UNEB U A C E MARKING GUIDE 2017 PAPER 2 (P515/2)

1. a) Differentiate between macro and micro nutrients. (02 marks)

Macro nutrients are nutrients needed in large quantities while micro nutrients are needed in
small quantities in the body of animals / living organisms.

Award 2 marks for the correct difference; 2 x 1 = 02 marks.

b) Observations and conclusions

- Both varieties have the same protein content;

- Variety A is deficient in Ca and Mg, the macronutrients

- Variety B is deficient in Fe and Iodine – the micronutrients

- Variety A has sufficient amounts of Fe and I2 – the micronutrients

- Variety B has sufficient amounts of Ca and Mg – the macronutrients

- There is a steady increase in the content of minerals in variety A from macronutrients to

Micronutrients

- In variety B, there is a steady decrease in mineral content from macro nutrients to macro
nutrients

Award 2 marks @ for any 3 correct points; 2 x 3 = 06 marks.

c) Account for the differences in the mineral content of the two varieties

- Due to the variation in genetic makeup of the varieties, one could be a better absorber of

nutrients than the other;

- Because they were grown in different fields, the conditions could be different, eg pH,
moisture and mineral content;
- Nutrient antagonism ie too much of nutrient may limit uptake of another.

Award 2 mark @ for any 2 correct points; 2 x 2 = 4 marks.

d) Effects of grazing dairy animals on A alone

- The animal would show conditions of milk fever due to lack of sufficient amounts of Ca;

- The animal would show conditions of grass tetany due to lack of enough Mg;

- Weakening of bones / Rickets due to lack of Ca;

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 - The animal would not suffer from I2 and Fe deficiency because the nutrients are in sufficient

quantities.

Award 1 mark @ for any 5 correct points; 1 x 5 = 5 marks.

e) Best ways of utilizing the two varieties of pastures.

- Both varieties should be combined to ensure a balance between macro and micro nutrients;

Award 1 mark @ for any 1 correct point; 1 x 1 = 01 mark.

f) Importance of proteins in the animal’s body

- Control of body pH / Buffer body pH;

- Build new tissues in the body / promotes growth;

- Have catalytic / enzyme properties to speed up chemical reactions in the body;

- Generate energy during starvation;

- Detoxifying the toxins in the body;

- Control disease attack / Impart immunity;

- Repair worn out tissues / damaged tissues;

- Influence composition of animal products;

- Can act as hormones in the body.

2. a) Distinguish between soil texture and soil structure. (02 marks)

- Soil texture is the relative amounts of different soil particles in a given volume of soil /
coarseness or fineness of soil; while soil structure refers to the grouping / arrangement of
soil particles.
Award 2 marks for the correct distinction; 2 x 1 = 02 marks.

b) How can soil structure be destroyed?

- Continuous cultivation, this leads to rapid breakdown of organic matter that binds particles
and denies the soil structure the chance to recover;
- Tillage of the soil with very high moisture content; this leaves the soil particles puddled
together;
- Overgrazing; this reduces the amount of vegetation cover present and encourages severe
compaction of the soil, hence destroying the soul structure;

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- Soil erosion; encourages severe compaction of the soil, hence damaging the its structure;
- Deposition of eroded soil materials; encourages clogging of soil pores, leading to puddled
soils;
- Water logging; causes dispersion of soil particles, destroying the soil structure and creating
peddled soils;
- Cropping system; Some crops do not add enough organic matter to the soil and others
produce substances that may discourage living organisms;
- Harvesting practices; some of them do not add organic matter to the soil which destroys soil
structure;
- Leaching of bases; bases such as Ca have the ability to cause aggregation of soil particles
(flocculation of soil colloids), and promoting favourable effects on the activities of soil living
organism, hence when leached, these effects are lost;
- Un controlled burning; leading to loss of vegetation cover and its effect on soil structure;
- Frequent use of certain agro chemicals; these pollute the soil and affect soil structure eg
fertilizers and pesticides;
- Mining and quarrying; expose the soil to agents of erosion that destroy its structure;
- Use of heavy tillage machines; which compact the soil;
- Poor harvesting practices; which destroy soil structure by disturbing it;
- Deforestation; which exposes the soil to erosion agents.

