ZERAKI ACHIEVERS’ EXAMINATIONS (2023)

Term 2 - 2023
FORM THREE (3)
AGRICULTURE
PAPER I
MARKING SCHEME
SECTION A

1. Factors determining stage of crop harvesting.

i. Intended use of the crop
ii. Chemical concentration of the produce/stage of maturity/change in colour
iii. Prevailing weather conditions
iv. Market demand for the produce/market price (4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)

2. Disadvantages of organic mulches.

i. Expensive to transport and apply/bulky
ii. Could be a fire risk.
iii. Provides breeding ground/hiding place for pests
iv. Intercepts light showers of rainfall.
v. Can spread pests/weeds/diseases (4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)

3. Outline four functions of magnesium in crops.

i. Necessary in chlorophyll formation.
ii. Promotes nitrogen fixation.
iii. Activates enzymes.
iv. Synthesis of oil in oil crops. (4 x 1/2 = 2marks)

4. Four objectives of land tenure reform

i. Encourage conservation measures on land
ii. Improve productivity of land and labor
iii. Encourage commercial instead of subsistence production.
iv. Encourage farmers to invest more through offering security
v. Allow flexibility in production depending on the market
vi. Effect utilization of natural resources through irrigation (4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)

5. Two disadvantages of late defoliation in pasture management.

i. Has low dry matter digestibility.
ii. Has low leaf; stem ratio / less leafy
iii. Has low crude protein yield (2 x 1/2 = 1mark)

6. Four benefits of a good soil structure in crop production

i. Holds adequate moisture for crop growth
ii. Has better aeration
iii. Well drained
iv. Allows better root penetration / tuber expansion. (4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)

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7. Farm records that should be kept by a poultry farmer.
i) Egg production
ii) Labour records
iii) Feeding records
iv) Health records
v) Marketing records
vi) Inventory records (4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)

8. Effects burning of vegetation.

Destroys organic matter humus
Destroys soil structure
Kills useful soil micro-organisms
Exposes soil to agent of erosion
Causes nutrient imbalance/loss of volatile nutrients/accumulation of soils
(4 x 1/2 = 2marks)

9. Symptoms of viral diseases in crops.

-Leaf curling;
-Mosaic;
-Malformation/distortion
-leaf chlorosis;
-Rosetting/ short internodes. (4 x 1/2 =2marks)

10. Methods of classifying herbicides.

-Formulation;
-Time of application;
-Selectivity. ( 1/2 x3= 11/2 marks.)

11 methods of applying fertilizers to crops.

-Broadcasting;
-Placement method;
-Side dressing/top dressing/band application/ring application;
-Foliar spraying;
-Drip application in driplines; (4 x 1/2 = 2marks.)

12. Advantages of drip irrigation

Economic /efficient use of water /requires a little amount of water
Discourages the spread of diseases
Less growth of weeds between rows
Water under low pressure may be used
Does not cause soil erosion (3x 1/2 = 1 ½ marks)

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13. Ways of controlling damping off diseases on vegetable seedlings in a nursery
Reduced /remove shade
Thinning to reduce overcrowding
Reducing amount and frequency of watering
Spraying with copper fungicides /appropriate fungicides (2x1/2 =1mark)

14. State three reasons for top dressing pasture (1 ½ marks)

(1) Increase herbage yields

(2) Improve nutritive value of crop
(3) Add soil nutrients

15. Three activities the farmer carries out on a store before storing grains (3x1= 3mks)

(1) Cleaning the store/remove debris of previous crops

(2) Dusting
(3) Higher germination percentage
(4) Pure/true to type

16 Give four desirable characteristics of certified seeds. (4 x 1/2 = 2marks)

-High yielding
-pure/True to type
-Clean/seeds
-High germination percentage
-Healthy/free from pests and diseases

17. State four factors that contribute to competitive ability of weeds

(4 x 1/2 = 2 marks)
(1) Produce large quantities of seeds
(2) Seeds remain viable for long
(3) Ability to propagate vegetative
(4) Seeds easily and successfully dispersed
(5) Ability to grow in poor soil condition.

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SECTION B

18a) Type of silo shown

Trench silo
(1x1=1mark)
(b) Use of the part labeled M and N
-M prevents entry of water into the silage (1x1=1mark)
-N drains away water (1x1=1mark)

(c). Ways of ensuring that anaerobic conditions are achieved during silage making
process.
Fast filling of silo
Proper compaction
Sealing with polythene paper & soil (2x1=2marks)

19 (a) propagation method

Tip layering. ( 1 x ½ = ½ mark)

(b) Factors that encourage root formation in the above method of propagation

- Moist soil
- Rooting hormones
- Injury of the part (2 x 1 = 2marks)

(c) Two crops that can be propagated using the above method
- Sweet potatoes
- Straw berry (2 x ½ = 1mark)

20.The photograph below shows an Irish potato plant attacked by a disease. Study it and
answer the questions that follow.

(a) The disease represented by the photograph. (1mark)

Late blight

(b)Name the causative agent of the diseases. (1mark)

Fungus/ Phytophthora infestans

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 (c) One other crop that can be attacked by the same disease. (1mark)
Tomatoes

(d) Two control measures of the disease. (2marks)

-Spraying with appropriate fungicides.
-Crop rotation.
-Use of certified seeds
-Rogueing

21. The photographs below show common weeds C and D in pasture land. Study them
carefully and answer the questions that follow.

