Agricultural Science Syllabus

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓use the definition of agriculture in modern terms as it relates to production, processing and marketing
• ✓differentiate between the various branches of agriculture
• ✓differentiate between the various types of agriculture, their advantages and disadvantages and their respective problems

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓relate agricultural benefits to individual farmers
• ✓relate agro-allied industries to their respective raw materials
• ✓relate the various contributions of agriculture to economic development in West Africa

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓differentiate between the features of the ecological zones in West Africa
• ✓classify agricultural products according to each ecological zone
• ✓differentiate abiotic from biotic factors affecting agricultural production

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓apply the first and second laws of Mendel to genetics
• ✓differentiate between the types of cell division
• ✓determine the outcome of genetic crossing involving homozygous and heterozygous traits
• ✓compute simple probability ratios
• ✓give reasons for crop improvement
• ✓distinguish between various methods of crop improvement, and their respective advantages and disadvantages
• ✓give reasons for animal improvement
• ✓differentiate between the various methods of animal improvement, and their respective advantages and disadvantages

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓classify different types of farm inputs and their uses

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓compare various agricultural systems
• ✓identify the problems, their effects and proffer solutions
• ✓trace the history of research institutes from past to present
• ✓assess their role in the development of agriculture
• ✓give reasons for the establishment of ADPs
• ✓evaluate the contributions of national agricultural programmes

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓evaluate the effects of government policies on agricultural development
• ✓identify agricultural laws and their effect on agricultural production
• ✓identify the various agricultural incentives provided by the government
• ✓assess their effects on agricultural development
• ✓compare the various infrastructural facilities provided by government and their uses
• ✓examine the roles of NGOs in the development of agriculture

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the major types of rocks and their formation
• ✓identify major types and properties of soils; factors and processes of soil formation
• ✓differentiate between the horizons in a soil profile
• ✓differentiate between the components of soil
• ✓compute the proportion of soil components
• ✓analyse soil into its component parts
• ✓determine the water-holding capacity of soil
• ✓determine the soil pH

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓compare capillary, gravitational and hygroscopic water
• ✓determine water-holding capacity, wilting points and plant available/unavailable water
• ✓identify the methods of soil water management and conservation
• ✓identify the causes of erosion and leaching
• ✓determine control methods
• ✓classify irrigation and drainage systems
• ✓examine the importance and challenges of irrigation and drainage

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓classify plant nutrients
• ✓identify factors affecting their availability
• ✓examine the roles of soil flora and fauna in maintaining soil fertility
• ✓compare the different methods of maintaining soil fertility
• ✓differentiate between organic and inorganic fertilizer, and their methods of application
• ✓determine common fertilizer ratios
• ✓identify the deficiency symptoms and their causes
• ✓suggest remedies

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓compare the different methods of land preparation and soil tillage in relation to different groups of crops
• ✓state the advantages and the disadvantages of the different methods
• ✓give reasons for the choice of tillage methods

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify crop plant parts and their functions
• ✓distinguish between monocot and dicot crop plants
• ✓identify various storage organs of crop plants

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓examine the process of gamete formation
• ✓identify the different types of pollination
• ✓analyse the process of fertilization
• ✓trace the process of embryo formation and development to the formation of seeds and fruits

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓classify crops propagated by sexual methods
• ✓determine seed viability and seed rate
• ✓differentiate between types of seed germination
• ✓examine the conditions for seed germination
• ✓classify crops into different vegetative propagation methods
• ✓determine appropriate nursery sites, types; their advantages and disadvantages
• ✓apply the techniques of transplanting seedlings

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify and compare cropping systems
• ✓apply different cropping systems to solve problems in agriculture
• ✓differentiate between the various planting patterns
• ✓examine the various types of plant densities and their effects on crop yield
• ✓compute plant density per hectare

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓apply the different methods of crop propagation, husbandry, harvesting, processing and storage for each crop
• ✓identify common diseases and pests and their effects on crop yield
• ✓determine the economic importance of each of the crops
• ✓relate their importance to national economic development

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓classify common grasses and legumes used as pastures and forage
• ✓differentiate between pasture and forage crops by their common and scientific names
• ✓distinguish between the various methods of conserving pastures e.g. hay- and silage-making
• ✓relate different vegetational zones to their dominant pasture species
• ✓determine range types and utilization of range resources in Nigeria

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓distinguish between common ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers
• ✓determine their uses and maintenance

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify weeds with their common and scientific names
• ✓classify weeds according to their mode of dispersal
• ✓identify the characteristic features of weeds
• ✓apply various weed control methods

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓distinguish between common store and field disease-causing organisms
• ✓relate various disease-causing organisms to the damage caused, symptoms and their mode of spread
• ✓apply appropriate control methods
• ✓relate each control method to its side effect

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the various field and store pests
• ✓assess their economic importance
• ✓relate various prevention and control methods to different pests
• ✓describe the life cycles of various insects
• ✓apply the knowledge of the life cycles of insect pests to their prevention and control
• ✓differentiate between common pesticides
• ✓examine their mode of action on pests

