JS 2 CONTENT

WEEK ONE
LESSON NOTE:
The soil has been recognized as the most important assets of a farmer because it
supports plant and animal growth. When plant and animal die, their decayed
bodies add nutrients to the soil.

The process of soil formation is called weathering. Weathering is the

breakdown of rock into small particles to form soil.

Agents of weathering

1. Physical weathering
2. Biological weathering
3. Chemical weathering
Physical weathering

The change in temperature (sun), make rock to crack and breakdown into
smaller pieces to form soil.

Biological weathering

The activities of man (break rock to build) and animals (break and create holes
on soft rock) further break down rock into smaller pieces to form soil.

Chemical weathering: is the constant rainfall on the rock that softens and
break into smaller pieces which gradually form soil.
Assignment

1. Define rock?
2. Name three types of rock.

Soil

Soil can be defined as the uppermost layer of the earth that supports plant
growth.

Types of soil

a. Sandy soil
b. Clay soil
c. Loamy soil
d. Silt soil
e. Humus soil
Properties of sandy soil

1. It is porous.
2. It drains water quickly.
3. It allows free circulation of air.
4. It has big particles.
5. It has coarse (large) texture.
6. It contains little organic matter.
7. It has low capillary water.

Assignment

1. Explain the following:

a. Soil texture
b. Organic matter
c. Water capillary
 WEEK 2
LESSON NOTE
Properties of clay soil

1. It is not porous.
2. It is rich in nutrient.
3. It holds water.
4. It has smooth texture.
5. It has small particles.
6. It has poor circulation of air.
7. It has high capillary water.
Properties of loamy soil

1. It is rich in nutrient.
2. It is easy to cultivate.
3. It has high organic matter.
4. It has moderate circulation of air.
5. It has moderate capillary water.
6. It has moderate water holding capacity.
7. It is alkaline in nature.
Note

Loamy soil is regarded as the best type of soil for crop production because it has
a good combination of clay and sandy soil.(Silt)

Assignment

1. Define soil nutrient

2. Explain the following
a. Silt soil
b. Humus soil
Soil composition
Soil composition: is the proportion of the different materials that makeup the
soil by percentage volume.

Composition of soil components

1. Mineral matter e.g. rock

2. Organic matter e.g. leaves, stem and bone
3. Soil air e.g. oxygen, nitrogen and Carbon dioxide
4. Soil water e.g. water present
5. Living organisms e.g. earthworm, termite, rodents and crickets

Soil components % by volume

1 Mineral matter (break down of rock) 45%
2 Organic matter (decayed plants and animals) 5%
e.g. leaves, bone and stem
3 Soil air (gases e.g. oxygen, nitrogen and 25%
Carbon dioxide
4 Soil water (water present) 25%
5 Living organisms (earthworms, termites, -
rodents, cricket

Assignment

1. State 2 importance of living organisms in the soil

2. Explain the following
a. Soil air
b. Soil water

WEEK 3
Physical properties of soil

1. Soil structure
2. Soil texture
3. Soil porosity
4. Soil temperature
5. Soil colour
6. Soil consistence
Soil structure ;is the arrangement of soil particles into aggregate of different
sizes and shapes.

Soil texture: is the degree of fitness or coarseness of the soil

Soil porosity: is the ability of soil that allows the flow of water and air in and
out of the soil.

Soil profile: is the vertical cross-section through the soil which shows the
various horizons of which the soil is composed.

A HORIZONE

B HORIZONE

C HORIZONE

Soil profile

Chemical properties of soil

1. Soil acidity
2. Soil alkalinity
Soil PH Scale: is a measure of the degree of the degree of acidity, alkalinity and
neutrality of the soil
Assignment:

1. Explain the following

a. Soil temperature
b. Soil colour
2. Explain the following
a. Crop science
b. Horticulture
c. Apiculture
Soil acidity: is when the concentration of hydrogen ion in the soil is large or
high

Soil alkalinity: is when the concentration of hydroxyl ion (OH-) in the soil is
large or high.

Causes of soil acidity

1. Leaching
2. Acidic rain
3. Application of acidic fertilizer
4. Presence of Sulphur in the soil
5. Nutrient uptake by plants
Correction of soil acidity

a. Application of lime materials e.g. wood ash, bone meal, limestone, quick
lime, slakes lime, gypsum.
b. Application of organic manure e.g. compost and farm yard manure.
c. Allowing the land the fallow (3-5yrs)
Soil profile: is the vertical section of the soil from the top soil to the bedrock.
Each soil layer is called HORIZON

Assignment

1. Explain the following

(a) leaching
(b) land fallow
 WEEK 4

FARM STRUCTURE
In large commercial agricultural, farm structures are built for easy farm
operation e.g. storage, accommodation, production. Farm structure can be
defined s materials that provide shelter for the production of crops and animals
or a building where agricultural products are kept.

