This question was well attempted by the candidates. In 3 (a-b), majority of the candidates were able to distinguish between macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients and mention the factors that influence the availability of nutrients in the soil. However,in 3(c-d), most of the candidates could not state the ways by which communal land tenure system and soil types affect land availability for agriculture. They could not also mention the problems associated with drainage systems on farms.
The expected answers include:
3(c) Factors that affect land availability for agriculture
(i) Communal land tenure system
- Communal land tenure system does not make enough land available for
large scale farmers
- It leads to excessive land fragmentation
- Land under the communal system cannot be used to grow permanent crops
- Strangers cannot have access to communal land
- Communal land cannot be expanded for increased productivity
(ii) Soil types
- Infertile lands/soils are limiting factors to land availability because they are
unsuitable for farming
- Acidic soils are unsuitable for farming
- Rocky soils/lands are not cultivable
- Very sandy soils are prone to erosion and are not fertile
- Soils with termite hills and lots of termites are unsuitable for farming activities
- Heavy clayey soils are unsuitable for most crops
- Very swampy soils/lands are also unsuitable for agriculture
(d) Problems associated with drainage systems on farms
- Encourages the breeding of mosquitoes and pathogens/pests
- Very expensive to establish
- Coverage may reduce the size of farm lands
- High maintenance cost
- May result in gully erosion
- High level of technical - know- how required
- Acidity may increase around the reservoir
- Cannot be practised in all farmlands especially where the water table is high
- Clogging of channels by weeds
- Impede movement of farm machinery
- Easily silted |