c) Factors that affect the rate of decomposition of organic matter

- Age of the plants used; the younger the plants, the easier to break down due to more water
soluble components and less lignin which are resistant to decomposition;
- Carbon : Nitrogen ratio; Legumes are easier to decompose than cereals due to having a
narrow C:N ratio and so microbes suffer no shortage of N as they break down the
materials;
- Moisture content of the materials; Succulent materials break down faster than dry ones;
- Chemical composition of the materials; some plants have materials that give extremes of
pH and hence are not easily broken down;
- Presence of living organisms; the more the decomposers, the higher the decomposition;
- Temperature; ideal temperature promotes activities of decomposers;
- Soil aeration; the higher the aeration, the higher the decomposition rate and vice versa;
- Soil pH; ideal pH promotes decomposition of organic matter;
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 - Availability of water; decomposition is promoted by presence of enough moisture in the
material for softening them and for use by the decomposers.

3. a) Effects of weeds on crop production

- Contaminate crop harvests thus reducing their quality;
- Some crop pests hide among weeds during off season and there later attack the crops;
- Weed control increases costs of production yet such money would be used for other
activities;
- Weeds utilize nutrients which would have been used by crops thus reduce their growth;
- Weeds make harvesting of crops difficult and can lead to wastage of crops;
- Some weeds are parasitic to crops, thus rob their nutrients which reduces crop growth;
- Weeds in pastures reduce their quality and palatability;
- Weeds reduce growth space for crops and this reduces their size;
- Weeds provide a source of green manure when they die, which improves crop growth;
- Weeds can block irrigation / drainage channels especially in furrow irrigation;
- Weeds produce poisonous substances that hinder crop growth;
- Weeds can help to control soil erosion / improve soil structure.
b) Farming practices encouraging weed infestation
- Use of wide spacing; which leaves gaps in which weeds can grow;
- Mono cropping; which encourages existancce of parasitic weeds especially in cereals;
- Use of improper mulching materials; use of fresh vegetable materials can grow into
weeds / contaminated organic manure with weed seeds;
- Shallow ploughing; which encourages existence of weeds with underground rhizomes;
- Improper weeding practices; eg weeding and leaving the materials in the garden;
- Frequent tilling of land; which can expose the buried weed seeds to favourable
conditions for germination;
- Use of contaminated planting materials; eg planting crop seeds mixed with weed seeds;
- Frequent irrigation / flooding; which encourages the existence of water loving weeds;
- Bush fallowing; leaving the land un cultivated for long encourages weed growth;
- Frequent use of fertilizers; which can provide nutrients to the weeds;
- Late planting; which encourages sprouting of weeds before germination of crop seeds;
- Late weeding; which allows weeds to mature and produce more seeds;
c) Reasons why farmers’ efforts to eradicate weeds have not been very successful
- Some weeds produce very many seeds;
- The seeds of most weeds have high viability and long dormancy periods;
- Weeds have various dispersal mechanisms eg wind, water, animals;
- Many weeds have efficient rooting systems that enable them to absorb nutrients;

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 - They have fewer pests and diseases that attack them;
- Some weeds are parasitic to crops and therefore survive as long as crops are there;
- Weeds are hardy and more resistant to harsh weather conditions;
- Some weeds have protective structures eg thorns which make them hard to by animals;
- Improper use / poor quality herbicides;
- Some weeds have resistance to herbicides;
- Weeds mature faster than crops.
4. a) Why housing is important in poultry production
- It provides safety to the birds from theft and predators;
- It reduces wastage of feeds;
- It eases management eg it is easy to carry out vaccination, eggs and manure collection;
- It reduces spreading of diseases from outside the farm;
- It enable controlled breeding of birds to be carried out;
- It reduces labour requirements on the farm as the birds are not run after;
- They ease the keeping / taking of records as birds are in one place / unit;
- The birds are protected from adverse weather conditions eg rain and sunshine;
- It enables the farmer to achieve higher stocking rate of birds;
- Eases isolation of birds as desired by the farmer.
Award 1 mark each for any 6 correct points; 1 x 6 = 06 marks
b) Describe the essentials of a good dep litter system house.
- It should have a leak proof roof to avoid wetting of litter and birds;
- Should have lockable doors / facilities to guard against thefts;
- Should have adequate ventilation to control respiratory diseases;
- Should have a concrete / cemented floor for easy cleaning;
- Should have litter laid on the floor to provide comfort and warmth to the birds;
- Should have no cracks where parasites, insects and vermins can hide;
- Should have adequate lighting facilities to enable birds feed even at night;
- Should be able to provide adequate space to the birds to avoid congestion;
- Should be properly designed to guard against draught;
- Should have internal fittings like perches to keep birds busy and avoid boredom, feeders
drinkers;
- Should have a foot bath at the entrance to prevent spreading of diseases.
c) Outline the importance of putting litter in a poultry house
- Litter provides warmth to the birds;
- Litter helps to dry the droppings and avoids foul smell;
- Litter absorbs moisture from roof leakages and ground capillarity;
- Litter keeps the birds busy scratching;
- Litter controls breakage of eggs;

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 - Birds can bathe in the litter when temperatures are high / temp regulation.

