Danho
ZIMSEC O Level · 4001/2 · N2024

Agriculture Paper 2 November 2024

Questions
68
Total marks
180
Syllabus code
4001/2

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Questions
68
Pass mark
41
Sit this paper

Answer every question in the printed order, get marked at the end, then see the answers.

The questions

Question 101

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
Land is important as a national heritage in Zimbabwe chiefly because it
  1. Acan always be sold to a foreign investor at whatever price the market sets
  2. Bproduces exactly the same crop yield in every one of the country's natural regions
  3. Cis valuable only for the timber that can be harvested off it once and then sold
  4. Dwas fought for during the liberation struggle and carries the identity of a people

Question 102

[2 marks]Forestry
A farmer who grows a tree crop, such as gliricidia, mixed together with a field crop in the same rows in the same season is practising
  1. Aagro-silvicultural agro-forestry
  2. Bconservation tillage
  3. Cshifting cultivation
  4. Dagro-silvipastoral agro-forestry

Question 103

[3 marks]Farm Management And Economics
Agro-silvipastoral systems differ from agro-silvicultural systems in that agro-silvipastoral systems
  1. Aare practised only on land that cannot support any crop whatsoever
  2. Bcombine trees, a field crop and grazing livestock on the one piece of land
  3. Cremove the trees entirely before any crop or animal is introduced
  4. Dgrow only a single tree species and no other plant at all

Question 104

[3 marks]Farm Management And Economics
A farming system suited to Natural Region IV, which receives 450 to 650 mm of rain often broken by mid-season dry spells, is
  1. Aflue-cured tobacco grown without any irrigation at all
  2. Bintensive dairying carried on natural veld grazing alone
  3. Cirrigated horticulture as the region's only viable enterprise
  4. Ddrought-tolerant small grains and semi-intensive livestock production

Question 201

[2 marks]Soil Science
In the sedimentation test for soil texture, a soil-and-water sample is shaken in a measuring cylinder and left to stand because
  1. Athe heaviest particles, sand, settle first at the bottom and clay settles last on top
  2. Bthe lightest particles, clay, settle first at the bottom and sand settles last on top
  3. Call particle sizes settle together at exactly the same rate, forming one single layer
  4. Dsettling separates the soil by colour rather than by the size of its particles

Question 202

[2 marks]Soil Fertility And Fertiliser Application
In the hill placement method of applying fertiliser, the fertiliser is
  1. Abanded in a continuous line along the full length of every row
  2. Bbroadcast evenly by hand over the whole surface of the field
  3. Cplaced in a small hole or spot next to where each seed or plant stands
  4. Ddissolved in irrigation water and applied through a sprinkler system

Question 203

[2 marks]Water And Irrigation
A factor that most influences a farmer's choice of irrigation system is
  1. Athe number of years the farmer has held the title deed
  2. Bthe topography of the land and the water source available
  3. Cthe political party in power in the district at the time
  4. Dthe colour of the crop's flowers at the time of harvest

Question 204

[2 marks]Water And Irrigation
A farmer on steeply sloping land with an uneven surface, who cannot afford to level it, is best advised to choose
  1. Abasin irrigation, since basins only hold water on flat ground
  2. Bsprinkler or drip irrigation, since neither depends on a level surface
  3. Cflood irrigation, since it needs a level field to spread the water evenly
  4. Dfurrow irrigation, since furrows also require a gentle, even grade

Question 301

[2 marks]Plant Structure And Growth
Which of these is a plant food storage organ?
  1. Aa sweet potato tuber
  2. Ba maize leaf blade
  3. Ca bean flower petal
  4. Da rose thorn

Question 302

[2 marks]Plant Structure And Growth
In the diagram of the bean flower, the part labelled (i), the small sticky knob at the tip of the style, is the
  1. Afilament
  2. Bovary
  3. Csepal
  4. Dstigma

Question 303

[2 marks]Plant Structure And Growth
In the same diagram, the part labelled (iii), the slender stalk running up from the ovary to the stigma, is the
  1. Astyle
  2. Bpedicel
  3. Cpetal
  4. Danther

