EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL OF SWAZILAND
JUNIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
Agriculture
Paper 2
516/02
October/November 2010
1 hour 30 Minutes
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
1. Write your Name, Centre Number and Candidate Number on the
answer sheets provided.
2. This paper consists of 2 sections. Section I and Section II.
3. Section I consists of 50 multiple choice questions worth 50 marks.
4. Section II consists of 3 essay questions of which you are expected to
answer any two essays worth 25 marks each.
This question paper consists of 12 printed pages.
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SECTION I
-
50 marks
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Answer all questions in this section.
2. Use a soft pencil ( type B or HB is recommended )
3. Four possible answers are given for each question. Choose one best answer by
making a cross (X) mark on the correct letter opposite the question number on the
answer sheet provided.
EXAMPLE:
51. How many legs does a rabbit have?
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Six
The correct answer is C.
51.
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1. Which of the following is true about job opportunities in Swaziland?
A. Factories provide the highest job opportunities.
B. Job opportunities are evenly distributed in all industries.
C. More people are employed in the building industry.
D. The highest number of jobs is provided by agriculture.
2. Which of the following terms describes farming done to feed a family?
A. Cash crop farming
B. Commercial farming
C. Intercropping
D. Subsistence farming
3. Which one of the following is used as planting material in sugar cane?
A. Seeds
B. Setts
C. Stems
D. Stolons
4. Why is filtration an important step in the processing of sugar? To...
A. filter sucrose from molasses.
B. filter water from the juice.
C. remove juice from cane.
D. remove impurities from juice.
5. Growing seedlings in a seed-tray is better than growing them in a seedbed because
they...
A. develop a sweeter taste
B. don’t need spraying
C. experience less transplanting shock
D. need less water when transplanting.
6. How does lack of water affect vegetable growth?
A. Causes wilting and slows growth
B. Increases chances of fertilizer absorption.
C. Increases pest attack
D. Spreads diseases easily
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7. How could weeding be best done on commercial farms?
A. Using herbicides
B. Using manpower
C. Using hoes
D. Resting some fields
8. What insects are killed by pesticides that remain on the surface of the leaves after
spraying?
A. Aphids
B. Biting and sucking insects
C. Biting insects
D. Sucking insects
9. Why is the top soil often dark in colour?
A. Farmers use it for growing crops
B. It contains a lot of water
C. It contains more organic matter
D. The sun causes it to be dark
10. Which one of the following describes soil that has a good mix of sand, silt and clay?
A. Clay soil
B. Loam soil
C. Sand soil
D. Silt soil
11. Which of the following can improve the soil structure of your garden?
A. Fertilizer
B. LAN
C. Legumes
D. Organic matter
12. What does a plant need to germinate?
A. Air, rainfall and right temperature
B. Moisture, fertile soil and fertilizer
C. Right temperature, air and moisture
D. Right temperature, fertile soil and air
13. Why would you recommend sorghum instead of maize to a farmer who lives in the
Lowveld?
A. Farmers in the Lowveld can sell it easily
B. It grows better than maize in dry conditions.
C. It is cheaper to grow than maize in the Lowveld.
D. People in the Lowveld need more nutrients
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14. Which of the following crops is commonly intercropped with maize?
A. Potatoes
B. Pumpkins
C. Sorghum
D. Tobacco
15. How could you control soil erosion in your area?
A. Constructing tarred roads
B. Making storm drains
C. Ploughing up and down a slope
D. Practising early ploughing
16. Which of the following conditions may lead to the formation of water in a tank with
grain?
A. Grain tank exposed to sunlight
B. Grain tank put in a shade
C. Not filling-up the tank with maize
D. Storing maize that has less than 12% moisture
17. How would you tell if beans are ready for harvesting?
A. The pods split open
B. The pods turn brown
C. The stems turn brown
D. Whole plant turns brown
18. Which of the following is true about a grain weevil? Female ...
A. lays eggs that are seen on the outside of the bean
B. lays her eggs in the stored produce
C. makes a hole in the grain and lays an egg.
