AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

WEEK 1
YEAR 8
SOIL
• Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be
able to
• Define soil
• Describe the process of soil formation and their properties
• List the types of soil and their properties
• List the methods of maintaining soil fertility
• Soil is the loose or thin layer on the surface of the earth on which plant is
cultivated and animals live. It is the loose combination of inorganic and
organic materials.
• Soil formation is the process by which rocks are broken down into smaller
particles and mixed with decayed organic matter. Soil is formed from
weathering rock particles through the process of weathering.
• Weathering is the process by which rocks are broken down into smaller
fragments (broken pieces).
• There are three types/processes of weathering, physical, chemical and
biological.
• Agents/causes of weathering are: water, ice, wind, plants, heating and
cooling.
• Physical weathering: which is also known as mechanical is the breaking down of
rocks into smaller fragments by the actions of temperature, water, moving ice and
winds on rocks.
• Biological weathering: is the weakening and the breaking down of the rocks by
plants, animals and microbes and also, the breakdown of plants and animals into
smaller fragments when they die.
• Chemical weathering: is the decomposition of rocks involving the chemical
dissolution of minerals in the rocks by the action of water and atmospheric gases
such as carbon (IV) oxide and oxygen, giving rise to new substances.
• The process of chemical weathering are solution, hydrolysis, hydration, oxidation
and carbonation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxmAJMjJ5Nk link to a video on weathering.
Do not copy just read.
• Growing roots of plants can put stress or pressure on rock. Even though the
process is physical, a biological process (i.e. growing roots) exerts the pressure.
Biological processes can also produce chemical weathering, such as when organic
acids are produced by plant roots or microorganisms that help dissolve minerals.
• Microbial activity breaks down rock minerals by altering the chemical composition
of the rock, making it more weather sensitive. One example of microbial activity is
lichen ; lichen is a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. Fungi release
chemical substances that break down rock minerals ; the algae consume the
minerals thus released from rock. Holes and gaps continue to develop on the rock
as this process continues, exposing the rock to physical and chemical weathering.
• Burrowing animals can move fragments of rock to the surface, exposing the rock
to more intense chemical, physical, and biological processes, thereby indirectly
enhancing the weathering process.
Soil Composition
• The typical soil consists of approximately 45% mineral, 5% organic matter,
20-30% water, and 20-30% air.
• Mineral matter – obtained by the disintegration and decomposition of
rocks;
• Organic matter – obtained by the decay of plant residues, animal remains
and microbial tissues;
• Water – obtained from the atmosphere and the reactions in soil (chemical,
physical and microbial);
• Air or gases – from atmosphere, reactions of roots, microbes and chemicals
in the soil
• Living Organisms – both big (worms, insects) and small (microbes)
Types of Soil
• There are four major types of soil namely:
• Sandy soil
• Silty soil
• Clay soil
• Loamy soil
Sandy Soil
• The first type of soil is sand. It consists of small particles of weathered
rock. Sandy soils are one of the poorest types of soil for growing
plants because it has very low nutrients and poor water holding
capacity, which makes it hard for the plant’s roots to absorb water.
This type of soil is very good for the drainage system. Sandy soil is
usually formed by the breakdown or fragmentation of rocks like
granite, limestone and quartz.
Characteristics of Sandy Soil
• It has large-sized particles from 2mm to 0.02mm.
• It is poor in plant nutrient because it does not hold mineral nutrients easily.
• The particles are coarse-grained, loose and gritty to touch.
• It is well drained and aerated.
• It has poor water holding capacity.
• It has no structure therefore it is not suitable for growth.
• It is easily heated up during the day and cools faster at night.
• It is easy to cultivate and is therefore referred to as light soil.
• It has large pore spaces between the particles.
Silty Soil
• It is intermediate between sandy and clay soil in most of its
properties. Silt, which is known to have much smaller particles
compared to sandy soil and is made up of rock and other mineral
particles, which are smaller than sand and larger than clay. It is the
smooth and fine quality of the soil that holds water better than
sand. Silt is easily transported by moving currents and it is mainly
found near the river, lake and other water bodies.
Characteristics
• The particles are smooth and powdery.
• It has high water-holding capacity with most of the water available to
plants.
• It forms a naturally rich soil, especially in the river valleys. This is
because nutrients are retained
• It is grey in colour.
 Clay Soil
Clay is the smallest particle amongst the other two types of soil. The
particles in this soil are tightly packed together with each other with
very little or no airspace. This soil has very good water storage qualities
and makes it hard for moisture and air to penetrate into it. It is very
sticky to the touch when wet, but smooth when dried. Clay is the
densest(tightly packed) and heaviest type of soil which does not drain
well or provide space for plant roots to flourish.
Characteristics
• It consists very small particles with diameter less than 0.002mm
• It has many tiny pore spaces
• It is sticky to touch and swells when wet, shrinks when dry.
• It forms aggregates or lumps
• It has high water holding capacity
• high mineral holding capacity
• it is reddish-brown or brownish-yellow.
