Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 7

Practice essay / theory question 7 from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Crop Pests .

Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Essay / Theory
Topic: Crop Pests
Question 7 NECO • 2020 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • essay

A farmer in northern Nigeria cultivates 5 ha of maize. During the early vegetative stage, about 30% of the plants show small, white, cottony masses on the underside of the leaves. Laboratory observation indicates that the cottony material is the exuviae of a sap‑sucking insect. Each affected plant loses on average 0.8 kg of grain at harvest. The market price of maize is ₦150 per kilogram. The cost of applying an insecticide spray (including labour) is ₦12,000 per hectare. A healthy maize plant yields 0.5 kg of grain.

Question Parts

( a )
Identify the most likely pest responsible for the observed damage and justify your answer.
( b )
Outline the life‑cycle of the identified pest, highlighting the stage that causes the leaf damage.
( c )
Using the data provided, calculate the Economic Injury Level (EIL) in terms of the number of affected plants per hectare at which the cost of control equals the loss avoided.
( d )
Recommend an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy for this pest. Mention at least three control measures and explain briefly how they complement each other.

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About This Question

This is Neco 2020 Agricultural Science Question 7. It is one of the essay questions from the 2020 Neco Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Crop Pests .

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