D. moth lays her eggs on the grain
19. Why should you store only dry crops?
A. Dry crops do not have poisons
B. Dry crops are poisonous to insects
C. Prevent moulds attacking the produce
D. Prevent rats attacking the produce
20. How would you tell if an egg is fertile?
A. If it has dark spot on the egg white
B. If it has a dark spot on the yolk
C. The presence of a cock means fertile eggs
D. When the hen incubates the eggs
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21. How would chicks behave if there is ideal heat in the brooder? Chicks would...
A. be crowded under the brooder
B. be evenly distributed on the floor
C. loose appetite and drink water only
D. stay at corners of the house
22. Which of the following could be an advantage of keeping layers in battery cages?
A. All layers lay eggs in battery cages
B. It is easy to feed the layers in cages
C. Non layers could easily be identified
D. They produce quality eggs
23. The amount of feed given to chickens depends on...
A. how much they produce
B. region where you are keeping them
C. the number of people feeding them
D. the quality of feed provided
24. What is the best weight at which broilers could be sold?
A. 0.2kg
B. 0.8kg
C. 1kg
D. 2kg
25. Which part of a tree stem forms the centre of the trunk and gives strength to the tree?
A. Cambium
B. Heartwood
C. Inner bark
D. Sapwood
26. Why was it bad news for Swazis that Sappi Usuthu Company closed down at
Bhunya?
A. Swazis lost a lot of job opportunities
B. Swazis lost chances of visiting Bhunya
C. There will be no logs to build traditional houses
D. There will be soil erosion where the trees grew
27. If you have an old orchard which produces poor quality fruits and you would like to
improve it using a better variety, which one of the following practices would you use?
A. Budding
B. Grafting
C. Layering
D. Pruning
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28. What could be an advantage of a family that eats a balanced diet?
A. Cannot be affected by HIV/AIDS
B. There is no disease that can attack their bodies
C. They can be less sickly
D. They get job opportunities easily in the industries
29. Which one of the following groups of people need more protein?
A. Adult workers and children
B. Men and women
C. Soccer and netball players
D. Suckling mothers and children
30. Where is food supply stored in a seed?
A. Cotyledons or endosperm
B. Cotyledons or seed coat
C. Embryo or micropyle
D. Micropyle or cotyledons
31. What term describes the movement of pollen from anther to the stigma?
A. Fertilization
B. Ovulation
C. Pollination
D. Stigmatization
32. What is the product of a fertilized ovule?
A. Formation of seed
B. Formation of sepals
C. Insect pollination happens
D. Pollination takes place
33. Which of the following statements is true about photosynthesis?
A. Carbon dioxide is released in photosynthesis
B. Photosynthesis takes place even if the leaf is brownish in colour
C. Photosynthesis takes place only when there is light
D. The longer the day length the more photosynthesis takes place
34. If you feed your rabbits pellets, the ration of a lactating doe should be increased to...
A. 110g/day
B. 120g/day
C. 130g/day
D. 140/day
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35. Which of the following defines out-crossing in rabbits?
A. Crossing rabbits between different cages
B. Mating different breeds of rabbits
C. Mating rabbits that are related to each other
D. Mating unrelated rabbits of the same breed
36. How would you tell if mating has been successful in rabbits?
A. The buck falls to the side and make a squeak sound
B. The doe begins to remove fur from its body
C. The doe fights the buck after successful mating
D. There is no way to tell if mating was successful
37. Why is it wise to mate goats in autumn?
A. Nannies are easy to mate in this season
B. Nannies only come on heat in this season
C. Nannies will kid when there is plenty feed
D. There are no diseases and ticks in this season
38. Why would you advise farmers to de-horn their goats?
A. Horns are very heavy for the goats
B. They look nice without horns
C. They produce more milk without horns
D. To prevent injury among goats
39. Which one of the following would you do first, before you start milking a goat?
A. Place your thumb and finger around top of the teat
B. Rub the udder from the top down until comes out
C. Squeeze the first squirts of milk from each teat
D. Wash your hands, udder and wipe a clean cloth
40. How would you make a difference between a dairy and beef cattle?
A. Both dairy and beef cattle are rectangular shaped
