This question was popular among the candidates.  In 6(a-b), majority of the candidates were able to list the cereal crops grown in West Africa and state the benefits of forests to the economic development of the country.  However, in 6(c-d), most of the candidates could neither describe the life cycle of the variegated grasshopper nor list the cultural methods of controlling crop pests. But in 6(e), most of them were able to give the uses of oil palm.
      The expected answers include:

Description

• The female lays eggs inside the soil around April
• These hatch into nymphs around October and during the 4th instar stage, they migrate into the farm and continue to feed on cassava leaves up to the adult stage.
• The cycle has no pupal stage (incomplete metamorphosis/wingless nymphs)
• The early stages of nymphs may feed on other shrubs such as Chromolaena

spp. (Siam weed) as an alternative host and continue until they come in contact with a cassava farm.
 (d)     Cultural methods  of controlling crop pests
              -     Crop rotation
              -     Proper and timely weeding
              -     Good spacing of crops
              -     Drainage
              -     Pruning of diseased parts of plant
              -     Planting pest free crops
              -   Proper tillage operations
              -    Timely planting
              -    Timely harvesting
              -    Burning crop residues

               -       Flooding
              -    Mulching
              -    Planting pest tolerant varieties of crop