All 50 questions from the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Agricultural Science 2025 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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Under the land use act, certificate of occupancy permits an individual to use a piece of land for
A certificate of occupancy (C of O), issued under the Land Use Act, grants a statutory right of occupancy for a term not exceeding 99 years.
The seasonality of agricultural produce could be eliminated through
Irrigation makes water constantly available for crop growth regardless of the season, allowing farmers to cultivate the same crops throughout the year instead of only in the rainy season.
Agricultural research is important in crop production because it
Agricultural research develops improved crop varieties that mature faster, enabling quicker harvesting and potentially more than one cropping cycle per year.
A hygrometer is used in agriculture for measuring
A hygrometer is the instrument used to measure relative humidity - the amount of moisture in the air compared to the maximum the air can hold at a given temperature.
Use the diagram below (a piece of poultry brooding equipment) to answer this question. A disadvantage of using the illustrated equipment for brooding is that
Using a local lamp for brooding can be dangerous, as such lamps emit harmful fumes during combustion, and young chicks are especially vulnerable since they have high respiratory rates and stay close to the heat source where fumes concentrate.
Other equipment that could perform similar functions as the illustrated equipment in a brooder house are
Hover, coal pot and gas lamp can all perform the basic function of providing heat in a brooder house; while their safety, efficiency and cleanliness differ, each is capable of generating the warmth needed for brooding chicks.
The finger-like projections of the hand fork are known as
Prongs are the pointed, curved metal extensions of a hand fork used to loosen soil, remove weeds and mix compost; their narrow design allows easy penetration into the soil.
Which of the following statements is not a reason for maintaining farm machines?
Maintenance aims to preserve a machine's functionality and value, not reduce it. Proper maintenance helps retain or improve salvage value, extends operational life, and ensures safety - reducing salvage value is contrary to the goals of maintenance.
An example of a rock characterised by strata is
Strata refer to visible layers found in sedimentary rocks. Limestone is a classic example, formed from accumulated sediments and organic materials in horizontal layers.
Groundwater which is available for plant root absorption is
Capillary water is held in the tiny pores between soil particles and is the only form of water in the soil that is readily available for plant roots, moving slowly through capillary action.
A student obtained the following results in a soil experiment: Mass of empty dish = 10g, Mass of dish + fresh soil = 70g, Mass of dish + dried soil = 55g. Use the information above to answer this question. The mass of the fresh soil is
Mass of fresh soil = (dish+fresh soil) - (empty dish) = 70g - 10g = 60g.
The mass of moisture lost is
Mass of dried soil = 55g - 10g = 45g. Mass of moisture lost = mass of fresh soil - mass of dried soil = 60g - 45g = 15g.
The percentage of moisture in the soil sample is
Percentage of moisture = (mass of moisture / mass of fresh soil) x 100% = (15g/60g) x 100% = 25%.
In a soil profile, granular structure is usually found in
The granular structure is usually found in the A horizon, which is the topmost layer of the soil profile.
Use the diagram below (a tool used in soil analysis) to answer this question and the next. The illustrated tool is used for determining soil
The tool shown is a soil sieve, used during mechanical analysis of soil to separate soil particles by size, directly helping determine soil texture.
Assuming the diameter of the illustrated tool is 0.05mm, which of the following soil particles would pass through it? I. Silt II. Fine sand III. Coarse sand
A mesh diameter of 0.05mm means any soil particle smaller than or equal to 0.05mm will pass through. Silt and fine sand meet this criterion, but coarse sand particles are larger and will not pass through.
A farmer observed purple coloration on cowpea leaves in the field. This deficiency symptom could be corrected by applying
Purple coloration on cowpea leaves is a symptom of phosphorus (P) deficiency. Single superphosphate is a fertilizer that supplies phosphorus, making it the correct choice.
Which of the following statements correctly defines overhead irrigation?
Overhead irrigation involves spraying water over crops from above using sprinklers or booms, mimicking rainfall and distributing water over a large area, covering the crop canopy and soil surface.
Agricultural pollution could be prevented by
Organic farming avoids synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reducing the risk of environmental contamination from agricultural runoff.
Yam stores food in its
Yam stores its food in an underground stem called a tuber, not the root; this modified stem serves as the plant's storage organ and propagation material.
Use the diagram below (a maize cob) to answer questions on the crop illustrated. A farm operation usually performed on the part labelled II is
The part labelled II represents the cob. Shelling is the process of removing the grains from the cob, performed after harvesting.
The part labelled III is
The part labelled III represents the husk - the leafy outer covering that wraps around the maize cob.
The moisture content of the illustrated crop should be reduced before harvesting in order to reduce contamination due to
High moisture levels in maize promote fungal growth, which can produce harmful mycotoxins; drying maize to safe moisture levels before and after harvest reduces this contamination risk.
Blackarm disease of crops affects
Blackarm disease is a well-known bacterial disease affecting cotton plants.
An effect of polishing rice grains is that it
Polishing removes the outer bran layer of rice grains, which contains much of the grain's nutrients, thereby reducing its nutritive value.
