2021 JAMB AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Agriculture plays a crucial role in providing food for humans and animals. While it also contributes to foreign exchange, raw materials, and employment, its primary function is sustaining life through food production. This makes food provision the most fundamental contribution of agriculture.

Subsistence agriculture is a farming method where farmers produce primarily for their own consumption with minimal surplus. The farm sizes are typically small, and the focus is on meeting the immediate food needs of the farmer and their family, rather than generating significant income or surplus produce.

Gestation period refers to the time between conception and the birth of an animal. This is a critical period in animal reproduction where the offspring develops inside the mother’s womb. The duration varies across different animal species and is essential for understanding reproductive cycles.

Oxytocin is the hormone that triggers milk let-down in female mammals during lactation. It stimulates the muscles around the milk-producing cells to contract, facilitating the release of milk. This hormone plays a crucial role in nursing and is essential for successful milk production in farm animals.

In cattle terminology, an adult male is specifically called a bull. This term is distinct from other farm animal male names like ram (sheep), boar (pig), or drake (duck). Understanding these specific animal names is important in animal husbandry and agricultural terminology.

Limestone is crucial in layer chicken feed because it provides calcium necessary for strong eggshell formation. Layers require more calcium than growing chickens to support consistent egg production. The additional limestone helps ensure that hens can produce eggs with robust, well-formed shells.

Continuous grazing is actually detrimental to rangeland health. Proper rangeland improvement involves rotational grazing, regular weeding, reseeding, and fertilizer application. Continuous grazing leads to overgrazing, which can degrade vegetation and soil quality, making it the incorrect method for rangeland improvement.

Miracidium is a specific larval stage in the life cycle of the liver fluke, a parasitic flatworm. This stage occurs after the egg hatches and before it infects an intermediate host. Understanding parasite life cycles is crucial in veterinary and agricultural parasitology for effective disease prevention.

Foot and mouth disease typically causes excessive salivation, sores on feet and tongue, and lameness. Blood-stained diarrhea is not a characteristic symptom of this viral disease. The primary symptoms involve oral and hoof lesions that cause significant discomfort and can severely impact animal health and productivity.

Liver flukes block bile ducts, preventing proper bile flow, which is essential for fat digestion. By obstructing these crucial pathways, the parasites impair the liver’s ability to process and distribute bile, leading to reduced fat absorption and potential nutritional deficiencies in the affected livestock.

Fish preservation methods typically involve techniques like drying, smoking, and salting to extend shelf life and prevent spoilage. Boiling is a cooking method rather than a preservation technique, making it the exception in this list of fish preservation methods. These techniques help maintain fish quality and prevent bacterial growth.

A dragnet is the most effective fishing gear for completely harvesting a pond. Unlike hook and line, harpoon, or basket trap, a dragnet can sweep across the entire pond bottom, capturing fish comprehensively. This method is crucial in aquaculture for complete fish stock management and assessment.

Inbreeding is the practice of mating closely related animals within the same family line. While it can help fix desired genetic traits, it also increases the risk of genetic defects and reduced fitness. This technique is carefully managed in animal breeding to maintain genetic diversity and animal health.

Land is the fundamental natural resource in agricultural production. It serves as the primary medium for crop cultivation, animal rearing, and other agricultural activities. Unlike capital, labor, or management, land is a natural resource that provides the essential base for all agricultural operations.

Consumers buying less products would actually decrease agricultural produce supply, not increase it. Factors that typically increase supply include reduced production costs, favorable weather conditions, and reduced taxation. These conditions encourage farmers to produce more agricultural goods.

Supplying fertilizers to farmers at reduced prices is a direct form of agricultural subsidy. This government intervention helps reduce farmers’ production costs and encourages agricultural productivity. Other options like borrowing money or providing services do not constitute a direct subsidy in the same way.

Farm accounts are comprehensive financial records that track all monetary transactions within a farming business. These records are crucial for financial management, tracking income and expenses, and making informed business decisions in agricultural enterprises.

Low labor requirement is the primary advantage of the extensive goat rearing system. This method allows goats to graze freely over large areas, reducing the need for constant human supervision and management. However, it also comes with challenges like disease exposure and less controlled breeding.

Wedding is not a standard process in cotton marketing. The typical processes include processing, grading, and packaging. These steps are essential in preparing cotton for sale, ensuring quality, and preparing it for distribution in the textile and other industries.

