1. To facilitate mechanical harvesting of cereals, it is better to

A. make all of them disease-resistant
B. ensure that they are free from pest attack
C. ensure they all have uniform height ✔

D. make sure they are - maturing

Explanation:
Cereals of uniform height facilitate mechanized harvesting, as machines can cut all plants at the same level.

2. One of the problems facing agricultural development in West Africa is

A. inadequate financing ✔
B. unavailability of productive land
C. low income of consumers
D. inadequacy of industries

Explanation:
Agriculture is hindered by lack of funds to purchase inputs and machinery.

3. What action of government may be considered as granting of subsidies to farmers?

A. Giving low interest loans to farmers
B. Providing hire purchase services
C. Supplying agrochemicals at reduced cost ✔

D. Providing free non-formal education to farmers

Explanation:
Subsidies reduce production cost for farmers, such as providing fertilizers and agrochemicals cheaply.

4. Which of the following are advantages of the communal land ownership system?

A. l and ll only ✔
B. ll and lll only
C. l and lll only
D. lll and IV only

Explanation:
Communal land allows everyone access and encourages co-operative farming. Large scale farming and using land as collateral are not feasible.

5. A socio-economic factor which affects the availability of land for agricultural use in West Africa is

A. soil type
B. population growth ✔
C. rainfall distribution
D. working capital

Explanation:
Population growth increases demand for land, reducing availability for farming.

6. Which of the following crop system would lead to continuous sustenance of soil fertility?

A. I and II only ✔
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III only

Explanation:
Crop rotation and land rotation restore nutrients, whereas monoculture and monocropping deplete soil.

7. Which of the following factors affects the onset of flowering in crops?

A. Atmospheric pressure
B. Wind
C. Day length ✔

D. Rainfall

Explanation:
Flowering is influenced by photoperiod (day length).

8. Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from

A. limestone ✔
B. quartzite
C. shale
D. schist

Explanation:
Marble forms when limestone undergoes heat and pressure.

9. Which of the following statements best describes sediment rocks?

A. pre-existing rocks in which the original mineral has undergone change
B. weathered rock transported by wind to other places
C. molten magma which has cooled down and solidified
D. rocks formed from breaking, deposition and re-cementation of pre-existing rocks ✔

Explanation:
Sedimentary rocks are formed from weathered and deposited materials.

10. The rock weathering process involving the equation $CaCO_3+H_2CO_3 \longrightarrow Ca(HCO_3)_2$ is called

A. carbonation ✔
B. hydration
C. hydrolysis
D. oxidation

Explanation:
Carbonation occurs when carbonic acid reacts with calcium carbonate forming soluble calcium bicarbonate.

11. When compost is added to soil, it

A. reduces the activities of living organisms
B. increases the porosity of the soil
C. increases water-holding capacity of the soil ✔

D. decreases the soil acidity

Explanation:
Compost improves soil structure and increases water retention.

12. Soils can become acidic as a result of the continuous application of

A. single superphosphate
B. sulphate of ammonia ✔
C. muriate of potash
D. NPK 15:15:15

Explanation:
Sulphate of ammonia releases acid ions, lowering soil pH.

13. Which of the following species of bacteria lives symbiotically in root nodules of legumes?

A. Azotobacter
B. Clostridium
C. Nitrobacter
D. Rhizobium ✔

Explanation:
Rhizobium fixes nitrogen in legume root nodules.

14. Plant nutrients are restored during the fallow period through

A. reduced soil erosion
B. accumulation of soil organic matter ✔
C. reduced evaporation from the soil
D. accumulation of farmyard manure

Explanation:
Organic matter accumulates naturally, replenishing nutrients.

15. The processes by which animals release carbon dioxide into the air are

A. respiration and decay ✔
B. respiration and ammonification
C. nitrification and decay
D. denitrification and ammonification

Explanation:
Animals respire CO$_2$; decay of animal matter also releases CO$_2$.

16. Which of the following practices leads to land degradation in the savanna zones of West Africa?

A. l, ll and lll only
B. l, ll and lV only ✔
C. ll, lll, and IV only
D. l, ll, lll and lV

Explanation:
Constant bushfire, overgrazing, and cutting of woody species degrade the land. Application of manure improves fertility, so it does not cause degradation.

17. A 100kg NPK 15:15:15 compound fertilizer has a filler make-up weight of

A. 30kg
B. 40kg
C. 45kg
D. 55kg ✔

Explanation and Calculation:
The NPK percentages add up to 15 + 15 + 15 = 45\%. The remaining is filler: $100\% - 45\% = 55\%$. Filler weight = $100 \times \frac{55}{100} = 55$ kg.

18. One of the main disadvantages of mechanical tillage is the

A. low initial cost of equipment
B. need for special training before machines can be used
C. use of heavy equipment leading to soil compaction ✔

D. use of foreign exchange to purchase machine parts

Explanation:
Heavy machinery can compact soil, reducing aeration and fertility.

19. Which of the following factors affect the work rate of draught animals?

A. l, ll and lll only ✔
B. l, ll and IV only
C. ll, lll and IV only
D. l, ll, lll and IV

Explanation:
Feed intake, breed, and harness efficiency affect work rate. Height affects speed but not traction effort.

20. Which of the following features could lead to wrong reading on a prismatic compass?

A. A big tree
B. Wind direction
C. A pond
D. Magnetic attraction ✔

Explanation:
Nearby magnetic materials interfere with compass readings.

