UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
SESSION: 2012/2013
COURSE NAME: CSC 321: ARABLE CROP PRODUCTION
1 (a) State one major difference between organic and inorganic manures.
b. Define fertilizer grade
c. if Sulphate of Ammonia has 21% of the active ingredient (i) Calculate the amount of sulphate of ammonia that will supply 63kg of the active ingredient
ii. Write the name of the active ingredient
d. State two reasons for parboiling rice before milling
e. If a cassava farm has many plants showing the “candle stick appearance”
i. which pest would you suggest that is attacking such a farm?
ii. List three control measures you would adopt to deal with the situation
2. (a) State one reason why yam is a stem tuber
b. Briefly discuss yam production under the following headings:
i. cultivated species (ii) planting materials (iii) Land preparation (iv) staking
3. a. if maize is planted on 1st March 2013, state the right date that the first dose of NPK fertilizer will be applied.
b. Discuss two important field pests and one major storage pest of maize under the following headings: (i) Name of pest (ii) Damage caused (iii) Control measures
c. List four storage facilities for maize grains.
4. Discuss ginger (Zingiher officinale Roscoe) products under the following headings:
(i) Climate requirements (ii) propagation (iii) fertilization (iv) weeding (v) Harvesting (vi) Processing (vii) Storage (viii) utilization
5. As an agronomist, estimate the total quantity of seeds in kg that will be used to plant the following hectarages given that 1kg contains 1000 seeds (making an allowance of 5% for damage due to drought).
i. 15½ hectares of maize (Zea Mays L) at a plant spacing of 75cm x 25cm
ii. 10½ hectares of sorghum (Sorghum vulgare L Moench) at a plant spacing of 60cm x 25cm.
iii. 45 hectares of cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L Walp) at a plant spacing of 30cm x 30cm
iv. 60 hectares of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) at a plant spacing of 20 cm x 20cm
6 (a) Enumerate the features that enable sorghum to be drought tolerant
b. explain the reasons why sowing sorghum on ridges is preferred in the tropics.
c. mention five diseases of sorghum, their symptoms, and control
7. Write short notes: (i.) Ginning (ii) Pegging (iii) topping and suckering (iv) Alley cropping (v) Primary tillage implements
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
SESSION: 2011/2012
COURSE NAME: CSC 321: ARABLE CROPS PRODUCTION
Instruction: Answer question one and any other 4 questions
1(a) Define intercropping
b. State 5 advantages of intercropping
c. List two primary tillage implements and state their uses in land preparation for arable crop production
d. How will you amend an arable land that has low pH?
e. List 5 causes of soil acidity
f. If a farmer is to apple 120kg N/ha, what quantity of urea does the farmer require for 2 hectares?
g. Briefly describe with diagrams the three staking methods for ware yam production
h. State two reasons why a yam farm should be kept weed free.
2a) State the step-by-step procedure of producing cassava stems for cassava farmers.
b. Given the product rate of primegram as 5L/ha, the delivery rate of 250L/ha of the chemical solution, and a CP30 knapsack sprayer, calculate the amount of chemical that will be mixed with the 30 liters of water in the knapsack sprayer.
c. if you are to grow cassava in a mealybug endemic area, state three precautionary measures you would adopt to prevent the attack of the pest on your farm.
3(a) List five cereals you have studied (state both the common and botanical names)
b. Discuss rice production under the following headings:
i. Water requirements ii. land preparation iii. Planting methods iv. Weeding
c. Why do you consider parboiling important during the processing of paddy?
4(a) Calculate the quantity of seeds in kilogrammes required to plan 2½ hectares of land at the following spacing: i. 25cm x 75cm ii. 50cm x 50cm iii. 50cm x 100cm (Note that one seed is planted per point and 5000 seeds weigh, 1 kilogarmme)
b. Why is fertilizer applied to maize as early as two weeks after planting?
5a). List the distinct characteristics of Legumes, fiber, spices, and drug crops you studied.
b. Name at least two members of each group stating the families and the botanical name.
6) Discuss in detail the following with respect to tobacco production: i) Climatic and soil requirements ii. Nursery practices iii) Transplanting iv) Fertilization v) Topping and Suckering vi) Curing
7) Write short notes on the following: i) Pegging in groundnut ii) Advantages of farm mechanization iii) Characteristics of grade A cotton iv) African rice gall midge vi) Taro lead blight
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
SESSION: 2008/2009
COURSE NAME: CSC 321: ARABLE CROP PRODUCTION
1. A piece of land was allocated to you to cultivate maize (Zea Mays) to fulfill the practical components of Arable crop production.
(a) State the land area allotted to you
(b) What was the inter and intra-raw spacing used in your plant
(c) With the plant spacing staled in 1(b) above calculate the plant population
(i) Two seeds per hole and (ii) one seed per hole
(d) Given a recommended manure rate of 10 metric tones per hectare calculate the amount (e) (i) At what stage of the fieldwork did you apply the manure (ii) state two reasons for applying the manure at that stage.
2. If a farmer is supplied with ammonium sulphate (21%N), single superphosphate (189% 205), and muriate of potash (60% K20). State clearly by means of calculations how this farmer would use their carrier materials to compound 300kg of 5:10:12 NKP mixture. Calculate the amount of filler material that will b added to the mixture.
