SECOND TERM,ACADEMIC SESSION 2024/2025
LESSON PLAN FOR WEEK FOR WEEK 9
Subject: AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Lesson Topic: Husbandry and cultivation of some selected crops
Class: SSS 1
Time: 40 minutes
Date : 3rd March,,2025 To 7th March 2025.
Teaching Aid: A chart
Reference Books: 1. Essential Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary
Schools by O.A Owena(page 133-134)
Comprehensive Certificate Agricultural Science For Senior Secondary
Schools by L.A Are et al (page 212-219)
Teaching Aid: A chart
Reference Books: Essential Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary
Schools by O.A Iwena (pg 133-138)
ComprehensiveCertificate Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary
Schools by L.A et Al (pg224-235)
Behavioural Objectives: By the end of this topic, students should be able to
Define crop husbandry
Discuss the husbandry of maize and rice
Discuss how to cultivate some cereals
Discuss how to cultivate some legumes
Presentation I
Step 1: Teacher revises last topic
Step 2: Teacher introduces and explains new topic
Step 3: Teacher writes note on the board
Step 4: Teacher evaluates students
Step 5: Teacher marks students' notes and give assignment
Previous knowledge: Students have been taught cultural practices
Content
Crop Husbandry
It deals with the various aspects of crops from seeds sowing, on field and
off field operation,nuturing, harvesting, storage and marketing of the crop
MAIZE (Zea Mays)
Maize also called corn, is a member of grass family (Gramineae). It is a
cereal crop which produces grains that can be used as food by human
beings as well as livestock. The seed/fruit of maize is a caryopsis, i.e., it
has its epicarp fused with the mesocarp.
Land Preparation
This is done by clearing the land or bush with cutlass, making ridges or
heaps manually with hoe, or mechanically by ploughing, harrowing, and
ridging.
Varieties/Cultivars
These include dent maize, fling corn, flour corn, pop corn, sweet corn and
pod corn.
Climatic and Soil requirement
Maize requires a temperature of 26oc - 30Oc, rainfall of between 75cm –
150cm per annum and a well drained sandy loamy soil of pH6-7.
Method of propagation
Maize is propagated by seeds. The maize seeds can be panted manually
by stick or cutlass, or mechanically by planter.
Planting date
Early maize is planted between March/April and late maize is July/August.
Maize (early or late) is planted depending on location and rainfall.
Seedrate
The quantity of seeds required to plant one hectare of land is
25kg-30kg/hectare; two to three seeds are also recommended per hole.
Quantity of seeds used usually depends on spacing or plant population
desired.
Spacing
90cm x 30cm at one seed per hole or 75cm x 25cm at two seeds per hole.
Planting
Planting can be done manually, using cutlass or mechanically by planter at
two or three seeds per hole at 2-4cm deep. Germination occurs four to
seven days later.
Cultural practices
Supplying: Replanting of seeds to replace those seeds that did not
germinate
Thinning: Removal of weak plant form a stand to give rise to one or two
vigorous crop plants.
Fertilizer Application: Apply N.P.K 15:15:15 (200kg/Ha) (four bags) at
planting. Also apply 250kg (five bags) or 150kg (three bags) of urea per
hectare, five to six weeks after planting. Farmyard manure, poultry
dropping/organic manure can also be applied as side dressing or by
broadcast method.
Weeding: This is done three to four times at regular intervals. Weeding can
be done manually by hoeing, cutlassing, etc; or chemically with the use of
specified herbicides; or mechanically with medicine
Control of pest and diseases: This is done anytime at regular intervals or
prevents it completely, using appropriate chemicals.
Maturity period
This takes up to two or three months (60-90 days) for wet maize, three to
four months (90-120 days) for dry maize after planting.
Harvesting
Maize can be harvested by hand, sickle or corn picker by combined
harvester. Maize matures 90-120 days after planting. It is harvested either
green or dry. It is mostly harvested green for consumption when the silk
dries and turns brown. Maize is harvested by plucking the cobs on a small
scale and by machine.
