AGRICULTURE:GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination syllabus in Agriculture is to prepare the
candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives,
which are to:
- stimulate and sustain their interest in Agriculture;
- acquire basic knowledge and practical skills in Agriculture;
- acquire the knowledge of interpretation and the use of data;
- stimulate their ability to make deductions using the acquired knowledge in Agriculture.
The syllabus is divided into five sections as given from A to E below:
- General Agriculture
- Agronomy
- Animal Production
- Agricultural Economics and Extension
- Agricultural Technology
DETAILED SYLLABUS SECTION A: General Agriculture
AGRICULTURE
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination syllabus in Agriculture is to prepare the
candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives,
which are to:
• stimulate and sustain their interest in Agriculture;
• acquire basic knowledge and practical skills in Agriculture;
• acquire the knowledge of interpretation and the use of data;
• stimulate their ability to make deductions using the acquired knowledge in Agriculture.
The syllabus is divided into five sections as given from A to E below:
A. General Agriculture
B. Agronomy
C. Animal Production
D. Agricultural Economics and Extension
E. Agricultural Technology
DETAILED SYLLABUS
SECTION A: General Agriculture
TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES/PROGRAMMES
Meaning and Scope of Agriculture
- Definition of Agriculture
- Branches of Agriculture
- Types of Agriculture i.e. subsistence and commercial
Candidates should be able to:
- Use the definition of Agriculture in modern terms as it relates to production, processing and marketing.
- Differentiate between the various branches of Agriculture.
- Differentiate between the various types of Agriculture, their advantages and disadvantages and their respective problems.
Importance of Agriculture
- Provision of raw materials for agro-allied industries
- Provision of employment
- Development of rural areas, etc.
Candidates should be able to:
- Relate agricultural benefits to individual farmers.
- Relate agro-allied industries to their respective raw materials.
- Relate the various contributions of Agriculture to economic development in West Africa.
Agricultural Ecology
- Ecological zones of West Africa
- Agricultural products of each ecological zone
- Environmental factors and their effects on crop and livestock production
Candidates should be able to:
- Differentiate between the features of the ecological zones in West Africa.
- Classify agricultural products according to each ecological zone.
- Differentiate abiotic from biotic factors affecting agricultural production.
Agricultural Genetics
- First and second laws of Mendel
- Cell division
- Terminologies e.g. locus, alleles, genotype, dominance
- Methods of crop improvement e.g. introduction, selection, crossing, quarantine etc.
- Methods of animal improvement e.g. introduction, breeding, quarantine and selection: Breeding systems – inbreeding, line breeding, crossbreeding, artificial insemination
Candidates should be able to:
- Apply the first and second laws of Mendel to genetics.
- Differentiate between the types of cell division.
- determine the outcome of genetic crossing involving homozygous and heterozygous traits.
- compute simple probability ratios.
- give reasons for crop improvement.
- distinguish between various methods of crop improvement, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
- give reasons for animal improvement.
- differentiate between the various methods of animal improvement, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Farm Inputs
e.g. planting materials, agrochemicals, etc.
Candidates should be able to:
- Classify different types of farm inputs and their uses.
History of Agricultural Development in West Africa
- Agricultural systems e.g. shifting cultivation, bush fallowing, etc.
- Problems of Agricultural development e.g. land tenure systems, inadequate infrastructures, inadequate finance for agriculture, environmental degradation, etc.
- Establishment of national research institutes e.g. NCRI, IAR, IAR&T, CRIN, NIFOR, FRIN, RRI, NRCRI, NIHORT, LCRI, etc. and international research institutes e.g. IITA, ILRI, ICRISAT, WARDA, etc., leading to increased application of science to the development of agriculture.
- Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) e.g. RTEP, FADAMA etc.
- National Agricultural Programmes such as OFN, NAFPP, NALDA, Green Revolution, NCRPs, NARP, Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) etc.
Candidates should be able to:
- Compare various agricultural systems.
- Identify the problems, their effects and proffer solutions
- Trace the history of research institutes from past to present
- assess their role in the development of agriculture.
- Give reasons for the establishment of ADPs.
- Evaluate the contributions of national agricultural programmes.
Roles of Government and NGOs in Agricultural Development
- Development of fiscal policies favourable to agricultural production e.g. import duties, ban on importation, e.t.c.
- Agricultural laws and reforms e.g. Land Use Act.
- Government programmes aimed at agricultural development e.g. subsidies, credit facilities, e.t.c.
- Provision of infrastructures e.g. transport systems, communication systems, e.t.c.
- Contribution of NGOs to agricultural development
Candidates should be able to:
- Evaluate the effects of government policies on agricultural development.
- Identify agricultural laws and their effect on agricultural production.
- identify the various agricultural incentives provided by the government.
- assess their effects on agricultural development.
- Compare the various infrastructural facilities provided by government and their uses.
- Examine the roles of NGOs in the development of agriculture