Question 304

[2 marks]Plant Structure And Growth
The function of the stigma, labelled (i) in the diagram, is to
  1. Aprotect the whole flower bud before it has opened
  2. Bstore the food reserves that the developing seed will later use
  3. Creceive and hold pollen grains so that a pollen tube can grow down to the ovary
  4. Dproduce the pollen grains that will later be carried to another flower

Question 305

[2 marks]Plant Structure And Growth
Aerobic respiration in a green plant differs from anaerobic respiration in that aerobic respiration
  1. Acan only take place in complete darkness, never in daylight
  2. Buses oxygen and releases far more energy from the same amount of sugar
  3. Cneeds no oxygen at all and produces only carbon dioxide and water
  4. Dhappens only in the roots, never in the leaves or the stem

Question 401

[2 marks]Livestock Production
During meiosis, unlike mitosis, the number of chromosomes in each daughter cell
  1. Astays exactly the same as in the parent cell, just as it does in mitosis
  2. Bis reduced to zero, since meiosis produces cells with no chromosomes at all
  3. Cis doubled, so that each daughter cell carries two full sets of chromosomes
  4. Dis halved, so that each daughter cell carries one member of every chromosome pair

Question 402

[2 marks]Livestock Production
Meiosis differs from mitosis in the number of times nuclear division occurs, because meiosis involves
  1. Aone single round of nuclear division, exactly as mitosis does
  2. Bthree separate rounds of nuclear division spread over several days
  3. Ctwo rounds of nuclear division, one following straight after the other
  4. Dno nuclear division at all, only division of the cytoplasm

Question 403

[3 marks]Livestock Production
Meiosis produces genetic variation among the offspring of farm animals mainly through
  1. Athe complete destruction of all genetic material before a new set is created from nothing
  2. Bcrossing over between homologous chromosomes and the random assortment of chromosomes into the sex cells
  3. Can exact, identical copy of the parent's chromosomes being passed to every offspring produced
  4. Dthe total number of chromosomes being permanently doubled in every generation that follows

Question 404

[3 marks]Livestock Production
An example of how the environment affects the outward expression of an animal's genetic potential is that
  1. Apoor nutrition raises milk yield above what the animal's genes would otherwise allow
  2. Ba dairy cow with a high genetic potential for milk yield still produces poorly if it is underfed
  3. Can animal's genetic make-up changes permanently the moment its diet is improved
  4. Dthe environment has no effect at all on any characteristic controlled by the genes

Question 501

[3 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
Which of these is a drainage structure built on a farm road?
  1. Aa culvert that carries water under the road at a stream crossing
  2. Ba gate erected where the farm road meets the public highway
  3. Ca signpost showing the distance to the nearest town
  4. Da cattle grid that stops animals from crossing onto the road

Question 502

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
A camber built into the surface of a farm road serves mainly to
  1. Ashed rain water off the road surface towards the side drains
  2. Bmark the boundary between two neighbouring farms
  3. Craise the road so high that no vehicle can ever use it
  4. Dguide livestock along the road without needing a fence

Question 503

[3 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
The first step in constructing a farm fence, before any wire is strained, is to
  1. Aattach the top strand of wire and work downward from it
  2. Bspray the whole fence line with a total herbicide
  3. Cconnect the fence to the mains electricity supply
  4. Dpeg out and align the fence line, and set the corner and straining posts firmly

Question 504

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
A wooden rail fence differs from a live fence chiefly in that a wooden rail fence
  1. Ais built from cut timber and does not grow or need pruning
  2. Bis a hedge of growing plants that thickens as it is trimmed
  3. Cneeds watering every day just as a growing hedge does
  4. Dis planted from seed and takes several seasons to establish

Question 601

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
Which of these is a problem commonly faced by agricultural cooperatives?
  1. Aa complete absence of any competition from private traders
  2. Btoo much capital, with no productive use for it on the farms
  3. Can oversupply of trained, willing managers competing for the one post
  4. Dpoor commitment from members and disputes over how the surplus is shared

