CSEC Agricultural Science Paper 2 May/June 2022 - Free CXC Past Paper with Answers

Farmer Vickram cultivates tomatoes. An extension officer advises Farmer Vickram that using fertilizer will improve the yield of his tomatoes. Figure 2 shows the effect of fertilizer application on the yield of tomatoes on Vickram's farm.

(i) Explain the effect of the use of fertilizer on the yield of tomatoes at points A and B on the graph. (ii) Using the information in Figure 2, advise Farmer Vickram of the following: a) Maximum yield that can be obtained by adding fertilizer to his tomato crop. b) Maximum amount of fertilizer that should be used in his tomato crop. (iii) The graph in Figure 2, on page 7, illustrates an economic law that is referred to during the production process. State the name of the law that this graph depicts. (iv) Calculate the marginal product when the farmer moves from using 4 kg of fertilizer to 6 kg of fertilizer. Marginal Product = $\frac{\text{Change in total product}}{\text{Change in output}}$

Explain the effect of the use of fertilizer on the yield of tomatoes at points A and B on the graph.

Using the information in Figure 2, advise Farmer Vickram of the following:

a) Maximum yield that can be obtained by adding fertilizer to his tomato crop.

b) Maximum amount of fertilizer that should be used in his tomato crop.

The graph in Figure 2, on page 7, illustrates an economic law that is referred to during the production process.

State the name of the law that this graph depicts.

Calculate the marginal product when the farmer moves from using 4 kg of fertilizer to 6 kg of fertilizer.

Marginal Product = $\frac{\text{Change in total product}}{\text{Change in output}}$

Sanya is a poultry farmer. She went to the Agricultural Credit Bank in her country to obtain a loan. Sanya gave her labour records to the loan officer with her loan application. The loan officer told Sanya that she needed to present other types of records to help him determine if she would qualify for the loan.

(i) State ONE reason why the labour records alone would not help Sanya to obtain a loan. (ii) Suggest TWO other records that Sanya must provide to the loan officer to be considered for a bank loan.

State ONE reason why the labour records alone would not help Sanya to obtain a loan.

Suggest TWO other records that Sanya must provide to the loan officer to be considered for a bank loan.

On a recent field trip to an agricultural research station, it was explained that the soil profile plays a key role in determining the suitability of an area for agricultural production. Figure 3 represents a typical soil profile of the area.

Figure 3. A typical soil profile

(i) State the name of the layers labelled Q and R. (ii) Which layer in the soil profile is responsible for influencing the mineral content of the soil? (iii) Farmer Sam cultivates vegetables intensively on his 1-hectare farm in the area. The extension officer told him that in the soil profile, layer P is the litter layer and on his farm this layer was too thin. Advise Farmer Sam on TWO cultural practices he can use to improve the thickness of layer P in the soil on his farm.

State the name of the layers labelled Q and R.

Which layer in the soil profile is responsible for influencing the mineral content of the soil?

Farmer Sam cultivates vegetables intensively on his 1-hectare farm in the area. The extension officer told him that in the soil profile, layer P is the litter layer and on his farm this layer was too thin. Advise Farmer Sam on TWO cultural practices he can use to improve the thickness of layer P in the soil on his farm.

At the research station, an experiment was conducted to determine water retention in three different soil types, A, B and C. Three funnels were lined with filter paper and each of them was placed over a measuring cylinder. One hundred grams of each type of soil, A, B and C, which was air dried, was placed in the three funnels and 100 ml of water was poured over the soil in each. The water draining from the soil (filtrate) was collected in each case in the measuring cylinder. The experiment lasted for 30 minutes. Figure 4 shows the results for each of the soil samples.

Figure 4. Results of water retention in soil experiment

(i) Identify the soil types which are MOST likely to produce the results in B and C. (ii) Soil Sample B was obtained from Farmer Indar's Vegetable Farm. Identify ONE problem he may encounter in his soil during the rainy season.

Identify the soil types which are MOST likely to produce the results in B and C.

Soil Sample B was obtained from Farmer Indar's Vegetable Farm. Identify ONE problem he may encounter in his soil during the rainy season.