Processing and uses
Maize can be eaten either boiled or roasted or processed into corn flour,
corn flakes or used for corn meal, beer, being flour and livestock feed.
Storage
Dried maize cobs can be stored either in cribs, rhumbus or in a fireplace,
on a small scale or in silos, on a large scale.
Pests of maize
Stem borers: the larvae bore holes into young stems and destroy the
tissue, leading to low yield or death of the plant.
Control: spray with insecticides like Vetox 85, and practise crop rotation
Grasshopper: They eat up the leaves and other soft vegetative parts of the
plants.
Control: spray with appropriate chemicals such as DDT.
Maize Weevils: This is field to store pest. Adults and larvae bore hole into
grains and reduce them to powder.
Control:
Fumigate the store with BHC powder or phostoxin tablets
Early harvesting
Disease of maize
Corn smut: It is caused by a fungus (Ustilago maydis) which is spread by
wind.
Symptoms: symptoms include galls on ears, leaves and tassels which later
turn black.
Control:
Destroy diseased plants
Use resistant varieties
Treat seeds before planting
Maize rust: It is caused by a fungus (puccinia Polysora), they cause red
spot on leaves which eventually die.
Control
Uses resistant varieties
Practise crop rotation
Practise early planting
Leaf spot: It is caused by a fungus (physoderma spp) which is spread by
wind.
Symptoms: These include the death of parts of the leaves.
Control
Use resistant varieties
Apply the appropriate fungicide
Maize streak: it is caused by a virus which is transmitted by a piercing and
sucking insect (leaf hopper).
Symptoms: symtoms include yellow streaking of leaves followed by
stunting of deformation.
Control
Spray with insecticide to kill vector
Uproot and burn infected plant
Practise early planting
RICE (Oryza sativa)
Rice is another popular cereal crop grown and consumed by nearly half of
the world’s population. It is also a member of the grass family (gramineae).
The seed/fruit of rice is a caryopsis, i.e., it has its epicarp fused with the
mesocarp.
Land preparation
This is done either manually, using cutlass to clear the bush and remove
stump and hoe to make ridges, or mechanically by ploughing, harrowing
and ridging.
Varieties or cultivars
These include the swamp rice (toma, BG79 and GFBW4) and the upland
rice (Agbede).
Climatic and soil requirement
Rice requires a temperature of over 200C, 75cm – 120cm of rainfall for
upland rice and over 250cm for swamp rice, and light fertile soil.
Method of propagation
Rice is propagated by seed. Rice can be propagated manually or
mechanically.
Seed rate
65kg/ha at two to three seeds per hole
Planting date
Rice is planted in southern Nigeria around April and May, and between
August and September in the north.
Planting
Rice can be planted by broadcasting, sowing or drilling of the seeds at 2-
4cm deep.
Nursery practise
Swamp rice requires nursery which is done in fertile, water-soaked soil,
seed are broadcast and germination begins after four to five days and the
seedling are transplanted at between seven to eight weeks of growth to the
field. Seeds are sown in nursery around May-June and transplanted in
July-August to the field.
Spacing
25cm – 30cm apart, depending on variety.
Cultural Practices
Supplying and thinning
These can be done where applicable.
Fertilizer application
Apply 150kg or three bags of N.P.K fertilizer per hectare at planting by
broadcasting
Weeding
Weeding is done to ensure rapid growth of rice.
Pest and disease
These should be prevented or controlled by spraying with appropriate
chemicals.
Maturity period
Rice matures in four to seven months depending of variety.
Harvesting
Red heads of rice are cut off with knife, sickle or combined harvester.
Processing of rice
Sun drying
This is done immediately after harvesting for three to four days.
Threshing
This is the separation of the grains form the stalk by either beating with
stick, threading with feet or by the use of mechanical threshers.