Question 602

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
The law of diminishing returns states that, as successive equal units of a variable input such as fertiliser are added to a fixed amount of land,
  1. Atotal output falls to zero the moment a second unit of input is added
  2. Bthe extra output gained from each additional unit eventually starts to fall
  3. Coutput stays exactly fixed no matter how much extra input is applied
  4. Dthe extra output gained from each additional unit keeps on rising forever

Question 603

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
An enterprise's gross margin is calculated as
  1. Agross income minus total variable costs
  2. Bgross income minus total fixed costs only
  3. Ctotal variable costs minus total fixed costs
  4. Dgross income plus total variable costs

Question 604

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
A farmer with a plot on which either tobacco (gross income $7 000, variable costs $5 500) or maize (gross income $3 000, variable costs $1 000) could be grown, and who chooses to grow tobacco, gives up a maize profit of $2 000. This $2 000 is the
  1. Aopportunity cost of growing tobacco
  2. Bgross margin earned from growing tobacco
  3. Ctotal variable cost of growing maize
  4. Dgross income that tobacco itself earns

Question 605

[2 marks]Farm Management And Economics
On the same plot, if the farmer instead chooses to grow maize, the opportunity cost of that decision is
  1. A$5 500, the total variable cost that tobacco would have incurred
  2. B$7 000, the full gross income that tobacco would have earned
  3. C$2 000, the profit that maize itself earns on the plot
  4. D$1 500, the profit that tobacco would have earned on the same plot

Question 701

[3 marks]Land Preparation, Tillage And Cropping Systems
Primary tillage is the operation that
  1. Aharvests and threshes the mature crop once it is ready
  2. Blevels and firms the seedbed just before planting takes place
  3. Cremoves weeds from between the rows of an already-growing crop
  4. Dbreaks and opens up the soil for the first time after the previous harvest, such as ploughing

Question 702

[2 marks]Land Preparation, Tillage And Cropping Systems
Secondary tillage, carried out after primary tillage, is the operation that
  1. Aspreads lime over the field to correct a strongly acid soil
  2. Bbreaks clods down further and levels the field into a fine seedbed
  3. Cturns the soil over to a full plough's depth for the very first time
  4. Dremoves standing tree stumps left over from clearing new land

Question 703

[3 marks]Soil And Water Conservation
Conservation tillage differs from conventional tillage chiefly in that conservation tillage
  1. Aleaves crop residues on or near the soil surface and disturbs the soil far less
  2. Bturns the whole field over completely and buries every trace of the old residues
  3. Calways uses a mouldboard plough pulled by a large tractor
  4. Drequires the field to be left completely bare between every crop

Question 704

[3 marks]Horticulture: Nursery Practice and Propagation
Horticulture is important to Zimbabwe mainly because it
  1. Arequires no water, no labour and no capital investment to establish
  2. Bearns foreign currency and supplies fresh fruit and vegetables for the domestic diet
  3. Ccan only ever be grown on land that is otherwise completely useless
  4. Dis grown exclusively for export, with none of the produce ever sold at home

Question 705

[3 marks]Horticulture: Nursery Practice and Propagation
Horticulture also benefits Zimbabwe because, compared with a single staple field crop, it
  1. Acreates a great deal of labour employment and can be grown intensively on a small area of land
  2. Brequires no protection against pests, since horticultural crops attract none
  3. Cneeds no skilled labour at all, since every operation can be fully mechanised
  4. Dgives exactly one harvest a year, in the same season as maize

Question 706

[3 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
To adjust a spring-tine cultivator for a shallower depth of cut, the operator should
  1. Araise the frame, or shorten the linkage, so the tines run higher above the ground
  2. Blower the frame, or lengthen the linkage, so the tines dig deeper into the soil
  3. Cspace the tines further apart across the whole width of the frame
  4. Dremove alternate tines so that fewer of them touch the soil at all

Question 801

[3 marks]Crop Protection
A pesticide used specifically to kill insect pests on a crop is called an
  1. Arodenticide
  2. Binsecticide
  3. Cherbicide
  4. Dfungicide