3. Describe the production of paddy rice (Oryza spp) under the following headings:
(a) Land preparation (b) water requirement (c) Planting method (d) fertilizer requirement
4. (a) List five pests of cassava (b) outline three symptoms of the Mealybug (phenacoccus manihotis) attack on cassava (c) Briefly describe five control measures you would recommend for cassava mealybug.
5. Write short notes on the following (a) Cultivated yam species (b) Minisett (c) weeding of yam plots (d) Fertilizer application in yam plots.
6. a. Give 3 examples of (i) oil crops (ii) Fibre crops and (iii) drug crops
b. what is the difference between drying and non-drying oils
c. describe the following in soybean production; environmental requirement, fertilization, spacing, common diseases, and pests.
d. Describe the 3 types of vegetable fibers and give an example of each
7. (a) Briefly discuss the following in cotton production; fertilization, pest management, and soil requirement
b. define topping and sucking and describe the agronomatic relevance in Tobacco production (c) describe nursery and fertilization in tobacco production (d) Name and describe the 4 tobacco curing methods
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
SESSION: 2010/2011
COURSE NAME: CSC 321: ARABLE CROP PRODUCTION
Section A:
1a. List two characteristics of the following crop families:
i. Gramineae
ii. Leguminoseae
iii. Dioscoreaceae
iv. Malvaceae
v. Solanaceae
1b. Give one example of each of the families in 1a. above
c. As an agronomist, differentiate between the following:
i. Crop and weed
ii. Mixed farming and mixed cropping
iii. Turning and supplying
iv. Arable crop and plantation crop
v. Organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer
Section B:
1. Explain the following in relation to the cereals you studied.
i. importance of maize in tropical Africa
ii. Factors that enable sorghum to be drought tolerant
iii. Parboiling in rice
iv. Fertilization in barley
2. Write concise on the following:
i. Pegging and weed control in groundnut
ii. Fertilizer use in soybean production
iii. Control of storage pests in cowpea
iv. Harvesting of groundnuts
section c.
3. With respect to yam production, briefly describe
i. Methods of planting
ii. Types of planting material
iii. Methods of staking
iv. Wed control
v. Harvesting
vi. Storage
Section D.
4. A farmer has a piece of land measuring 240,000cm2 for planting cassava Ten percent of the land is reserved for farm structures.
a. Calculate the number of cassava cuttings the farmer would require for the remaining pieces of land (planting distance of cassava = 1m x 1m)
b. If the stand of cassava tuber yields 10kg, how many tons of cassava is expected in the remaining piece of farmland?
c. Assuming the farmer’s farm in 5(a) above by cassava mealybug (phenacoccus manhotis), briefly describe five control of this pest in the next planting season
Section D:
5. a. Describe the three (3) important classes of fibre obtained from plants (indicate their uses and sources)
b. Name the two (2) popular cultivated cotton species and describe their major distinguishing features.
c. To ensure the production of high quality cotton, describe the recommended fertilization and spray schedule.
d. List four (4) major pests of cotton and their control measures
6. a. Describe three (3) methods used in classifying vegetable oils
b. Describe the practices involved in the following with respect of tobacco production
i. Nursery
ii. Field establishment
c. Define suckering and Topping and state their significance in tobacco production
d. Describe the four (4) curing methods in tobacco processing.
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE
SESSION: 2011/2012
COURSE NAME: CSC 321: ARABLE CROP PRODUCTION
1. a. Define intercropping
b. State 5 advantages of intercropping
c. list two primary tillage implements and state their uses in land preparation for arable crop production
d. How will you amend an arable land that has low pH?
e. List 5 causes of soil acidity
f. if a farmer is to apply 120kg N/ha, what quantity of Urea does the farmer require for 2 hectares?
. Briefly describe with diagrams the three staking methods for ware yam production
h. State two reasons why a yam farm should be kept wed free
2. a. State the step. The procedure of producing cassava stems for cassava farmers.
b. Give the product rate of primegram as 51/ha. The delivery rate of 250/L/ha of the chemical solution and CP30 knapsack sprayer, calculate the amount of chemical that will be mixed with the 30 liters of water in the knapsack sprayer.
c. if you are to grow cassava in a mealybug endemic area, state three precautionary measures you would adopt to prevent the attack of the pest on your farm
3. A. List five cereals you have studied (state both the common and botanical names)
b. Discuss rice production under the following headings:
i. water requirements
ii. land preparation
iii. Planting methods
v. Weeding
c. Why do you consider parboiling important during the processing of paddy?
4. Calculate the quantity of seed in kilograms required to plant 2½ hectares of land at the following spacings:
i. 20cm x 75cm ii. 50cm x 50cm iii. 50cm x 100cm
b. Why is fertilizer applied to maize as early as two weeks after planting?
5. a. List the distinct characteristics of legumes, fiber, spice, and drug crops you studied
b. name at least two members of each group stating the families and the botanical name
6. Discuss in detail the following with respect to tobacco production
i. Climatic and soil requirement
ii. Nursery practices
iii. Transplanting
iv. Fertilization
v. Topping and suckering
vi. Curing
7. Write short notes on the following:
i. Pegging in groundnut
ii. Advantages of farm mechanization
iii. Characteristics of grade a cotton
iv. African rice gall midge
v. Taro leaf blight
