Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 3

Practice essay / theory question 3 from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Farm Tools, Soil Physics, Agricultural Engineering .

Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topics: Farm Tools Soil Physics Agricultural Engineering
Question 3 NECO • 2020 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

The illustration shows a practical setup for evaluating the efficiency of a manual hoe in breaking a compacted soil block. The soil block is rectangular, measuring 0.5 m in length, 0.3 m in width and 0.2 m in depth, and is supported by a wooden frame. The initial mass of the soil block (before tillage) is 120 kg. After tillage with the manual hoe, the bulk density of the soil reduces to 0.9 g cm⁻³ while the volume remains unchanged. The total time taken to till the whole block with the hoe is recorded as 45 minutes.

Question Parts

( a )
Calculate the mass of the soil after tillage using the given bulk density.
( b )
Determine the percentage reduction in soil mass as a result of the tillage operation.
( c )
If a motorised tiller works at 1.5 times the speed of the manual hoe, estimate the time required for the motorised tiller to till the same soil block to the same bulk‑density condition.
( d )
Discuss two agronomic benefits of reducing soil bulk density through tillage.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 3. It is one of the essay questions from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Farm Tools, Soil Physics, Agricultural Engineering .

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