FORMS OF AGRICULTURE LESSON NOTE

PROPOSED LESSON PLAN/NOTE FOR THE THIRD WEEK ENDING 30^th SEPTEMBER, 2022

2022/2023 ACADEMIC SESSION

SUBJECT: AGRIC SCIENCE

TOPIC: FORMS OF AGRICULTURE

CLASS: GRADE 7

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 11

AVERAGE AGE: 11+ YEARS

GENDER: MIXED

PERIOD: 7^th AND 8^th PERIOD ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY RESPECTIVELY

TIME: 1:20-2:00

DURATION: 40 MINUTES

DATE: 26/09/2022

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson the students should be able to; discuss the various forms of agriculture activities in the communities.

ENTRY BEHAVIOUR/ PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE: Students have already studied the meaning and origin of agriculture in the previous week.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS/TECHNIC: Questions, simulation, visual.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Pictures showing forms of agriculture.

INTRODUCTION: Questions posed to the students include

Question 1: Mention any form of agricultural activity you know.

Expected Answer: Snail farming, rabbit farming, poultry farming

STEP I: FORMS OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY

A. ARABLE CROPS/ FIELD CROPS FARMING: Arable crops are short duration herbaceous crops that are sown directly into the field without first raising them in the nursery. They are shallow-rooted and fast growing crops. Arable crops are sown on ridges and they are mostly cash export crops.

NOTE: Herbaceous plants are those plants whose stems do not form thick wood. They are tender and can easily be broken.

 There are five classes of crops in this group and they are:

a. Cereals- examples: maize, sorghum (guinea corn), millet, wheat, oats, barley, etc.

b. Legumes- examples: cowpea, groundnut, bambara groundnut, pigeon pea, soy bean, lima bean, mung bean etc.

c. Tubers- examples include: irish potato, sweet potato, yam etc

d. Roots- cassava etc

e. Fibers- kenaf, jute etc

 B. PLANTATION/ ORCHARD FARMING:

PLANTATION FARMING: When tree crops are grown in estates i.e. very large areas, they are called plantations. Some are first raised in the nursery example oil palm, coconut palm, cocoa, rubber while some are not examples:  banana and plantains, mango, pawpaw, pineapples, etc.

ORCHARD FARMING: When shrubs or herbs are grown in estates or very large areas, they are called orchards. Examples: oranges, grapes, tangerines, shaddock, pineapples, etc.

 C. VEGETABLE FARMING: Vegetables are tender, herbaceous plants that have high moisture content and savory taste. Vegetables are nutritious tender plants or nutritious tender parts of a plant. Vegetable seeds are first sown in a nursery. Seeds of vegetables are sown in drills especially for small seeds. Vegetables require intensive care which is why they must first be nursed in the nursery before they are transplanted into the field. From the nursery, vegetable seedlings are transplanted into well prepared seed beds. Examples: tomato, pepper, fluted pumpkin, carrot, etc.

D. ORNAMENTAL PLANTS FARMING: Plants that are grown for their beauty or plants grown for decorative purposes are called either in-door or out-door ornamental plants. Some plants look attractive either by their colorful flowers or by certain other features they possess in their stems and leaves. Some are herbaceous (herbs), some trees, while some are shrubs. Examples: Pride of Barbados, bourganvillea, yellow irvy, yellow bush, yellow ficus, hamattan lily, coxcomb, cacti, frangipani, etc.

E. LIVESTOCK FARMING: Livestock is a collective name for animals that are reared for meat, eggs and milk. They are different from farm animals in the sense that farm animals are animals that are kept in the farm for work, transport, security, pets, etc. Examples of farm animals: bulls, camels, donkey, dog, cat etc.

Livestock farming are divided into micro-livestock farming and macro-livestock farming.

1. Micro-Livestock: These are certain livestock that are small in size. Examples: snails, quails, fishes, bees etc.

i. Snail Farming (Heliculture): Snails are small and retractable invertebrates that have hard shells and retractable antennae. The shell may be round, flat or cone shaped. The shell also can be plain or seriated. All these, mark different species of snails. Snails are mainly land animals, although there are water snails. They generally belong to the “mollusca class” (mollusca). The west African giant snails are called (Archatina marginata and Achatina achatina). Snails are reared in pens called snailry. Snail can eat anything such as banana, plantain, leaves and fruits, household litter. A shaded, moist and humus laden area is an ideal environment for snail culture. Snail must be protected from sun rays, dryness, black ant and soldier ants. Snail meat when fried is popularly called “Congo meat” in Africa.

