Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 4

Practice essay / theory question 4 from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Farm Machinery, Power and Energy, Farm Management .

Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topics: Farm Machinery Power and Energy Farm Management
Question 4 NECO • 2020 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A smallholder farmer is evaluating the purchase of a two‑stroke gasoline‑engine tractor for his 2‑ha vegetable farm. The tractor specifications are: rated power 12 kW at 2500 rpm, fuel consumption 3.5 L h⁻¹ at full load. The farmer intends to use the tractor for three operations with the following data: - Ploughing: drawbar pull 1.8 kN, ground speed 3 km h⁻¹. - Hauling a loaded trailer: drawbar pull 1.2 kN, ground speed 4 km h⁻¹. - Irrigation pump: hydraulic power requirement 4.5 kW, supplied via PTO at 540 rpm with 90 % mechanical efficiency. The cropping season lasts 20 weeks, with the tractor operating 6 hours per day, 5 days a week.

Question Parts

( a )
Calculate the tractive power (in kW) required for ploughing and for hauling. State which operation demands the greater power.
( b )
Determine the total fuel consumption for the entire season if the tractor operates at full load for 30 % of the total working hours and at 60 % load for the remaining time. Assume fuel consumption varies linearly with load.
( c )
A diesel‑engine alternative costs ₦250,000 more but consumes 15 % less fuel at the same load. Using a diesel price of ₦180 per litre, calculate the net fuel‑cost saving over the season and indicate after how many seasons the extra purchase cost would be recovered.
( d )
Explain two advantages of using a PTO‑driven irrigation pump on the tractor compared with a separate diesel pump.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 4. It is one of the essay questions from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Farm Machinery, Power and Energy, Farm Management .

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