C D

(a)Identify weeds C and D. (2mks)

C- Thorn apple/ Datura stramonium

D- Mexican marigold / Tagetes minuta

(b) Classify weed D according to plant morphology. (1mk)

Broad leafed.

(c) The major problem posed by weed D in pasture land. (1mks)

D-It taints milk when fed to lactating cows.

SECTION C
22 (a) Factors that should be considered when siting a vegetable nursery. (5 marks)
i. Near a water source for easy watering
ii. In a well sheltered place to prevent strong winds which can uproot seedlings and
cause excessive evaporation
iii. Security so as to protect them from theft and destruction by animals/ birds
iv. On a gentle slope to prevent erosion through run-off and to prevent flooding
v. Type of soil, should be well drained and fertile
vi. Previous cropping/avoid an area where same crop family had been planted to
avoid pest and diseases attack/build up
vii. Near the seedbed/main field to minimize damage to seedlings during transplanting
viii. Accessibility for ease of movement
ix. Away from shading effect to allow sunshine (5x1=5marks)

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(b) Factors that should be considered when selecting seeds for planting.
i. Adaptability – should be adapted to local ecological condition
ii. Physical deformities/damages – should be free from physical deformities/damages
iii. Health – should be free from pests/diseases
iv. Viability /germination percentage-should have high viability/germination
percentage
v. Parent plant – should be from high yielding/healthy parents/ high quality/early
maturing
vi. Purity – should be clean/free from impurities
vii. Maturity – should be of correct maturity stage
viii. Age – storage period – seeds stored for long periods have low
viability/germination percentage hence should not be selected
ix. Size of seeds – seeds should be of correct size (6x1=6marks)

(c) Environmental factors influence crop production:

(i) Temperature; (4 marks)
i. Affect quality of certain crops e.g. pineapples, pyrethrum.
ii. Influence the rate of physiological processes in a crop, hence faster growth rate
iii. Cause increase in incidences of diseases.
iv. Low temperatures cause frost injury
v. High temperatures increase rate of evapotranspiration hence wilting
vi. Influence distribution of crops

(ii) Wind. (5 marks)

i. Strong winds increase the rate of evaporation/evapotranspiration/wilting
ii. Influences amount of rainfall in the given area
iii. Help in pollination of crops
iv. Strong winds have a cooling effect which influences rate of physiological
processes.
v. Strong winds may cause soil erosion
vi. Strong winds may cause lodging/destruction of certain crop structures
vii. Winds can spread diseases/pests/weeds.
viii. Winds help in seed dispersal
ix. Winds is fed in crop cleaning/winnowing of grains
x. Explain the benefits of land consolidation.

23.(a) the benefits of land consolidation.

i. -Proper supervision of land
ii. -Economic use of time and saving of transportation costs.
iii. -Easy provision of agricultural advice by extension officers.
iv. -Ensures sound farm planning and adoption of crop rotation programmes.
v. -Facilitates soil conservation and land improvement.
vi. -Promotes construction of permanent structures e.g. buildings and fences.
vii. -Registered land gives the farmer legal ownership and the title deed which can be
used to obtain loans.

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 viii. -Weed, pest and disease control is enhanced.
ix. -Facilitates mechanization especially because of large holdings. (6marks)

(b) Briefly explain six factors influencing mass wasting. (6marks)

i. -The slope of the land-Steep slopes leads to faster movement of materials.

ii. -The nature of material-Mass wasting occurs easily where massive rocks overlie
sedimentary rocks which have clay material underneath and also if the material
contains a lot of water.
iii. -Climate-Heavy rainy periods encourage wasting
iv. -Vegetation cover-It is easy and faster in bare ground than where it is covered
with vegetation.
v. -Human activities-e.g. deforestation, building, quarrying etc. interferes with the
stability of surface layers.
vi. -Forces within the earth’s crust e.g. earth tremors and some volcanic eruptions.

(c) Cultural methods of controlling diseases.

i. Growing diseases resistant varieties.
ii. Heat treatment of planting materials against diseases.
iii. Proper drying of cereals and pulses before storage.
iv. Practicing field hygiene /to remove or destroy pathogen infested materials.
v. Proper spacing of crops.
vi. Use of healthy planting materials /use of disease free planting materials.
vii. Control of weeds which may harbor pathogens.
viii. Proper seedbed preparation.
ix. Crop rotation.
x. Closed season. (8 X 1 = 8 marks)

.24 (a) Factor that determine spacing in crops;

i. The type of machinery to be used.
ii. Soil fertility.
iii. The size of the plant.
iv. Crop stand either pure or mixed.
v. Number of seeds per hole.
vi. Moisture availability
vii. Use of the crop
viii. Pest and disease control. ( 5 x 2 = 10marks)

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(b) Nursery practices carried to seedlings;
i. watering
ii. Mulching
iii. Weed control
iv. Pricking out
v. shading
vi. Pest and disease control
vii. - Hardening off ( 1 x 6 = 6 marks)

(c) Precautions taken in harvesting tea;

i. Plucked tea should be put in woven baskets and not polythene to allow free air
movement.
ii. Pluck two leaves and a bud only because 3-4 leaves colder leaves) lower the
quality due to low level of caffeine
iii. Leaves should not be compressed in the baskets as this can cause them to heat up
and turn brown.
iv. Plucked tea should be kept cool and shaded while plucking continues and
awaiting transportation to the factory.
v. Plucked tea should be taken to the factory the same day it is harvested.
(1x3 = 3marks)