(a) Explain briefly how the following affect agricultural production:(I) agricultural education and extension (ii) environmental...

Explanation

2(a) How agricultural production is affected by (i) Agricultural education and extension:

- Improved/better farm management decision making
- Improved procurement of farm inputs

- Access to marketing information and strategy

- Keeping of accurate farm records

- Acquisition of loans and their utilization

- Improve the farmers social disposition Help the farmers to understand and adopt modern farming techniques for improved productivity

- Agricultural education motivates the youths to take up farming as a profession

- Relay farmers' problems to the government ministries, research institutes and universities.

-Carry information from government ministries, universities and research institutes to farmers.

(ii) Environmental degradation:

- Desert encroachment exposes the soil to erosion

- Erosion renders the soil unproductive and unsuitable for agriculture

- Oil spillage pollutes the fishing and drinking water and kills all the aquatic life, thus reducing the profit of the fishermen

- Drinking water for the farm family and their animals is polluted; thus exposing them to health risks

- Air pollution by toxic fumes from industrial gases reduces the quality of air available to the farm family and their animals

- Acid rains from air pollution cause soil acidity and destruction of crops

- Deforestation exposes the soil to erosion agents

- Overgrazing causes erosion and hard pans Bush burning damages the physical structure of the soil and reduces soil fertility

- Air pollution reduces photosynthesis and thus reduces yield Plant population for livestock consumption is reduced

(b) Problems associated with communal land tenure system:

- Land cannot be pledged, sold or used as collateral by an individual

- Those with means, but who are not members of the community, find it difficult to get land for farming activities/non-indigenes of the community cannot acquire land or have access to it

- There is tendency to neglect parcels of useful land as no one readily considers it his/her interest to protect it from degradation.

- It is characterized by litigations and mis-understanding Mechanized farming cannot be practised without permission of the whole community.

- There is excessive land fragmentation over time - Allotted land can be revoked by new leadership

- It does not encourage planting of permanent crops.

(c) Components of an Incubator:

Setter/Egg tray

- Hatcher

- Thermostat

- Turner

- Felt tray

- Heat source

- Vent/fan/air circulation unit

- Hygrometer

- Alarms

- Insulators

- Control unit

- Thermometer.

(d) Storage structures for farm produce: (i) Yam tubers: Yam barn (ii) Cowpea Seeds: Silo - Rhumbus (iii) Fresh fish: Cold room/freezer.