Candidates' Weakness

:Majority of the candidates were unable to:

• State the merits and demerits of using animal power on the farm; list factors that may affect the efficiency of draught animals;
• Describe the process involved in making compost using the pit method under the following headings: materials; preparation and storage;
• State problems associated with overhead irrigation;

• design a 4-year crop rotation system using yam, cassava, maize and groundnut; give reasons why oestrus detection is important in farm animals;
• state functions of hormones in farm animals (i.e. androgen and oestrogen); list viral diseases of poultry;
• state reasons for carrying out the following animal husbandry practices (Le. culling of poultry and dehoming of cattle);
• mention the botanical names of pasture legumes grown in West Africa; explain why the demand curve slopes downwards;
• state the advantages and disadvantages of newspapers and television as agricultural extension teaching methods;
• list factors that cause a change in supply of agricultural produce;
• distinguish between fixed cost and variable cost and give examples of each; explain agricultural extension teaching methods such as posters and field trips.
• In view of the identified weakness noted above,the chief examiners advised that
• (l)    the teaching and learning of agriculture should be made more practical oriented with adequate exposure of the candidates to modem ways of farming;
• (2)   excursion and field trips to agricultural institutions and commercial farms should form part of the course requirements for agricultural science in schools;
• (3)        agricultural science graduates should be made to teach the subject for an in depth teaching and learning.