Neco 2017 Agricultural Science Question 7

Practice essay / theory question 7 from the 2017 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Crop Pests, Integrated Pest Management, Biopesticides, Economic Injury Level .

Neco 2017 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topics: Crop Pests Integrated Pest Management Biopesticides Economic Injury Level
Question 7 NECO • 2017 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A farmer has a 2.5 ha maize field. During the early vegetative stage he observes leaf rolling and white exudates on the undersides of leaves. Laboratory analysis identifies the pest as the African maize stalk borer (Busseola fusca). The farmer wishes to adopt an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.

Question Parts

( a )
Describe the life cycle of Busseola fusca and indicate which stage causes the greatest damage to maize.
( b )
The farmer intends to use a biopesticide containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that is recommended at 1.5 L per hectare. The product is supplied in 250 mL bottles and each bottle costs ₦450. Calculate the number of bottles required for the whole field and the total cost.
( c )
Explain two cultural control methods and two biological control agents that can be incorporated into the IPM programme for Busseola fusca.
( d )
The economic injury level (EIL) for Busseola fusca is estimated at 5 % of plants infested, each infested plant causing a yield loss of 0.8 kg. The market price of maize is ₦30 per kg. Determine the EIL in terms of the number of infested plants per hectare, assuming a planting density of 60,000 plants per hectare. Based on your calculation, advise whether the farmer should apply the biopesticide.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2017 Agricultural Science Question 7. It is one of the essay questions from the 2017 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Crop Pests, Integrated Pest Management, Biopesticides, Economic Injury Level .

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