The budding of sweet orange scion on sour orange stock is to prevent
Sour orange rootstock is used because of its resistance to gummosis, a disease that affects citrus trees, particularly at the base of the trunk.
Plantation agriculture is commonly practiced in the production of I. fruits II. Vegetables III. beverages
Plantation agriculture is typically associated with large-scale production of tree/perennial crops like fruits and beverage crops (e.g. cocoa, coffee, tea, rubber), rather than vegetables which are usually grown on smaller scale farms.
A farmland was surveyed and mapped as shown in the diagram below. Use it to answer this question and the next. If AB is 15m, DC is 10m and EF is 8m, calculate the area of the farmland
Area of the trapezoidal farmland = (1/2)(AB+DC) x EF = (1/2)(15+10)(8) = (1/2)(25)(8) = 100m2.
If cowpea was planted on the farmland at a spacing of 25cm by 90cm at two seeds per hole, determine the expected plant population of cowpea plants.
Farmland area = 100m2 = 1,000,000cm2. Spacing area per hole = 25cm x 90cm = 2,250cm2. Number of holes = 1,000,000/2,250 = 444. With 2 seeds per hole, expected plant population = 444 x 2 = 888 plants.
Dormancy in seeds could be broken by
Heat treatment (e.g. scarification through heat) can break the dormancy of certain hard seed coats, allowing germination to proceed.
A nitrogen-fixing forest tree that could be used in alley cropping is
Leucaena leucocephala is a well-known nitrogen-fixing leguminous tree widely used in alley cropping systems.
Allamanda is an ornamental
Allamanda is a flowering ornamental shrub commonly grown for its showy blooms.
Which of the following diseases of crops could be controlled by the application of fungicides?
Sigatoka disease of banana is caused by a fungus and can be controlled with fungicides, unlike the other listed diseases, which are viral in origin.
Talinum triangulare is mainly dispersed by
Talinum triangulare (waterleaf) produces seed pods that disperse seeds through an explosive mechanism when ripe.
An example of a dual purpose cattle is
White Fulani cattle are a well-known dual-purpose breed, reared for both meat and milk production.
Which of the following products is obtained from a living farm animal? I. Egg II. Chevon III. Milk
Eggs and milk are obtained from living animals, while chevon (goat meat) can only be obtained after the animal has been slaughtered.
Absorption of water from undigested feed in ruminants occurs in the
Absorption of water from undigested feed material occurs in the colon (large intestine), which concentrates the waste products including salts and urea by reabsorbing water back into the bloodstream.
The rumen performs the following functions except
Microbial fermentation in the rumen synthesizes B-vitamins and vitamin K, but not vitamins A and D, making 'synthesis of vitamins A and D' the function the rumen does NOT perform.
Which of the following methods is not used in collecting semen from farm animals?
Artificial vagina, massage and electro-ejaculation are all standard methods of semen collection in farm animals; a catheter is not used for this purpose.
Heat stress in farm animals could result in
Heat stress typically reduces feed intake and negatively impacts productivity, including reduced milk production in dairy animals.
If the recommended floor space for chickens is 0.36m2 per adult chicken. Determine the number of chickens that could be reared in a deck litter house measuring 9m by 20m.
Floor area = 9m x 20m = 180m2. Number of chickens = 180/0.36 = 500.
A building with open sides is preferable in a poultry house because it
Open sides in a poultry house allow for free air circulation, promoting adequate ventilation and helping regulate temperature within the house.
Wool could be obtained from a
Wool is obtained from sheep; a ram is a male sheep.
Which of the following poultry diseases could be treated with drugs containing sulphur? I. Coccidiosis II. Ringworm III. Fowl pox
Coccidiosis and ringworm can be treated with sulphur-containing drugs (sulfa drugs/sulphur compounds), whereas fowl pox is a viral disease not treated this way.
The most important function of bees to humans is to
The most important contribution of bees to humans is their role as pollinators, which is essential for the reproduction of many crops.
A major export crop in West Africa is
Cocoa is one of the major export crops of West African countries, particularly Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.
A farmer's total cost of producing 500 trays of eggs was #350,000.00. Before sales, the farmer's family consumed 1% of the total output. The farmer earned #500,000.00 from the sale of the eggs, incurring a marketing cost of #30,000.00. Use the information above to answer this question and the next two. The farmer's cost of producing a tray of eggs is
Cost per tray = Total cost / Total trays = #350,000 / 500 = #700.00.
How many trays of eggs were sold by the farmer?
1% of 500 trays (5 trays) was consumed by the farmer's family, leaving 500 - 5 = 495 trays sold.
The farmer's net profit is
Net profit = Revenue - (Production cost + Marketing cost) = #500,000 - (#350,000 + #30,000) = #500,000 - #380,000 = #120,000.00.
Which of the following marketing functions could enable farmers fix better prices for their produce? I. Advertisement II. Processing III. Grading
Advertisement, processing and grading are all marketing functions that can help farmers add value to and command better prices for their produce.
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