NECO Agric Science Practical Specimen 2024/2025

Here is an updated post on NECO Agric Practical Specimen 2024/2025 scheduled to hold on July, 2024. The post is geared towards giving you first hand information concerning the NECO SSCE Agriculture practical examination. Sit back and enjoy materials which would help you answer your 2024 NECO agric questions correctly.

Are you an agric student and you are taking part in the forthcoming NECO agricultural science practical examination? If so, this post is for you. This is to inform all 2024 NECO Agricultural Science students that the National Examination Council has finally released the real Agric practical Specimen for the 2024 NECO.

In this post, I will show you all the tools you are expected to use during the practical examination, including the diagram for each of the tools.

In case you do not know, WAEC/NECO practical specimens are made available on this website to help students prepare ahead of time.

All NECO SSCE Agricultural science real practical questions and answers for 2024/2025 will be posted here for free during your examination or midnight. Keep refreshing this page for more updates…

SEE ALSO:

• NECO Syllabus for Agric Science PDF
• NECO Timetable for SS3 PDF Download
• NECO Biology Practical Specimen
• NECO Syllabus for Animal Husbandry PDF Download
• NECO Chemistry Practical Specimen PDF

NECO Practical Specimen for Agriculture 2024 (Detailed)

The NECO Agricultural Science Specimen below shows you the labelled images of the required tools and their uses (functions):

1. Great care should be taken to ensure the information given overleaf does not reach the candidates either directly or indirectly before the examination.

2 (a) The provision of specimen, materials and equipment for the examination is your responsibility

(b) Each candidate should be provided with the following specimen labelled accordingly

Specimen A – WATERING CAN

Uses:

• A portable container, usually with a handle and a funnel, used to water plants by hand.
• Irrigation: Watering cans are commonly used for manual irrigation in small-scale agriculture. They allow farmers or gardeners to water plants in a targeted manner, providing water directly to the roots.
• Seedling and transplant care: Watering cans are often used to water seedlings and newly transplanted crops.
• Foliar feeding: Some plant nutrients are best absorbed through the leaves. Watering cans with a fine rose attachment can be used to spray nutrient solutions onto the foliage, facilitating foliar feeding.
• Disease control: Watering cans can be utilized to apply fungicides or other disease control measures to plants.
• Indoor gardening: Watering cans are ideal for indoor gardening or container gardening, where water access may be limited.
• Supplemental watering: In regions with inadequate rainfall or during dry spells, watering cans are handy for supplemental watering.
• Precision watering: Watering cans offer control and precision when it comes to watering specific areas, such as potted plants or specific sections of a garden.

SPECIMEN B – PLIER

Uses:

• A hand tool used to grip, splice or cut wires, and strip insulation.
• Gripping and Holding: Pliers excel at gripping and holding objects securely. Their jaws or “noses” provide a strong grip, allowing you to firmly hold and manipulate materials such as wires, pipes, or small objects.
• Wire Cutting and Stripping: Pliers often have cutting edges near the base of the jaws, enabling you to cut wires of different gauges.
• Bending and Shaping: Pliers with flat or rounded jaws are useful for bending and shaping materials like metal wires or thin sheets.
• Crimping and Pressing: Pliers designed for crimping have specialized jaws that allow you to compress and secure connectors onto the ends of wires.

SPECIMEN C – KNAPSACK SPRAYER

• Use:  used to apply liquids such as fertilisers, herbicides and fungicides for example and is suited to spot treating areas.

SPECIMEN D – LITMUS PAPER

Uses:

• Litmus paper is a tool used to test whether a substance is an acid or base.
• Soil pH testing: Litmus paper can be used as a quick and inexpensive method to determine the pH of soil. By obtaining a small soil sample and moistening it with distilled water, the litmus paper can be inserted into the mixture. The resulting color change can indicate whether the soil is acidic (pH below 7), neutral (pH 7), or alkaline (pH above 7). This information can help farmers and gardeners select suitable crops or determine the need for soil amendments, such as lime or sulfur, to adjust the pH level.
• Water quality assessment: Litmus paper can also be used to assess the pH of water sources used for irrigation in agriculture.

