Neco 2019 Agricultural Science Question 7

Practice essay / theory question 7 from the 2019 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Crop Pests .

Neco 2019 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topic: Crop Pests
Question 7 NECO • 2019 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A farmer in northern Nigeria cultivates maize on a 5‑hectare field. The major pest observed is the stem borer (Busseola fusca). The farmer wishes to adopt an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that combines cultural, chemical and biological tactics.

Question Parts

( a )
Identify the life‑cycle stage(s) of Busseola fusca that cause the greatest damage to maize and explain why they are the most harmful.
( b )
The farmer intends to use a threshold‑based chemical control. The economic injury level (EIL) for stem borer is 5 % of plants infested. Each infested plant reduces yield by 0.2 kg per hectare. The market price of maize is ₦150 per kilogram and the cost of applying the recommended insecticide is ₦12 000 per hectare. Calculate the economic threshold (ET) – the percentage of plants infested at which the farmer should spray.
( c )
Propose two cultural control methods that can be incorporated into the farmer’s IPM programme and explain how each method reduces stem‑borer incidence.
( d )
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using Bt‑maize varieties as a biological control option for stem borer in this setting.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2019 Agricultural Science Question 7. It is one of the essay questions from the 2019 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Crop Pests .

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