Types of farm structures

1. Silo
2. Barn storage structures
3. Crib
4. Rhombus

5. Padlock
6. Fish pond
7. Hutch Production structures
8. Battery case
9. Nursery

10. Dam
11. Canal
12. Animal dip utility structures
13. Fence
14. Electric pole and wire

Assignment

1. Draw the following farm structures

 a. Silo
b. Rhombus
Uses Farm Structure
1. Silo: is used for storing grains e.g. maize, rice, cowpea
2. Barn: is used for storing yam tuber e.g. yam, cocoyam
3. Crib: is used for storing unshelled maize cob.
4. Rhombus: is used for storing grains e.g. maize, sorghum, millet cowpea
5. Paddock: is used for grazing animals
6. Fish pond: is used for rearing fishes
7. Hutch: is used for rearing rabbits
8. Battery cage: is used for rearing poultry layers
9. Dam: is used for supplying water
10. Canal: is used for removing excess water from the farmland
11. Animal dip: is used for controlling animal parasite. E.g. tick, lice, mile,
fleas
12. Fence: is used to protect the movement of animals e.g. thieves, damage
to crops.
13. Waste pit: is used for dumping all farm rubbish
Assignment:

1. Explain the following

a. Abattoir
b. Animal pen
c. Fish pond

WEEK 5

Methods of maintaining farm structure

1. Regular cleaning of the floor with disinfectant

2. Painting of wall, metal and wood
3. Mending of cracked wall
4. Replace leaked roof
5. Re-plastering of damaged floor and fence
6. Replace damaged electric ,wires, poles and sockets
7. Remove debris regularly

Farm buildings

Farm buildings are structure built in the farm to make the farm operation easier.
They are designed to serve specific purposes e.g. office, accommodation and
storage of tools.

Types of farm buildings

1. Temporary farm building

2. Permanent farm building

Assignment

1. Explain the following

a. Disinfectant
b. Incubator

Temporary farm buildings

These are locally built with leaves, wood, bamboos, thatch, earth, and palm
frond, grass e.g.

i. Nursery shed: for raising crop seedling

ii. Storage shed: for keeping farm machines
iii. Workshop shed: for servicing farm machines
iv. Animal pen: for keeping various types of animals
Permanent farm building

These are built with durable materials such as concrete, iron rod, brick block
used to ease farm operation e.g.

1. Farm office: for administrative work

2. Residential quarter: for farm manager, attendants and workers
3. Store: for keeping farm produce, equipment’s and fertilizers
4. Abattoir: a place for slaughtering farm animals
5. Workshop: for repair and servicing of farm machines
6. Livestock House:
a. Pen: for keeping cattle, sheep and goat
b. Cage: for rearing birds
7. Generator house
8. Water storage tank
9. Security post.

Assignment

1. Explain the following regarding the farm:

a. Security post
b. Water storage tank

WEEK 6
Crop Propagation
Crop propagation can be defined as the reproduction and multiplication of new
plants.

Methods of crop propagation

1. Sexual propagation
2. Asexual propagation

Sexual propagation: is the production of new plant through viable (good) seeds
e.g. maize, millet, melon, groundnut, cocoa, oil palm, coconut, rice, tomato,
pepper, okra, pawpaw and soya bean.

Some crops are raised first in the nursery before transplanting into the field e.g.
pepper, onion, tomato, oil palm and citrus (orange) while others are sown
directly on the field e.g. maize, sorghum, cowpea, melon and okra.

Asexual or vegetable propagation: involve the use of vegetative parts (stem,

root, leave, bud, bulb, and sucker) of a plant to reproduce a new plant.

NOTE: some crops can be reproduced sexually and asexually e.g. orange.

Methods of vegetative propagation (Asexual) propagation

a. Natural vegetative propagation
b. Artificial vegetative propagation

Assignment

1. Mention 4 examples of crops that can be propagated asexually.

2. Explain the following and give one example each:
a.sucker
b.stem
c.bulb

WEEK 7

Natural vegetative propagation: is the use of stem or root of plant to produce

new plant e.g.

1. Suckers e.g. banana, plantain, pineapple, aloe-Vera

2. Bulb e.g. onion, shallot
3. Stem e.g. yam, Irish potato, sweet potato
4. Slip e.g. pineapple
5. Rhizome e.g. ginger, spear grass
6. Corm e.g. cocoyam, radish
7. Runners e.g. straw berries, sweet potato

Assignment

1. Draw the following

a. Yam
b. Plantain
Artificial vegetative propagation

This involves the use of cut portion of the parent plant to reproduce new plant
e.g. cutting, budding, grafting, layering, marcotting.