Winnowing
After threshing, the chaff or unwanted dust and remains of stalks are
removed by winnowing. This is a fanning operation usually done by
throwing the grains in the air to blow away the dust and other residues.
After winnowing, the grains of rice remain enclosed by the husk to form
what is called paddy.
Parboiling
This process is used to reduce the breakage of grains during pounding. It
also brings some vitamins to the outer layer of the grains and it also
reduces the labour required to remove the husks. The paddy rice is heated
putting it into boiling water for about 12-15 hours. The rice swells and the
husks are forced apart. The parboiled rice is now sun-dried.
Hulling
This is the removal of the husks from the grains. The grains are pounded
gently to remove the expanded husks. The husks are then separated from
the rice by winnowing.
Polishing
In some cases, the paddy rice is threshed by machine, and polished.
Polishing involves the use of specially designed machines to remove the
husks and other layers covering the grains. The portion removed is known
as rice bran which is very rich in protein and vitamins. Consumption of
polished rice may cause vitamin deficiency disease called beri-beri due to
the removal of the bran rich in protein.
Storage: Rice can be stored as paddy rice or in processed in silos or jute
bags.
Pest of
Birds: These pests feed on the grains, leading to low yield of rice
Control: (i) employ children to scare the birds, (ii) use scare cows; (iii) early
harvesting
Rodents: Cane rat and grasscutter cut the plants and seedling on the field
leading to great loss.
Control: (i) set or use traps; (ii) fence round the farm
Rice weevils: This is a store pest. Adults and larvae bore into the grains
and reduce them to powder.
Control: (i) fumigate store with phostoxin tablets
Diseases of rice
Rice Smut: it is caused by a fungus, (Tilletia Horrida) which is spread by
wind. The grains turn into a mass of black spores.
Control: (i) Use resistant varieties; (ii) Use recommended fungicides to
spray the crops.
Rice blight: It is caused by a fungus, (Piricularia Oryzae) spread through
the soil. Longitudinal red or yellow spots develop on the leaves, leading to
poor yield.
Control: (i) Avoid the use of heavy nitrogen fertilizer; (ii) use resistant
varieties; (ii) use clean seeds.
Brown leaf spot: It is caused by a fungus. It causes small narrow brown
spots which appear on the leaves.
Control: (i) Plant resistant varieties (ii) uproot and burn infected plants.
SECOND PERIOD
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
PERIOD 1-2
PRESENTATION
TEACHER’S ACTIVITY
STUDENT’S ACTIVITY
STEP 1
INTRODUCTION
The teacher reviews the previous lesson on classification of crops based
on their life span and morphology
Students pay attention
STEP 2
EXPLANATION
She discusses how to cultivate cereals
Students pay attention and participates
STEP 3
DEMONSTRATION
She discusses how to cultivate legumes
Students pay attention and participate
STEP 4
NOTE TAKING
The teacher writes a summarized note on the board
The students copy the note in their books
NOTE
CULTIVATION OF CEREALS
MAIZE (Zeamays)
RICE (Oryzasativa)
Description
Maize also called corn is a member of the grass family (Gramineae). It
produces grains, use as food by human beings and livestock. The
seed/fruit is called caryopsis.
Rice is a member of the grass family (Gramineae). The seed/ fruit is called
caryopsis
Varieties / cultivar
Sweet maize, flint maize, dent maize, flour maize and popcorn
Swamp rice (Toma) and upland rice (Agbede).
Land preparation
Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically.
Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically.
Climatic requirement
Temperature – 260C-300C, Rainfall – 75cm-150cm per annum
Temperature of 200c, Rainfall of 75cm-120cm for upland rice and over
250cm for swamp rice.
Soil requirement
Sandy-loamy soil of PH 6-7
Loamy-clayey soil.
Method of propagation
By seeds
By seeds
Planting date
Early maize – March/April Late maize – July/August
South – April/May, North – August/ September.
Planting
It can be done manually using cutlass or mechanically by planter at 2-3
seeds per hole.
