Neco Model Questions Vol1 2023 Agricultural Science Question 1

Practice practical question 1 from the 2023 Neco Model Questions Vol1 Agricultural Science examination. This question covers Agricultural Ecology .

Neco Model Questions Vol1 2023 Agricultural Science Practical
Topic: Agricultural Ecology
Question 1 NECO_MODEL_QUESTIONS_VOL1 • 2023 • AGRICULTURAL_SCIENCE • practical

A farmer wishes to evaluate the effect of intercropping maize with cowpea on the incidence of stem borer. He sets up a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three blocks. Each block contains two treatments: T1 – monoculture maize, and T2 – maize‑cowpea intercropping. Each plot is a rectangle 10 m × 5 m. After eight weeks the number of stem‑borer‑infested plants in each plot is recorded as follows: Block 1: T1 = 12 plants, T2 = 7 plants Block 2: T1 = 15 plants, T2 = 9 plants Block 3: T1 = 11 plants, T2 = 6 plants Using this data, answer the questions below.

Question Parts

( a )
Calculate the mean number of infested plants for each treatment (T1 and T2).
( b )
Using the RCBD data, compute the F‑ratio to test whether the treatments differ significantly at the 5 % level. The critical F value at \(\alpha = 0.05\) with \(df_{treatment}=1\) and \(df_{error}=2\) is 4.10.
( c )
Suggest two agronomic practices, based on ecological principles, that could further reduce stem‑borer incidence in maize.
( d )
Identify two possible sources of experimental error in this trial and propose how each could be minimised.

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About This Question

This is Neco Model Questions Vol1 2023 Agricultural Science Question 1. It is one of the practical questions from the 2023 Neco Model Questions Vol1 Agricultural Science examination.

The question covers Agricultural Ecology .

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