21. Which of the following steps gives a correct sequence for surveying a farmstead?

A. Reconnaissance → preliminary survey → mapping ✔
B. mapping → reconnaissance → preliminary survey
C. preliminary survey → reconnaissance → mapping
D. preliminary survey → mapping → reconnaissance

Explanation:
Surveying starts with reconnaissance, followed by preliminary survey, and ends with mapping.

22. The characteristic of draught animals which does not influence traction effort is

A. age
B. sex
C. breed of animal
D. meat quality ✔

Explanation:
Meat quality does not affect the animal’s pulling power.

23. The branch of horticulture that deals with the production of vegetables is called

A. pathology
B. olericulture ✔
C. floriculture
D. pomology

Explanation:
Olericulture is the cultivation of vegetables.

24. Pruning is carried out to

A. l and ll only
B. l and lll only
C. ll and lll only
D. l, ll and lll ✔

Explanation:
Pruning controls plant size, ensures correct spacing, and produces clean and attractive fruits.

25. Which of the following characteristics is not true of tree species used in alley cropping?

A. Shallow rooting system ✔
B. Regenerate rapidly after pruning
C. Excellent canopy formation
D. Capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen

Explanation:
Alley cropping trees usually have deep rooting for nutrient access; shallow rooting is not ideal.

26. Insect damage to crops takes the form of

A. chewing, grinding and sucking
B. grinding, piercing and chewing
C. piercing, sucking and grinding
D. chewing, sucking and piercing ✔

Explanation:
Insects damage crops by chewing leaves, piercing stems, or sucking sap.

27. One disadvantage of vegetative propagation is that

A. fruits are small in size
B. viral diseases are transferred to offspring ✔
C. plants are true to type
D. plants take a long time to mature

Explanation:
Vegetative propagation can spread viruses from parent to offspring.

28. Which of the following factors should be considered when sowing seeds in the field?

A. l and ll only
B. l, ll and lll only
C. lll and IV only
D. l, ll, lll and IV ✔

Explanation:
Time, plant density, depth, and method of sowing all affect germination and crop success.

29. Which of the following groups require winnowing during processing?

A. Fruits
B. Cereals ✔
C. Tubers
D. Vegetables

Explanation:
Winnowing separates chaff from grains in cereals.

30. A farmer who plants African Marigold between his crops has the intention of controlling

A. bacteria
B. viruses
C. fungi
D. nematodes ✔

Explanation:
Marigold roots produce substances that repel nematodes.

31. If the spacing of a crop is $3.6m \times 4.5m$, determine the crop population per hectare

A. 769
B. 617 ✔
C. 494
D. 408

Explanation and Calculation:
\[ \text{Area per plant} = 3.6 \times 4.5 = 16.2\, m^2 \] \[ 1\,\text{hectare} = 10000\, m^2 \] \[ \text{Population per hectare} = \frac{10000}{16.2} \approx 617\, \text{plants} \]

32. An example of a piercing and sucking insect-pest of crops is a

A. mealy bug ✔
B. grasshopper
C. weevil
D. termite

Explanation:
Mealy bugs pierce plant tissue and suck sap.

33. If rows are spaced 1.0m apart with one plant per stand, determine the spacing between stands to obtain a plant population of 40,000/ha

A. 0.25m ✔
B. 0.40m
C. 0.50m
D. 1.00m

Calculation:
\[ \text{Area per plant} = \frac{10000}{40000} = 0.25\, m^2 \] \[ \text{Spacing between stands} = 0.25\, m \quad (\text{since row spacing = 1.0 m}) \]

34. Calculate the number of yam setts planted at a spacing of $1.0m \times 1.0m$ on a hectare of land

A. 1,000 setts
B. 2,500 setts
C. 5,000 setts
D. 10,000 setts ✔

Calculation:
\[ \text{Area per sett} = 1.0 \times 1.0 = 1\, m^2 \] \[ \text{Total setts per hectare} = \frac{10000}{1} = 10000 \]

35. Some plants are suitable for decorating living rooms because of their

A. ability to endure low light intensity ✔
B. low respiration rate
C. ability to retain water
D. low resistance to disease

Explanation:
Indoor plants must survive low-light conditions.

36. Cappling and staking are important cultural practices in the cultivation of

A. sweet potatoes
B. tomatoes ✔
C. yams
D. groundnuts

Explanation:
Staking and cappling support the growth of tomato plants.

37. An important function of mulching is that it

A. increases soil temperature
B. provides soil with nutrients
C. conserves moisture in the soil ✔
D. increases rate of evaporation

Explanation:
Mulching reduces evaporation, conserving soil moisture.

38. The removal of sheath on maize cob is referred to as

A. winnowing
B. shelling
C. dehusking ✔
D. milling

Explanation:
Dehusking is removing the husk or sheath from maize cobs.

39. Which of the following sequences describes the steps in making hay?

A. Cut, dry and bale ✔
B. Dry, ferment and bale
C. Cut, wilt and bale
D. Bale, dry and cut

Explanation:
Haymaking involves cutting grass, drying it, and then baling.

40. One disadvantage of using bamboo troughs water for poultry is that they

A. can be chewed up by the birds
B. are susceptible to algal growth ✔
C. break easily when they fall
D. contaminate the water put in them

Explanation:
Bamboo troughs promote algal growth in water, which may affect poultry health.