Planting can be done by broadcasting, sowing or drilling.
Seed rate
20-30kg per hectare of land
65kg per hectare at 2-3 seeds per hole.
Spacing
80cm between row and 30cmwithin row
25-30cm apart depending on varieties.
Cultural practices
Supplying, thinning, weeding fertilizer application, control of pests and
diseases.
Supplying, thinning, weeding fertilizer application, control of pests and
diseases.
Maturity period
90-120 days after planting depending on varieties.
4-7 months depending on varieties.
Harvesting
Harvesting can be done manually with hand or using a hand sickle and
mechanically using a combined harvester.
Red heads of rice are harvested with knife, sickle or combined harvester.
Processing
It can be eaten either boiled or roasted or processed into corn flour or corn
flakes.
Sun drying, threshing, winnowing, per boiling, hulling and polishing.
Uses
It is consumed by man and farm animals and as a raw material in brewery
industries
It is consumed by man and farm animals.
Storage
Dried cobs are stored in cribs, rhombus or in a fire place, grains stored in a
silo.
Processed form in silos or jute bags.
CULTIVATION OF SOME LEGUMES
COWPEA (Vignaunguiculata)
GROUNDNUT (Arachishypogea)
Description
Cowpea is a member of the pulses or legumes. It belongs to the family
leguminoseae. It is rich in protein. The fruit of cowpea is called Pod.
Groundnut is a dual purpose crop. It serves as oil crop as well as a pulse or
leguminous crop. However, it is grown mainly for its oil. The seed gives
about 40-45% of excellent edible oil.
Varieties / cultivar
Erect type, creeping type, Ife brown, Ife bimpe
Bunch or erect type, creeping type, Kano local, Kano 50, castle cary.
Land preparation
Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically.
Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically.
Climatic requirement
Temperature of 27o-35oC, Rainfall of 60-125cm per annum.
Temperature of 25o-30oC, Rainfall of 70-100cm per annum.
Soil requirement
Well drained sandy loamy soil
Coarse textured sandy loamy soil which is slightly acidic and rich in calcium
and phosphorus for pod formation.
Method of propagation
By seeds
By seeds
Planting date
April to September depending on the ecological zone.
South – March / April North – May / June
Planting
Planting can be done manually or mechanically at 2-3 seeds per hole.
Planting can be done manually or mechanically at 2-3 seeds per hole.
Seed rate
20 – 25kg per hectare.
30 – 35kg per hectare.
Spacing
Erect type – 30 x 75cm, Creeping type – 25 x 90cm
Erect type – 60 x 15cm Creeping type – 60 x 20cm
Cultural practices
Supplying, thinning, weeding fertilizer application, control of pests and
diseases.
Supplying, thinning, weeding and control of pests and diseases. Groundnut
does not need fertilizer application except on a very poor soil.
Maturity period
9 – 12 weeks after planting depending on varieties.
3 – 4 months after planting.
Harvesting
Hand picking of matured brown pods.
It is ready for harvest when the leaves turn yellow and begin to wilt. It is
done by uprooting the plant manually or mechanically and allowing to dry
for easy removal of pods.
Processing
Sun drying, threshing and winnowing.
Sun drying, removal of seeds from the pods by slightly pounding in mortar
or using a decorticating or shelling machine.
Uses
A source of plant protein for man It serves as a cover crop It serves as
forage legumes It is used for making green manure.
For making oil For making cake to feed man and farm animals For making
groundnut butter.
Storage
Seeds are stored in jute bags silos or air tight container after proper drying.
Seeds should be treated with insecticide and the store fumigated to prevent
weevils attack.
Dried groundnut seeds are stored in silos or rhombus. Unshelled pods are
stored in jute bags.
EVALUATION: 1. Outline how to cultivate some cereals
Outline how to cultivate some legumes
CLASSWORK: As in evaluation
CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively
Evaluation: mention the uses of maize and rice products
Assignment: discuss two diseases of rice and maize