Methods of Artificial Vegetative

1. Cutting
2. Budding
3. Grafting
4. Layering
5. Marcotting
Cutting: part of the parent plant is cut and inserted into the soil to produce a
new plant e.g. cassava, potato, sugarcane, breadfruit, orange, water leaf.

Budding: is the act of combining the scion of a new plant with the stock of
another plant e.g. orange, cocoa, mango, rubber, avocado pear.

Grafting: is the act of joining at the surfaces of two different plants of the same
species tied with raffia to form a plant e.g. mango, orange, rubber.

Marcotting: is whereby the bark of a tree is removed up to cambium layer. The

cambium layer is covered with water proof soils which develops roots and grow
branches. The branches are cut and transplanted e.g. mango, lemon, rose,
Allamanda, Bougainvillea.

ASSIGNMENT
1.Define Arable farming and give four examples of arable
crops.
2.Explain the following:
a.Inter-planting
b.Inter-cropping

Assignment

1. Draw and label the following methods of asexual propagation.

a. Grafting
b. Budding
 WEEK 8
FARMING AND CROPPING SYSTEMS
Farming system is the management of crops and animals in
order to supply human’s needs.

TYPES OF FARMING SYSTEMS

1.Sole farming
2.Mixed farming
3.Pastorol farming
4.Ley farming

SOLE FARMING: is the planting of a particular crop alone in

the farm .e.g maize
MIXED FARMING: is whereby both animals and crops raised
on the same land.
PASTORAL FARMING: is where a farmer keeps only grazing
animals.( e.g cattle, sheep, goat ) in search of grasses and
water.
LEY FARMING: is the production of food crops and
pasture(grasses) in alternation.
CROPPING SYSTEMS: are method used by farmers in cultivating their
crops.

TYPES OF CROPPING SYSTEMS

1.Mono-cropping

2.Mixed cropping

3.Continous cropping

4.Multiple cropping

5.Crop rotation

6.Taungya farming

MONO-CROPPING: is the cultivation of a single crop and harvested

before planting.e.g maize

MIXED CROPPING: is the growing of two or more crops on one piece of

land during the same season.

CONTINOUS CROPPING: is the cultivation of crops on the same piece of

land year after year.

MULTIPLE CROPPING: is the growing of one type of crop or more

crops on the same piece of land more than once in the same year. e.g
bean, groundnut.

TAUNGYA FARMING: is the cultivation of arable crops(wheat, barley)

on the same piece of land in-between rows of young forest trees.

CROP ROTATION: is the planting of different types of crops on a piece

of land in definite sequences. e.g

YEARS PLOT A PLOT B PLOT C PLOT D

1 YAM MAIZE CASSAVA COWPEA
2 MAIZE CASSAVA COWPEA YAM
3 CASSAVA COWPEA YAM MAIZE
4 COWPEA YAM MAIZE CASSAVA
ASSIGNMENT
1.Define Arable farming and give four examples of arable
crops.
2.Explain the following:
a.Inter-planting
b.Inter-cropping

FARMING AND CROPPING SYSTEMS

Farming system is the management of crops and animals in
order to supply human’s needs.

TYPES OF FARMING SYSTEMS

1.Sole farming
2.Mixed farming
3.Pastorol farming
4.Ley farming

SOLE FARMING: is the planting of a particular crop alone in

the farm .e.g maize
MIXED FARMING: is whereby both animals and crops raised
on the same land.
PASTORAL FARMING: is where a farmer keeps only grazing
animals.( e.g cattle, sheep, goat ) in search of grasses and
water.
LEY FARMING: is the production of food crops and pasture in
alternation
CROPPING SYSTEMS: are method used by farmers in cultivating their
crops.

TYPES OF CROPPING SYSTEMS

1.Mono-cropping

2.Mixed cropping

3.Continous cropping

4.Multiple cropping

5.Crop rotation

6.Taungya farming

MONO-CROPPING: is the cultivation of a single crop and harvested

before planting.e.g maize

MIXED CROPPING: is the growing of two or more crops on one piece of

land during the same season.

CONTINOUS CROPPING: is the cultivation of crops on the same piece of

land year after year.

MULTIPLE CROPPING: is the growing of one type of crop or more

crops on the same piece of land more than once in the same year. e.g
bean, groundnut.

TAUNGYA FARMING: is the cultivation of arable crops(wheat, barley)

on the same piece of land in-between rows of young forest trees.

CROP ROTATION: is the planting of different types of crops on a piece

of land in definite sequences. e.g
YEARS PLOT A PLOT B PLOT C PLOT D
1 YAM MAIZE CASSAVA COWPEA
2 MAIZE CASSAVA COWPEA YAM
3 CASSAVA COWPEA YAM MAIZE
4 COWPEA YAM MAIZE CASSAVA

ASSIGNMENT
1.Define Arable farming and give four examples of arable
crops.
2.Explain the following:
a.Inter-planting
b.Inter-cropping
WEEK 9