Question 802

[3 marks]Crop Protection
A chemical applied to a crop specifically to control weeds is grouped as an
  1. Aherbicide
  2. Bacaricide
  3. Cnematicide
  4. Dinsecticide

Question 803

[3 marks]Crop Protection
Which group of pesticides is used against fungal diseases of a crop, such as leaf rust?
  1. Amolluscicides
  2. Bfungicides
  3. Cavicides
  4. Dacaricides

Question 804

[3 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
After spraying with a knapsack sprayer, the operator should maintain it by
  1. Astoring it fully assembled in direct sunlight to dry out the seals faster
  2. Boiling the nozzle tip with the same chemical that has just been sprayed
  3. Cwashing it out with clean water and checking the nozzle and seals for wear
  4. Dleaving the remaining chemical inside the tank until the next spraying day

Question 805

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
A knapsack sprayer should also be checked regularly for
  1. Athe colour of its plastic tank, which has no bearing on how it sprays
  2. Bleaking seals and a blocked or worn nozzle that would spray unevenly
  3. Cthe make of chemical it last carried, which never affects the equipment
  4. Dits resale value on the open market at the end of each season

Question 806

[3 marks]Crop Protection
An agrochemical labelled with a red band on its container is classified as
  1. Asuitable for use without any protective clothing at all
  2. Bcompletely safe, with no precautions needed at any time
  3. Cextremely or highly toxic, requiring the greatest care in its use
  4. Dtoxic only to plants and never harmful to a person

Question 807

[2 marks]Crop Protection
The toxicity band printed on an agrochemical's label tells the user chiefly
  1. Awhich particular crop the chemical must always be used on
  2. Bhow dangerous the chemical is to human and animal health, and so what precautions to take
  3. Cthe price that was paid for the container of chemical
  4. Dthe exact date on which the chemical was manufactured

Question 901

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
On a seed planter, the part that meters out and drops a set number of seeds into the furrow at a time is the
  1. Acoulter
  2. Bfurrow opener
  3. Ccovering device
  4. Dseed plate (or seed metering mechanism)

Question 902

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
The furrow opener on a planter has the function of
  1. Astoring the seed before it is released into the ground
  2. Bcovering the planted seed with a layer of loose soil
  3. Cpressing the soil firmly down over the row after planting
  4. Dcutting a narrow slot in the soil into which the seed is dropped

Question 903

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
The covering device on a planter serves to
  1. Acut through crop residue lying ahead of the furrow opener
  2. Bmeter the exact number of seeds released at each planting station
  3. Cclose loose soil back over the seed once it has been dropped in the furrow
  4. Dcarry and store the bulk of the seed before planting begins

Question 904

[2 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
The press wheel fitted behind a planter's covering device functions to
  1. Alift seed out of the hopper and carry it to the furrow opener
  2. Bspray herbicide onto the row immediately after planting
  3. Cfirm the soil over the seed so that it makes good contact with moisture
  4. Dmark the row so the next pass of the planter runs parallel to it

Question 905

[3 marks]Crop Protection
Bacterial blight in a crop such as beans or cotton typically shows as
  1. Alarge holes chewed clean through the leaf blade by an insect
  2. Ba single uniform yellow colour spread evenly over the whole plant
  3. Cwater-soaked, angular spots on the leaves that later turn brown and dry
  4. Da fine white powder coating the entire upper surface of the leaf

Question 906

[3 marks]Crop Protection
Bacterial blight is best prevented in the field by
  1. Airrigating overhead in the evening so the leaves stay wet overnight
  2. Bsaving seed from the most heavily infected plants in the field
  3. Cplanting certified disease-free seed and rotating with a non-host crop
  4. Dplanting the same susceptible crop on the same land every season

Question 907

[3 marks]Farm Management And Economics
A named legume crop such as the groundnut is valuable to a farmer chiefly because it
  1. Afixes atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules and also supplies an edible, protein-rich seed
  2. Bcan only ever be sold and is never eaten by the household that grows it
  3. Cneeds no rotation at all and is best grown continuously on the same field
  4. Dexhausts the soil of nitrogen and leaves nothing behind for the crop that follows