ii. Quail Farming: Quail farming evolved as an answer to the acute shortage of animal protein in Nigeria. Quail farming is a lucrative venture. It requires little space. It is very suitable for city dwellers. Quail is a hardy animal and it is a fast maturing bird. It starts laying within 300 days (10months). They can lay eggs for three years and above. The quantity of feed consumed by quails is low compared to the quantity consumed by chickens. Quail eggs are more expensive than the eggs of the chicken. The housing, management and feeding of quails are the same with those of chickens. The only precaution is to close up all spaces that can enable them to fly out.

iii. Fish farming: Fishing is as old as antiquity. Right from biblical history, men have been harvesting fish from water bodies (poaching). This has been the primary occupation of riverine dwellers and people who dwell in coastal regions. Fish may be reared in fish ponds. Fishponds may be made of mud, plastic or concrete. The ponds should be constructed in a shaded place. Soil should be put in the bottom of the pond and covered with water. Fish in the pond are fed with fish feeds (local or exotic).

iv. Bee Farming: Bee farming is known as apiculture. Bees produce honey and bee wax which are products that are very useful to man. Bees are reared in enclosures called bee hives. The hives should be located near areas of abundant nectar-producing plants, because bees feed on nectars of flowers.

2. Macro-Livestock:  These are certain livestock that have large body size. Examples: grass cutter, rabbit, poultry, sheep and goat, cattle (cow and bull), and pigs, etc

i. Grass cutter Farming: Grass cutters are nocturnal animals. Their activities are in the night, aided with their strong teeth, they can eat up wooden materials. A lot of people cherish the grass cutter meat which is called bush meat in most local restaurants. Grass cutter farming does not require a large space. They are reared in cages called hutches. Grass cutters feed mainly on grasses and other plants. Grass cutters can give birth to eight (8) young ones at a time in every 12 months.

ii. Rabbit Farming: Rabbits are fast growing animals. Its meat tastes like chicken broiler meat. It is a popular relish in local restaurants and it is also regarded as bush meat. Rabbits have long ears for which they are well known. They are tender animals. One rabbit can produce up to 4-5 times in a year and in each times, it can give birth to 6-8 young ones called “kittens” at a time. The pregnancy period (gestation) is 31 days. Rabbits are reared in cages called “hutches”. They are fed with tender succulent grasses, fruits and poultry feeds. The female rabbit is called a Doe and the male rabbit is called a Buck.

 iii. Poultry Farming: Poultry is a collective name given to all birds that are reared for consumption. Example: chicken, turkey, geese, pigeon, guinea fowl, duck, etc. The act of mating in poultry is known as treading. The word “poultry” simply means domesticated birds. A castrated male fowl is called a capon. These birds produce meat and eggs. There are several ways of rearing poultry. They include:

i. Free range system: Where the birds are left to roam about as it is being done in villages by rural dwellers.

ii. Semi-intensive system: Where birds are restricted to an area of land enclosed by a fence of wire netting. At night or during rain, they enter the house kept for them which is called poultry pen.

iii. The intensive system: Where the birds are confined within the pen. Sometimes, these birds kept on the floor of the pen are covered with wood shaping (Deep litter system). Birds can also be kept in cages built in pens called the Battery cage system. Poultry are fed with poultry feeds. Each type of bird has its own feed. Due to numerous diseases that affect poultry, there are vaccination program that are used to protect these birds from disease attacks.

D. Sheep and Goat Farming: Sheep and goat are reared for their meat, skin and milk. The meat of a sheep or goat is called mutton. In temperate regions, sheep is also reared for their wool. Nigerian sheep does not produce wool. They have the ability to browse on a variety of plants, household raised, etc. Sometimes sheep and goats can be reared using the free range system or the semi intensive system.

E. Cattle Farming: Cattle can be reared for meat, skin (leather) and for milk. Those that are kept for milk are called dairy cattle while those that are kept for meat are called beef cattle. A male cattle is called a bull, while a female cattle is called a cow. They are large bodied animals. The male cattle whose reproductive organ is removed (castrated) is called bullock. Cattle have strong and free moving legs. They are allowed to graze on fields.

F. Pig Farming: Pigs are mainly reared for meat. The meat from pigs is called pork. Pigs are omnivorous (they can eat anything). They are large bodied animals. They are fed with concentrates and roughages. Pregnancy period is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. One single female can give birth to 8-16 piglets at a time. The act of giving birth to young ones in pigs is referred to farrowing.  The female pig is called a sow and the male is called a boar. A castrated male pig is called a barrow.

Question 2: Have you ever visited a farm on which the farmer is growing only one particular crop? What is this system called?

EVALUATION: Oral questions

1. Discuss the various forms of agriculture activities in the communities.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSSION:

Forms of agricultural activities in the community include: arable crops/ field crops farming, plantation/ orchard farming, vegetable farming, ornamental plants farming, livestock farming.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Name five forms of agricultural activities in your locality.