SPECIMEN E – CROWDING

Definition: Crowding in agriculture refers to the practice of growing crops in dense populations or using high plant densities.

Uses:

• Maximizing Yield: Crowding is often employed to maximize crop yield per unit area.
• Weed Suppression: Dense planting can help suppress weed growth by limiting the available space and resources for weeds to establish. The closely spaced crop plants shade the ground, reducing sunlight penetration and competition for nutrients and water, thus inhibiting weed growth. This can reduce the need for herbicides and manual weed control methods.
• Disease and Pest Control: Crowding can provide a physical barrier between crop plants, making it more difficult for diseases and pests to spread.
• Resource Efficiency: In some cases, crowding can help optimize resource utilization. For example, in hydroponic or vertical farming systems, crops are often grown in closely stacked layers, allowing for efficient use of water, nutrients, and artificial lighting.
• Intercropping and Companion Planting: Crowding can be utilized in intercropping and companion planting systems. By growing different crops in close proximity, farmers can take advantage of complementary relationships, such as pest control or nutrient sharing.

SPECIMEN F – LIMESTONE

Uses:

• Limestone is commonly used in agriculture for soil conditioning and pH adjustment.
• Soil pH adjustment: Limestone is primarily used to raise the pH level of acidic soils.
• Soil conditioning: Limestone is also used as a soil conditioner to improve soil structure and fertility.
• alcium and magnesium supplementation: Limestone is a natural source of calcium and magnesium, two essential nutrients for plant growth.

SPECIMEN G – CLAYEY SOIL  (POWDERY FORM)

Clayey soil, characterized by its high clay content, is widely used in various applications due to its unique properties.

Uses:

• Agriculture: Clayey soil has good water and nutrient retention properties.
• Construction: Clayey soil is commonly used in construction projects.
• Pottery and Ceramics: Clayey soil is the primary raw material for pottery and ceramics. Its plasticity allows it to be easily molded into various shapes, which can then be fired to create durable ceramic products like pots, vases, tiles, and decorative items.
• Landscaping and Gardening: Clayey soil is often used in landscaping and gardening projects. Its ability to retain moisture is advantageous in arid climates or areas with inconsistent rainfall.
• Land Reclamation: In coastal areas or regions affected by erosion, clayey soil is used for land reclamation projects.

SPECIMEN H – YAM TUBER

Uses:

• Culinary Use: Yam is a staple food in many countries, particularly in West Africa, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia.
• Flour Production: Yam tubers can be processed into flour, which is used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.
• Yam Chips and Snacks: Yam tubers can be sliced and dehydrated to make yam chips, which are a popular snack in many countries.
• Traditional Medicine: In some cultures, yam tubers have been used for their medicinal properties.

SPECIMEN I – CASSAVA TUBER

Uses:

• Food: Cassava is a staple food for millions of people in tropical regions, particularly in Africa, Asia, and South America.
• Animal Feed: Cassava tubers are also used as animal feed, especially for livestock such as pigs, cattle, and poultry.
• Industrial Uses: Cassava has several industrial applications. The starch extracted from cassava can be used in the production of food products like noodles, pastries, and snacks. It is also used in the textile industry for sizing and finishing fabrics.
• Alcohol Production: Cassava is a valuable raw material for the production of alcoholic beverages.
• Biofuel: Cassava can be used as a feedstock for the production of bioethanol, a renewable fuel.

SPECIMEN J – ORANGE FRUIT

SPECIMEN K – GROUNDNUT CAKE

SPECIMEN L – HIDES AND SKIN

SPECIMEN M – DIGESTIVE TRACT OF A BIRD

ii Where a specimen is not really available in sufficient quantity, it should be shared between small groups of candidates.

3. REPORT FORM

Report form is provided separately on which the following information must be stated.

(a) Details of the specimen and materials provided

(b) Any particular difficulty experienced by any candidates especially, if the examiner would not be able to discover this from the scripts

4. A completed report form must be enclosed in each envelope containing scripts.

Last Words

As you go through the NECO Agricultural Science Practical Specimen as listed above, do well to search for other NECO or WAEC practical specimens on our website.

Also share your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.