• It heats up slowly and loses heat slowly.
Loamy Soil
• It is a combination of sand, silt and clay such that the beneficial
properties from each is included. For instance, it has the ability to
retain moisture and nutrients; hence, it is more suitable for farming.
This soil is also referred to as agricultural soil as it includes an
equilibrium of all three types of soil materials being sandy, clay, and
silt and it also happens to have humus. Apart from these, it also has
higher calcium and pH levels because of its inorganic origins.
Characteristics
• Loamy soil has moderately-sized particles and spaces
• It has moderate water-holding capacity
• It is well aerated.
• It can easily be worked on or cultivated.
• It is dark-brown or black in colour.
• It has a good structure
• It is very rich in organic matter or humus
• Loamy soil is rich in plant nutrients.
Soil Profile
Soil Texture
• Hands-on/Activity:
• Hand Feeling
• Moulding
• Sieving
• Sedimentation
Importance of soil texture
• It helps the farmer to know the type of crops to plant on his farm
• It determines the fertility of the soil.
• It determines the amount of air and water in the soil.
• It helps the farmer to know how to till the soil.
• It determines the level by which water can run through the soil.
Importance of the Soil
• Soil provides required nutrients for growth and development for plants.
• Man plants his crops on the soil.
• Man also builds his shelter on the soil.
• Soil also serves as habitat for some animals and useful micro organisms.
• Food and other biomass production
• Environmental Interaction: Storage, filtering, and transformation
• Biological habitat and gene pool
• Source of raw materials
• Physical and cultural heritage
• Platform for man-made structures: buildings, highways
FARM STRUCTURES AND
BUILDINGS
WEEK 2
Learning objectives:
• At the end of the lesson the students should be able to
• Describe and identify various types of farm structures and buildings.
• List the uses of farm structures
• State the methods of maintaining farm structures and building.
Farm Structures
• Farm structures and buildings are facilities made available on the farm to
assist the smooth running of the farm.
• Types of Farm Structures:
• Farm structures can be grouped into different types based on their uses.
1) Production structures
a) Nursery
b) Cages
c) Paddock
d) Hutch
e) Fish pond.
 • ii) processing Structures
a) Processing sheds
b) Drying pavement
c) Smoking chamber
iii) Storage structures
a) Silos
b) Rhombus
c) Barns
d) Cribs
e) Cold storage structures
• iv) protective structures
• a) fences
• b)Spray devices
• c) animal dips
• v) Maintenance Structures
• a) mechanics workshop
• b) Carpenter’s workshop
• Vi) utility structures
• a) dams
• b) irrigation canals
• c)drainage canals
• d) well and water tanks
• e) pumping house
Others
• Waste pits
• Electric poles and wires
• Compost pits
Production Structures: these are structures
built for the production of crops and animals.
• Nursery: this is a structure used for raising seedlings, that is, young
developing plants that have been grown from seeds before they are
transplanted to the field.
Cages
• These are made of galvanized iron used in raising livestock such as
layers for table-egg production.
Paddock
• This is a fenced area of pasture where livestock are kept and allowed
to graze.
Hutch
• This is a structure made of wood and wire netting for rearing rabbit.
Fish pond
• Fish pond: this is a body of water where fishes are raised.
Processing Structures
• These are structures that facilitate the conversion of harvested farm
produce into usable and marketable forms.
• a) processing shed: these are structures designed to accommodate
processing machines such as grinding machines, sheller, oil palm
press.
• b) drying pavement: this is a concrete floor used for drying harvested
farm produce such as cocoa, maize cobs, yam chips, cassava chips, etc
• c) smoking chamber: this is a structure built for smoking meat, fish
etc.
Storage Structures – Week 3
• These are structures constructed for the storage and preservation of
farm produce.
• Silos: these are big cylindrical containers in which grains are stored
after drying to a minimum moisture content. E.g of such grains are
maize, rice, millet, sorghum etc.
Rhombus
• These are structure built with clay and thatched roofs. They are used
for storing smaller quantities of grains.
Barns
• Theses are structures built with local materials for storing yam and
cocoyam.
Cribs
• These are structures built for storing maize cobs, i.e unshelled dry
maize. The structure is raised from the ground so as to avoid contact
with moisture as well as allowing air circulation.
Cold Storage Structures
• These are used to store vegetables, fruits, meat and fishes. E.gs are
refrigerator, deep freezer, earthenware pots. etc
Protective Structures
• These are constructions made to protect crops and livestock from
possible attack by pests and diseases.
Fences
• Fences: these are constructed on farms where animals are kept. They
serve the following purposes:
• Prevention of damage to crops by farm animals
• Improves grazing management as in ranches
• It facilitates rotational grazing
• It helps to control livestock breeding.
Spray devices
• They are used to spray chemicals such as acaricides on the body of
lives tocks to kill ectoparasites attached to them.