5. a) Distinguish between inbreeding and out breeding. (02 marks)

Inbreeding is the mating of closely related animals, while out breeding is the mating of
unrelated / less related animals of the same breed.
Award 2 marks for correct distinction; 2 x 1 = 02 marks
b) Objectives of livestock improvement
- To produce better yielding animals;
- To get animals that are resistant to diseases and parasites;
- To get animals that are prolific;
- To produce animals that are resistant to adverse environmental conditions;
- To produce early maturing animals;
- To get animals with good quality products;
- To produce animals with good temperament for easy handling;
- To improve the body conformation of animals / appearance;
- To produce animals with good feed conversion ratio.
c) Measure of maintaining high breeding efficiency in farm animals.
- Ensure a proper / good ratio of males to females to avoid over working of males;
- Good feeding to boost the health and readiness of the animals for breeding;
- Giving a rest period of 60 days after calving to allow the uterus return to normal;
- Inseminating / serving at the right time to ensure successful fertilization;
- Observation of animals on heat to ensure correct timing of serving;
- Veterinary attention to control diseases that may affect fertility of animals;
- Pregnancy diagnosis to identify animals that have failed to conceive so that they are
re-served promptly;
- Proper record keeping to ensure better management of animals;
- Selection of good stock for replacement of culled stock;
- Good sanitation to ensure good hygiene and health of animals;
- Providing animals with good shelter for general welfare of the animals;
- Culling to remove un productive animals;
- Carrying out cross breeding to bring hybrid vigour.
6. a) Explain why stores are important on a farm
- They provide safety to farm produce and other assets;
- They reduce wastage of feeds by storing the excess for future use;
- They reduce spoilage of farm produce / inputs due to bad weather / vermins / pests;
- They reduce damage to farm tools and machinery by bad weather eg they prevent
rusting of tools and machines;

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 - They aid in controlling the sale of farm produce so that the farmer benefits from higher
prices later;
- They ensure food security by keeping food for the less productive seasons;
- Enable the farmer to carry out bulk purchase of inputs during times of low prices which
he can later use, thus reducing production costs;
- They keep seeds safe for sowing in the next season;
- They reduce labour requirements eg during the drying of crops.

b) What precautions could be taken to ensure proper storage of farm produce?

- Crops should be thoroughly dried before storage;
- Clean the store before putting in crops;
- Render the store vermin proof;
- Repair any leaking roof;
- Avoid mixing new produce with old produce;
- Avoid putting sacs of produce directly on the floor but rather on wooden platforms /
raised floor;
- Ensure adequate ventilation in the store;
- Treat the produce with pesticides before storage.
c) Outline some storage problems farmers encounter in trying to store their produce.
- They lack knowledge of seed dressing;
- They lack enough capital to buy chemicals to use in seed dressing;
- Frequent damage of stored crops by insect pests and rodents
- Storage of improperly dry produce;
- Lack of enough good stores;
- Packaging materials are a problem eg sacs, bins, bags, etc;
- Theft of produce.
7. a) Factors limiting use of animal traction.
- Topography; steep slopes and mountainous terrain do not allow animals to move freely
and easily during work time;
- Vegetation; thick and tall vegetation like trees hamper use of traction implements and
movement of animals;
- Availability of land / land tenure system; land must be available for crop cultivation and
grazing animals. Areas that suffer from land shortages can’t use animal traction;
- Parasites and diseases; areas infested with parasites and diseases that kill / reduce
animal health cannot use animal traction;
- Shortage of implements; lack of the right implements hinders use of animal traction;
- Cultivation of perennial crops like coffee, tea, bananas, etc does not allow animal
traction;