Question 1001

[3 marks]Poultry Production
A day-old chick must be managed under a brooder chiefly because it
  1. Ais able to fly and must be prevented from escaping the poultry house
  2. Brequires no feed at all for its first two full weeks of life
  3. Ccannot yet control its own body temperature and needs a steady source of warmth
  4. Dis already fully feathered and needs no heat from the moment it hatches

Question 1002

[3 marks]Poultry Production
As a chick grows under the brooder, the brooder temperature should be
  1. Aswitched off completely as soon as the chicks are one day old
  2. Bgradually reduced week by week as the chick grows its own feathers
  3. Craised week by week, since an older chick needs more heat than a young one
  4. Dkept fixed at exactly the same reading from hatching to the point of sale

Question 1003

[2 marks]Poultry Production
Feeding a young small-livestock animal, such as a chick, an appropriate starter ration matters mainly because
  1. Aa starter ration is identical in every nutrient to an adult maintenance ration
  2. Bit prevents the animal from ever needing water for the whole of its life
  3. Cit supplies the higher level of protein a fast-growing young animal needs
  4. Dyoung animals cannot digest any feed at all until they are fully grown

Question 1004

[3 marks]Farm Structures And Machinery
Good management of a young small-livestock animal also requires housing that
  1. Ais kept permanently damp, since young animals need constant moisture
  2. Bis left completely open on every side, with no roof or walls at all
  3. Cis well ventilated, dry and free of draughts, and protects the young animal from predators
  4. Dis shared at all times with fully grown adult animals of a different species

Question 1005

[3 marks]Livestock Production
When selecting a female for breeding stock in ruminant animals, priority is given to an animal with
  1. Aa sound udder, good conformation and a known record of regular fertility
  2. Bthe largest horns, regardless of its body conformation or fertility
  3. Cthe lowest purchase price available at the local sale pen
  4. Dthe darkest coat colour, whatever its structure or fertility record

Question 1006

[3 marks]Genetics And Breeding
Which environmental factor most directly limits how fully a farm animal's genetic potential for growth is expressed?
  1. Athe particular breed society the animal happens to be registered with
  2. Bthe colour of the ear tag used to identify the animal
  3. Cthe level and quality of nutrition the animal actually receives
  4. Dthe exact number of chromosomes carried in the animal's cells

Question 1007

[2 marks]Animal Health
Disease is an environmental factor that affects gene performance because a sick animal
  1. Ahas its actual genes permanently changed by the illness it suffers
  2. Bis completely unaffected in its growth or production by any illness
  3. Cdiverts nutrients to fighting the disease instead of to growth or production
  4. Dalways expresses more of its genetic potential than a healthy animal does

Question 1101

[3 marks]Livestock Production
A newborn non-ruminant such as a piglet must suckle colostrum within the first hours of life chiefly because colostrum
  1. Acontains no nutrients at all and is fed purely out of habit
  2. Bprevents the piglet from ever needing a creep ration later on
  3. Cis the only feed the animal will ever need for its whole life
  4. Dsupplies antibodies that give the newborn its first protection against disease

Question 1102

[3 marks]Livestock Production
Management of a young non-ruminant from birth to weaning also includes
  1. Aremoving the mother from the litter within the first hour after birth
  2. Bfeeding only mature, fully grown pasture grass from the day it is born
  3. Ckeeping the young animal warm and dry, since it is born with little protective fat
  4. Dwithholding all water from the young animal until it is fully weaned

Question 1103

[2 marks]Livestock Production
Creep feeding a young non-ruminant animal before it is weaned helps mainly because it
  1. Asupplies no nutrients, being intended purely to occupy the animal's time
  2. Bintroduces solid feed gradually and reduces the growth check at weaning
  3. Creplaces the need for the young animal to suckle its mother at all
  4. Dis fed only after the animal has already been fully weaned

