Gce Model Questions Vol1 2024 Agricultural Science Question 7

Practice essay / theory question 7 from the 2024 Gce Model Questions Vol1 Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Crop Pests, African stem borer, Integrated Pest Management .

Gce Model Questions Vol1 2024 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topics: Crop Pests African stem borer Integrated Pest Management
Question 7 GCE_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1 • 2024 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A farmer in northern Nigeria cultivates maize on a 2‑hectare field. The field contains 10,000 maize stems per hectare. The main pest affecting the crop is the African stem borer (Chilo partellus).

Question Parts

( a )
Describe the life cycle of the African stem borer, highlighting the stage that causes the most damage to maize.
( b )
The farmer wishes to adopt an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. List three cultural, two biological and two chemical control methods that could be incorporated, and briefly explain how each reduces pest damage.
( c )
Each stem borer larva destroys an average of 12 cm of the maize stalk. A yield loss of 1 % occurs for every 5 % of stems damaged. In a monitoring survey the farmer counted 150 larvae per hectare. Estimate the expected percentage yield loss for the whole 2‑hectare field and state whether the economic threshold of a 2 % yield loss has been exceeded.

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About This Question

This is Gce Model Questions Vol1 2024 Agricultural Science Question 7. It is one of the essay questions from the 2024 Gce Model Questions Vol1 Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Crop Pests, African stem borer, Integrated Pest Management .

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