The mass method in agricultural extension is designed to simultaneously reach and educate a large number of farmers. This approach typically uses media like radio, television, newspapers, and group meetings to disseminate agricultural information efficiently and broadly.

Edaphic factors relate to soil characteristics that influence plant growth. Storm is an atmospheric factor, not a soil-related factor. Rocks, soil, and topography are all components that directly impact soil conditions and plant development in agricultural environments.

Apiculture is the scientific term for bee farming or beekeeping. This agricultural practice involves the maintenance of honey bee colonies for honey production, pollination, and other bee-related products. It’s an important aspect of agricultural and ecological systems.

Entomology is the scientific study of insects, including their behavior, ecology, taxonomy, physiology, population dynamics, and role in crop production. In agriculture, this field is crucial for understanding and managing insect pests that can damage crops.

Metamorphic rocks are not necessarily colorless. They are typically formed by transformation of existing rocks under high temperature and pressure, often appearing in layers, containing fossils, and being hard and massive. Colorlessness is not a defining characteristic of these rocks.

IITA stands for International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, a renowned research organization focused on developing agricultural technologies for tropical regions. Located in Nigeria, it plays a crucial role in agricultural research, crop improvement, and sustainable farming practices in Africa.

Igneous rocks are formed by the cooling and solidification of molten magma from beneath the earth’s crust. This process occurs when magma cools either below or above the earth’s surface, creating different types of igneous rocks with distinct characteristics.

Earthworms are beneficial to farmers as they improve soil structure, enhance nutrient cycling, and increase soil fertility. They break down organic matter, create soil channels, and contribute to overall soil health, making them a valuable ally in agricultural ecosystems.

Planktons are microscopic organisms that serve as a primary food source for many aquatic creatures, including fish. These tiny organisms include both plant-like (phytoplankton) and animal-like (zooplankton) components, forming the base of the aquatic food chain.

Annual depreciation is calculated by dividing the total depreciation by the number of years. In this case, the total depreciation is ₦12,500 – ₦4,300 = ₦8,200. Divided by 4 years, the annual depreciation is ₦2,050, representing the decrease in value each year.

Climate refers to the long-term average weather patterns in a specific area, typically measured over 30 years or more. It encompasses temperature, precipitation, humidity, and other meteorological factors that characterize the typical weather conditions of a region.

A sheller is a farm implement used for removing kernels or seeds from their outer coverings. Along with other tools like mowers and dryers, shellers are essential agricultural machines that help streamline farming processes and improve efficiency.

Changing engine oil is a critical periodic maintenance activity for farm tractors. Regular oil changes help maintain the engine’s performance, prevent wear and tear, and ensure the longevity of the agricultural machinery.

Animal power is the most versatile source of farm power in West Africa. Animals like oxen, horses, and donkeys are widely used for plowing, transportation, and other agricultural tasks, especially in rural and small-scale farming systems.

A spade is a digging tool, not a surveying equipment. Farm surveying typically involves precision instruments like the Abney level, compass, and Gunter’s chain used for measuring and mapping land areas.

Leasing land involves giving a farmer the right to use a piece of land for a specific period on a rental basis. This arrangement provides farmers access to land without permanent ownership, allowing flexible agricultural operations.

The right of individuals to free use and control of inherited land is actually a positive aspect, unlike the other issues listed. Inheritance can lead to small land holdings, family conflicts, and difficulties in land sales, but individual land use rights can be beneficial.

Fragmentation occurs when rocks are repeatedly subjected to heating and cooling cycles. This process causes thermal stress, leading to the breaking down of rock structures, which is important in understanding rock weathering and geological processes.

Parasite is a biotic factor in agricultural production. Biotic factors involve living organisms that can impact crop and livestock production, including pests, diseases, and other living entities that interact with agricultural systems.

Shifting cultivation is an agricultural method where farmers cultivate a piece of land for a short period and then move to another area, allowing the previous land to regenerate naturally. This traditional farming practice is common in tropical and subtropical regions.

Water content calculation: (Fresh weight – Dry weight) / Fresh weight × 100 = (180g – 120g) / 180g × 100 = 60g / 180g × 100 = 33.33%. This method of determining soil moisture is crucial in agricultural and geological studies.