Question 1104

[3 marks]Livestock Production
Which of the following is a recognised method of identifying farm animals?
  1. Aear tagging, giving each animal its own number
  2. Bfeeding a distinctly coloured ration to each individual animal
  3. Chousing every animal from a herd in a completely separate paddock
  4. Drecording only the total number of animals in the whole herd

Question 1105

[1 marks]Livestock Production
The testes of a bull have the function of
  1. Astoring urine before it is passed out of the body
  2. Bproducing sperm cells and the hormone testosterone
  3. Cproducing the milk that a bull calf will later drink
  4. Ddigesting the roughage that the bull has eaten

Question 1106

[1 marks]Livestock Production
The scrotum of a bull has the function of
  1. Astoring sperm cells until the time of mating
  2. Bproducing the seminal fluid that carries the sperm
  3. Ccarrying urine and semen out through the penis
  4. Dholding the testes outside the body cavity at a temperature suited to sperm production

Question 1107

[1 marks]Livestock Production
The penis of a bull has the function of
  1. Astoring sperm between one mating and the next
  2. Bdepositing semen into the reproductive tract of the female during mating
  3. Cproducing sperm cells that will later be ejaculated
  4. Dholding the testes at a temperature below that of the body

Question 1108

[3 marks]Poultry Production
A problem commonly associated with housing broilers on deep litter is that
  1. Adeep litter needs no turning, topping up or replacing for the whole of a broiler's life
  2. Bdamp, poorly managed litter builds up ammonia and disease organisms in the house
  3. Cdeep litter costs nothing at all to install or to maintain over a flock's life
  4. Dbirds on deep litter never suffer from any respiratory problem whatsoever

Question 1201

[3 marks]Animal Health
Newcastle disease chiefly affects
  1. Apigs only, and no bird of any species
  2. Bsheep and goats only, and never any bird
  3. Ccattle only, and no other kind of farm animal
  4. Dpoultry, including chickens and other domestic birds

Question 1202

[3 marks]Animal Health
A flock of chickens suffering from Newcastle disease typically shows
  1. Agasping, twisted necks (torticollis), greenish droppings and a sharp drop in egg production
  2. Bpale gums together with heavy, blood-stained urine
  3. Cblisters between the hooves and profuse drooling from the mouth
  4. Da hard, painful swelling confined to the udder alone

Question 1203

[3 marks]Animal Health
Newcastle disease in a poultry flock is best prevented by
  1. Adosing the flock regularly against roundworms every three months
  2. Bdipping the flock weekly in an acaricide right through the rainy season
  3. Cvaccinating the flock on schedule and keeping the house biosecure against outside birds
  4. Dfeeding the flock a mineral lick through the whole of the dry season

Question 1204

[3 marks]Poultry Production
In the process of egg formation in a hen, once the yolk has been released from the ovary it is next taken up by
  1. Athe shell gland (uterus), where the hard shell is added
  2. Bthe vagina, through which the finished egg is finally laid
  3. Cthe cloaca, where digestive and reproductive tracts both open
  4. Dthe infundibulum, the funnel-shaped opening of the oviduct

Question 1205

[3 marks]Poultry Production
As the yolk passes down the oviduct, the thick albumen (egg white) is added to it in the
  1. Ashell gland
  2. Bcloaca
  3. Cisthmus
  4. Dmagnum

Question 1206

[3 marks]Farm Management And Economics
A beef animal needs 3% of its body mass as feed each day for maintenance. How much feed must be given to a 600 kg animal over one week?
  1. A180 kg
  2. B18 kg
  3. C42 kg
  4. D126 kg

Question 1207

[2 marks]Animal Nutrition
Feeding hay to ruminants on an adlib (free-choice, always-available) basis is justified mainly because
  1. Aadlib feeding guarantees an animal will never overeat any feed
  2. Bhay fed adlib removes the ruminant's need for any water whatsoever
  3. Cit keeps the rumen continuously supplied with fibre for normal digestion and chewing
  4. Druminants cannot digest hay under any circumstances at all

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