B. Both dairy and beef cattle are wedge shaped
C. Dairy are rectangular shaped while beef are wedge shaped
D. Dairy are wedge shaped while beef are rectangular shaped
41. What is an advantage of a Nguni breed over foreign breeds? They ...
A. are large and carry a lot of good quality meat
B. are more resistant to tick borne and other diseases
C. are ready to slaughter at an early age
D. produce large quantities of milk
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42. Which of the following statements is true about cattle production in Swaziland?
A. High productivity in cattle makes cows very thin and bulls fat
B. High productivity in cattle is caused by keeping a lot of cattle
C. Low productivity in cattle may be caused by high stocking rate
D. Low productivity in cattle may be caused by keeping few cattle
43. How does repeated grazing in the early stages of growth damage grass?
A. Cattle saliva is poisonous it kills the new shoots
B. Food reserves are used up as new shoots develop
C. Roots become weak and fail to support the grass
D. When cattle trample on the grass it stops growth
44. Why would you prefer hay over foggage as feed for your cattle?
A. Cattle prefer hay than foggage
B. Cattle have difficulty in grazing foggage
C. Foggage is more difficult to prepare than hay
D. Hay is more nutritious than foggage
45. Which of the following is true about costs and returns in a budget?
A. Costs are real and returns are estimated
B. Costs and returns are real
C. Costs are estimated and returns are real
D. Costs and returns are estimated
46. Why is market research done before deciding what to produce? To...
A. gather what consumers want and price they can pay
B. inform consumers what product is available and its price
C. let consumers have a taste of the new product
D. promote a new product and negotiate its price
47. Which of the following is an advantage of packaging a product?
A. It makes grading of the product easy
B. It makes it attractive and easier to handle
C. It increases the quality and cost of the product
D. The owner will be assured that it will be bought.
48. How would it benefit you to be a member of a farmers’ cooperative in your home
area? I would be able to...
A. get credit, farm input supply and assistance in marketing
B. get money if I am in the committee
C. let others work on my behalf and wait to get profits
D. start a money laundering business
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49. What would you suspect if layers in a deep litter have developed an egg pecking
problem?
A. The eggs remain uncollected in the nest boxes
B. The layers are protecting their eggs by eating them
C. The layers have developed an egg pecking disease
D. There are too many people entering the poultry house
50. How would the Government ensure that water is available for farming activities
throughout the country?
A. Constructing small and big dams
B. Reducing the number of farming activities
C. Providing equipment for irrigation
D. Teaching farming to use drip irrigation
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SECTION II
ESSAY QUESTIONS = 50 MARKS
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Answer on the lined paper provided.
2. Answer any two questions.
3. You may use drawing to help you answer the questions.
4. Each question is worth 25 marks
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1. You have been requested to advise farmers in your home area on fruit production.
Using the skills you learnt at school describe how you can advise the farmers on the
following:
 Why they should grow fruit trees
(3)
 Choosing a site and climate
(4)
 Steps followed when transplanting fruit trees in a prepared hole
(9)
 Rules followed when harvesting fruits
(6)
Presentation (topic, introduction and flow) (3)
Total marks [25]
2. Your relative needs your help on information in keeping layers in a deep litter system.
Give information using the following points:
 Preventing diseases
(8)
 Preventing and controlling vices
(4)
 Importance of keeping records
(2)
 Effects of day-length
(4)
 Collecting and handling of eggs
(4)
Presentation (topic, introduction and flow) (3)
Total marks [25]
3. You want to start a vegetable enterprise at home using knowledge and skills, you
learnt at school. Write an essay on how to do this using the guide below:

Reason for growing vegetables
(3)

Things to consider when choosing a garden site
(5)

Sources of organic fertiliser
(3)

Preparing a heap compost

Advantage of having compost
(10)
(1)
Presentation (topic, introduction and flow)
(3)
Total marks [25]
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