Neco 2018 Agricultural Science Question 2

Practice essay / theory question 2 from the 2018 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Soil Science, Soil water retention, Field capacity, Wilting point, Irrigation management .

Neco 2018 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topics: Soil Science Soil water retention Field capacity Wilting point Irrigation management
Question 2 NECO • 2018 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A soil scientist is investigating the water‑retention characteristics of three soil types: sandy loam (Soil A), clay loam (Soil B) and peat (Soil C). The experimental arrangement is shown in the illustration. Each soil column is 30 cm high with a cross‑sectional area of 100 cm². After saturation, the columns are allowed to drain freely for 2 hours and the volume of water collected in the drainage beaker is recorded as follows: Soil A – 1800 cm³, Soil B – 1200 cm³, Soil C – 600 cm³.

Question Parts

( a )
Calculate the field capacity (percentage of water retained) for each soil type.
( b )
Identify which soil has the highest water‑holding capacity and explain the reason based on its texture.
( c )
If the wilting point is 50 % of the field capacity, determine the volume of water remaining in each column at the wilting point.
( d )
Discuss two practical implications of these results for irrigation scheduling on a farm that grows a mixed crop of maize and vegetables.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2018 Agricultural Science Question 2. It is one of the essay questions from the 2018 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Soil Science, Soil water retention, Field capacity, Wilting point, Irrigation management .

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