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓relate various forest products to their uses
• ✓compare different forest conservation methods
• ✓apply the various methods appropriately

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓classify various breeds of farm animals
• ✓locate where they are found
• ✓identify the uses of different species of farm animals
• ✓identify their characteristic features

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓distinguish between the various terms in animal husbandry

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓distinguish between various functions of tissues and organs of farm animals
• ✓compare different body systems in farm animals
• ✓determine the effects of climate change on farm animals

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓give an account of the process of reproduction in farm animals
• ✓determine the role of hormones in reproduction
• ✓trace the development in farm animals from fertilization to birth and care of the young
• ✓trace the process of egg formation and incubation in poultry

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the various feed nutrients, their sources and functions
• ✓differentiate between the types of animal feeds and their formulation
• ✓relate the various types of rations to different classes of livestock
• ✓trace symptoms to nutrient deficiencies in farm animals
• ✓apply appropriate corrective measures to nutrient deficiencies

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓apply the different management practices for farm animals

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify diseases of farm animals and causative agents
• ✓classify livestock diseases based on symptoms and mode of transmission
• ✓apply appropriate preventive and curative measures against diseases
• ✓classify livestock parasites
• ✓determine their role in disease transmission
• ✓trace life cycles of parasites from egg to adult stage
• ✓apply appropriate prevention and control methods against livestock parasites

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the common types of fishes in West Africa
• ✓differentiate between various systems of fish farming in West Africa
• ✓determine the factors to be considered in intensive fish farming
• ✓assess the advantages and disadvantages of different fish harvesting and processing methods
• ✓determine the appropriate methods of catching fish
• ✓identify the various methods of fish preservation
• ✓identify the various fishery regulations in Nigeria
• ✓identify animals found in West African game reserves
• ✓give reasons for the establishment of game reserves
• ✓identify the common wildlife regulations

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓relate bee-keeping to economic development
• ✓differentiate between various types of bees
• ✓classify methods of bee-keeping
• ✓identify bee-keeping equipment, their uses and necessary precautionary measures

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓understand the meaning of land and state its uses
• ✓identify the various forms of land ownership
• ✓examine the effects of land ownership on agriculture
• ✓differentiate between the various features of land and their effects on land use
• ✓differentiate between the types and sources of labour and their effects on agricultural production
• ✓compare the sources of capital and associated problems
• ✓determine the functions of a farm manager in an agricultural enterprise

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓relate demand to supply in agricultural production
• ✓interpret graphical representation of demand and supply
• ✓relate input to output
• ✓deduce economic concepts from graphic representation
• ✓distinguish between the common features of agricultural production and produce
• ✓compute elasticity of demand and supply

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the various ways of achieving labour efficiency
• ✓differentiate between the various types and sources of labour
• ✓apply national labour laws and regulations

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the qualities, functions and problems of a farm manager
• ✓differentiate between the types of farm records
• ✓give reasons for keeping farm records
• ✓determine gross and net margins, appreciation, depreciation and salvage value
• ✓examine the relevance of agricultural insurance
• ✓determine the appropriate agricultural insurance scheme
• ✓determine the problems associated with agricultural insurance
• ✓identify the relevance of agricultural finance
• ✓determine the problems of agricultural finance

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓evaluate the importance of agricultural marketing
• ✓classify marketing agents and their functions
• ✓determine the various ways in which marketing channels pose problems in agricultural production
• ✓determine the characteristics of agricultural products affecting their marketing

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the importance of agricultural extension
• ✓analyse the roles of government and non-governmental organizations in agricultural extension education
• ✓differentiate between the various extension methods
• ✓examine the problems of agricultural extension in West Africa
• ✓provide possible solutions

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓examine the relevance of farm surveying to agriculture
• ✓classify common surveying equipment, their uses and care
• ✓differentiate between the common survey methods
• ✓apply survey principles to farmstead outlay
• ✓identify the factors to be considered in farmstead planning

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify simple farm tools
• ✓use and maintain farm tools
• ✓compare the advantages and disadvantages of simple farm tools

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify common farm machinery and implements
• ✓classify farm machinery according to their uses
• ✓operate farm machines and implements
• ✓apply appropriate maintenance routines on farm machines and implements

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓compare the advantages and disadvantages of various sources of farm power and their application
• ✓distinguish between the advantages and disadvantages of mechanization
• ✓assess the problems and prospects of mechanized agriculture in West Africa

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the importance of agricultural processing
• ✓differentiate between the various methods of processing agricultural produce
• ✓identify and compare different storage methods
• ✓apply appropriate storage methods to different crops

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓use basic terms in biotechnology
• ✓provide reasons for the importance and application of biotechnology

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓identify the various components of a computer
• ✓use the computer to enhance agricultural practices
• ✓use communication gadgets to improve agricultural production

Objectives — candidates should be able to:

• ✓use basic concepts in agricultural experiments
• ✓draw inferences from experimental results
• ✓compute simple measures of central tendency