand harsh conditions

Correct Answer: D. pick axe

Correct Answer: C. feed from different soil layers

Explanation

Production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

(a) Land preparation

-Select well-drained deep soil, heavy clay-loam/loam with slightly acidic or neutral pH.

- Keep the area protected from strong winds.

-Clear the area manually or mechanically.

- Avoid clean-clearing/some forest/big trees may be left to provide shade for seedlings.

-Leave some plant refuse behind to provide mulch and reduce evaporation.

(b) Climatic requirements

-Cocoa s a humid tropical crop

- Grows best in areas with 1140 - 2000 mm annual rainfall, well distributed most of the year.

-Needs constant supply of moisture.

-Should be protected from strong wind

-Temperature requirement not below 17°C

(c) Planting

-Cocoa trees are usually raised from nurseries. '

-Seeds to be planted in the nurseries must be selected from those freshly harvested pods because seed viability reduces rapidly if kept for long time.

Seeds are planted in small baskets filled with good loamy soil and should be well-watered but not water-logged.

- Keep the baskets with the seeds under shades protected from strong winds.

-Can use plastic buckets instead of basket though their bases should be cut and sides slited open when transplanting.

- Transplanting is ready within 5-9 months after sowing the seeds.

- Planting is usually done at the beginning of the rainy season.

-Spacing is usually 3m x 3m, though this varies with 3 the cultivar.

-When transplaning, dig sufficiently deep and large holes to accommodate the whole ball of earth from basket or plastic bucket.

-After removing the basket/plastic pot, put good loamy soil around the seedling.

- Apply mulch around the seedling.

-Water and provide shades.

- Cocoa seeds may also be planted directly in the field, using initial spacing of 1m x 1m later thinned down to 2m x 2m; and finally 3m.

(d) Diseases of cocoa:

Swollen shoot disease

- Caused by virus.

-Transmitted by mealybugs.

- Cause leaf distortion and vein-clearing on the young leaves.

- Cut and destroy the affected plants.

-Spray the ants with insecticides to get at the bugs.

- Plant resistant varieties.

Blackpod diseases

- Caused by fungus (Phytophthora palmivora and Phytophthora megakarya).

-Higher incidence in wet season than dry season because the spores of the fungus are easily dispersed by rain or water.

-Symptoms are brown spots which later turn black and spread over the pods rapidly.

- They destroy the entire pod and the seeds.

Preventive/control measure

- Remove all pod with symptoms and destroy them.

- Spray whole plant with copper fungicides e.g. perenox, once every 3 - 4 weeks.

- Weeding/Pruning to reduce relative humidity.

Correct Answer: B. size of farmland

Correct Answer: C. zoonotic

Explanation

(a) Factors that limit food production in West Africa:

-Farming is mostly at subsistence level.

-farming operations are not mechanized/use of simple farm tools

-Inadequate capital base of the farmers.

- Inadequate infrastructural facilities.

-Inadequate agricultural Education.

-Poor Extension services

-High cost of agricultural inputs and machines

-Inadequate supply of agricultural inputs.

-poor rural development leading to youths migrating to the towns.

-High incidence of pests.

-High incidence of diseases.

-Inadequate storage facilities

-Inadequate processing facilities

-Poor marketing System

-Poor pricing system

-poor distribution system

-Environmental hazards such as oil spillage, drought, desertification etc

-Inconsistent government policies/politics/instability

-Poor land tenure system

-Socio-cultural constraints

(b)Advantages of solar energy as a source of farm power: Farming is mostly at subsistence level.:

- It is a cheap source of farm power.

-Running cost is low because no fuel is consumed. farm

- Solar energy technology is environment-friendly.

- It can be stored for later use.

- Solar energy technologies are modular aid that can be tailored to the power needs of individual applications.

-Solar panels have long life span.

- They are economically viable and competitive.

Disadvantages of solar energy as a source of farm power:

- The performance of solar systems is weather-dependent/erratic/irregular.

- Some solar technologies require sophisticated manufacturing processes available only in a few developed countries

-There is a initial high capital cost

-Special raining for personnel and special infrastructure are needed for the installation and maintenance of these technologies

-The batteries have negative environmental impacts. especially during manufacture and disposal

-It is available for harnessing only during the day

-May not be used to power heavy machines

(c)Tractor-coupled implements: Plough, harrow, Ridger, planters/seed drill, Sprayer, Mower, Baler, Fertilizer applicator, Harvester, Cultivator

Correct Answer: B. graded

Correct Answer: D. predators