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 - Lack of animal types and species that are suitable to draft, cannot promote animal
traction eg donkeys, camels, oxen;
- Availability of cheaper or more efficient alternative sources of power like human
power, tractor power, reduces use of animal traction;
- Lack of adequate capital to purchase animal equipments suitable in strong, hard, rocky,
sticky clay soil conditions;
- Lack of skilled labour / extension workers to train farmers / animals;
b) Ways of improving power output from draft animals
- Train the animals well enough to obey the operator instructions;
- The operator should handle the animal humanly;
- Cool hours enable an animal to produce more work than hot day hours;
- Feed animals adequately to promote good health and strength;
- Harness animals of the same size together using a suitable yoke;
- Match the task to be performed with the power of the animal;
- Allow animals to rest after working for a specific duration;
- Allow only healthy and strong animals to perform work;
- Animals should be made to work in suitable conditions only eg light soils, short grass,
flat land, soft soils, etc.
- Allow animals to work for moderate hours;
- Ensuring that equipments are in good working conditions.
8. a)
- Food shortage;
- High crime rate;
- Shortage of land for agriculture;
- Un employment;
- Poor sanitation / outbreak of disease;
- Shortage of land for settlements;
- Pollution;
- Development of slums;
- Increased government expenditure / low saving;
- Increased land conflicts / land fragmentation;
- Exploitation of resources eg land reclamation, deforestation.
Award 1 mark each for any 8 correct points; 1 x 8 = 08 marks
b)
- Improved technology, provision of package of inputs, technologies, incentives etc to
increase food production;
- New crop varieties / animal breeds; introduction of crop varieties / animal breeds
adapted to conditions in developing countries;

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 - Irrigation; water supply is a critical factor. Supplementary moisture is necessary to meet
temporary moisture deficits / lengthen growing season;
- Fertilizer use; there is need to increase nutrients in the soil so as to change subsistence
production to today’s food requirements demands;
- Soil management; Proper soil management technologies to improve the production
levels of poor soils and conserve soils to sustain production;
- Soil surveys; they are necessary because they provide criteria to determine the
economic feasibility of cleaning and preparing for tillage of lands that are not yet
exploited;
- Training manpower; trained manpower is important. It involves having people whose
interest relate directly to the solutions of world food problems;
- Food storage; Ensure good storage facilities;
- Control of pests and diseases for crops and animals;
- Ensure political stability to enable farmers to carry out production;
- Practicing urban and peri- urban farming;
- Governments should import food from outside countries;
- Improving transport to facilitate movement of food from areas of plenty to areas of
scarcity;
- Provide credit / subsidies to farmers to boost production;
- Setting up laws to encourage food production in homesteads;
- Restricting export of food.

9. a) What is agricultural development? (02 marks)

It is the transformation of agriculture from subsistence to commercial production; based
on improved practices, technologies and efficient marketing.
Award 2 marks for the correct definition; 2 x 1 = 02 marks
b. Explain the role of government in promoting agricultural development.
- Promoting research in order to develop good breeds and varieties of animals and crops
respectively that are resistant to environment, pests, diseases and high yielding;
- Policy formulation through legislative body to enable implementation of agricultural
programmes / activities as well as increasing budget allocation;
- Provision of extension services to train farmers on best practices of agriculture;
- Creation of credit services through micro finances and other commercial banks to offer
finances for production;
- Settlement and resettlement of population to ease pressure on land and to enhance
commercial farming;
- Disease control through provision of vaccines for contagious animal diseases and
implementation of quarantine;

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 - Programme planning like PMA, NAADS, NUSAF, OWC to enable strategic uplifting
of agricultural production activities in some areas;
- Price control to stabilize prices so as to encourage production;
- Market research to improve on marketing of agricultural produce / widen market
avenues;
- Improvement of infrastructural services like road network to enable quick access to
markets by farmers;
- Provision of adequate security in production of goods and services;
- Input provision like tractors to enable increased production;
- Mobilisation of farmers to increase production through large scale farming and
cooperate organisations;
- Skilling labour in institutions of learning/ promoting agriculture education in schools;
- Provision of investment incentives eg subsidies.
c) Why are extension workers important in rural agricultural development?
- They help to disseminate agricultural information to farmers;
- They encourage to adopt or use modern technologies and practices for quality
production;
- Help to identify projects suitable for farmers in a particular area;
- They organize farmers into groups for easy acquisition of credit and inputs;
- They advise government on the need and bottlenecks of production;
- They visit farmers and provide training for specific production;
- They demonstrate to farmers better ways of farming;
- They distribute planting and farming materials to farmers;
- They provide veterinary services / crop protection.

END

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