Animal dips
• These are shallow pits constructed in the ground, containing a
mixture of water and chemicals in which animals are dipped to swim
through to get rid of ectoparasites on their bodies. E.g ticks, lice,
mites, fleas etc
Maintenance Structures
• Mechanic workshop: this is a structure designed for maintenance,
repair and servicing of farm machines and implements.
• Carpenters workshop: this is where repairs of simple farm tools and
damaged wooden parts of farm building take place.
Utility Structures
• These are the structures used to serve various purposes on the farm.
• Dams: these are constructed to control the flow of water from streams,
rivers etc
• Irrigation Canals: these are constructed in such a way as to supply water
artificially to crop plants.
• Drainage canals: these are structures meant to facilitate the removal of
excess water from the farmland.
• Well and water tanks: they are used to store water for use on the farm.
• Pumping house: this where pumping machine is kept and operated to
supply water for use on the farm.
Other Structures.
• Waste pits: these are pits where all the wastes and unwanted
products of the farm are dumped
• Electric poles: these are used to convey electricity from one part of
the farm to the other.
• Compost pits: these are pits where compost materials such as
vegetable matter, animal dung etc are deposited and allow to
decompose properly so as to improve soil conditions.
Farm Buildings
• Farm buildings are farm houses designed in a more elaborate way to
make operations easier on the farm.
1) Living houses or Quarters: these are built purposely to provide
accommodation for the farmer and his workers.
2) Farm Office: these are buildings where all administrative work is
carried out.
3) Storage House: these are buildings designed for storage of tools
and input terms like feeds and agrochemicals.
4) Production Houses: these are building meant for production
purposes.
Examples
• Examples of production houses are:
a) Poultry houses: these are where poultry birds are housed for meat
or egg production
i) Brooder house: this is where young chicks are raised after hatching
for intensive management care until they are six weeks of age.
ii) Deep litter house: this used to raise growers, cockerels, broilers
and layers.
b) Hatchery: this is where equipment for hatching are kept.
c) pen: it is used for keeping cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
V) Processing Houses
• These are buildings used for processing farm produce. Example
a) Milking parlour: this is where milking machines are installed for the
extraction of milk from cows.
b) Abattoir: this is a building where mature farm animals are
slaughtered and processed
c) Feed mill: this is a building that houses the various machines used
for processing livestock feed such as grinders, mixers etc
 VI. Utility Buildings
• These comprises of houses built for various purposes. Examples
i) Sick bay: this is a place where sick or diseased animals are taken to
for treatment.
ii) Security post: this is the building meant to accommodate the
security guards that are employed to watch over and ensure safety
of the farmer’s properties such as crops.
iii) Generator house: this is where the generator that produces
electricity is kept.
Maintenance of farm buildings and
structures
• Farm buildings and structures have to be maintained to preserve their
usefulness.
a) Concrete buildings: these are buildings made of concrete, bricks, stone
or a mixture of these.
Maintenance:
i) Concrete buildings should be plastered to avoid being eroded by rain
water. This will make them last longer.
ii) The walls should be painted so they look better and to preserve them.
iii) All leaking roofs and cracked walls should be mended to prevent invasion
of pest and predators.
iv) The buildings should be cleaned regularly and disinfected with
disinfectants such as izal etc.
 Timber Structures
• Wood from timber is used to construct many farm structures such as
sheds, barns, cribs, cages and hutches. It is also used to make doors,
windows and roofs of farm buildings.
• Maintenance:
i) Wood must be dried properly before used in other to prevent the rotting
of the wood and make it less prone to damage by insect.
ii) Wood should be painted or sprayed with preservative materials such as
solignum, paints, vanish, etc to prevent it from termites and other
insects.
iii) Wood to be used for roofs, doors and windows should be treated with
fire retardants to reduce incidence of fire disaster.
 Steel Structures
• Parts of farms buildings and structures are made of steel and they
need to be kept in good conditions.
• Maintenance:
i) steel and iron structures should be kept away from continuous
contact with water to avoid rusting.
ii) Inorganic fertilizers and other corrosive pro-chemicals should be
made to come in contact with steel structures to avoid rusting.
iii) Steel fittings such as locks and hinges should be greased to
overcome friction and wear.
iv) Worn-out hinges, locks, bolts and nuts should be replaced.
 Fence
• A fence can be made of concrete, bricks, wood, and steel materials.
• Maintenance:
i) Fence should be inspected regularly to check for cracks and holes.
ii) Any decayed post should be replaced.
iii) Fence should be plastered to avoid being weakened and washed
away by water.
Drainage Trench
• This is a structure constructed to allow for easy passage of water and
facilitate both human and vehicular movements on the farm.
• Maintenance:
i) Debris should be removed constantly to avoid blockage.
ii) The drainage canal should be washed periodically with water and
disinfectants. This will prevent accumulation of sand and growth of
aquatic plants such as algae.
Classwork
1) Define the term soil
2) Mention the types of weathering
3) Identify the following diagrams
4) Identify the following farm structures.