FARMING AND CROPPING SYSTEM Lesson note

PROPOSED LESSON PLAN/NOTE FOR THE TEN WEEK ENDING 18^th NOVEMBER, 2022

2022/2023 ACADEMIC SESSION

SUBJECT: AGRIC SCIENCE

TOPIC: FARMING AND CROPPING SYSTEM

CLASS: GRADE 8

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 22

AVERAGE AGE: 12+ YEARS

GENDER: MIXED

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

TIME: 1:20-2:00

DURATION: 40 MINUTES

DATE: 14/11/2022

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson the students should be able to describes different farming system.

 ENTRY BEHAVIOUR: The students are familiar with a farm, crops and farming tools.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUE: Visual, questions and simulation.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Pictures showing different farming system.

DEVELOPMENT:

STEP 1: FARMING SYSTEM

i. Monocropping system: This is a system of planting crops in which only one type of crop is planted on a given piece of land at a given time.

ii. Inter-cropping system: This is a system of planting crops in which two crops are planted in alternate rows in a given piece of land and at a particular time. For example, yam can be intercropped with maize; cassava can be intercropped with maize, yam can be intercropped with melon or cowpea.

iii. Mixed cropping: When three or more crops are planted on a given piece of land at a particular time, that type of planting is called mixed cropping. For instance; yam, maize and melon can be planted on a given piece of land at a time.

iv. Catch Cropping: A catch crop is a crop that is sown as second crop after the first crop has been harvested. After yam cultivation, vegetables can be planted to keep the farm busy till another time when yam will be planted.

v. Cover Cropping: When the soil has been cleared and tilled, the soil is exposed to erosion. There is therefore need to plant crops that creep on the ground in order to cover the soil. These crops are called cover crops. They can be planted with crops as intercrop or cover crops to prevent water loss from the soil. Examples are, cowpea, groundnuts, melon, sweat potato, etc.

vi. Shifting Cultivation: This is a system of cropping where a farmer may cultivate a piece of land and leaves it to grow back into a bush for several years before the land is used again.

vii. Crop Rotation: This is a system of planting different types of crops on the same piece of land such that they follow one another in definite order. The rotational cycle of the crop is planned in such a way that the nutrients that are removed from the soil are replaced by another crop planted afterwards. An example of a four year crop rotation is as follows:

 

Plot	2003	2004	2005	2006
1	Maize	Groundnut	Yam	Cowpea
2	Groundnut	Yam	Cowpea	Maize
3	Yam	Cowpea	Maize	Groundnut
4	Cowpea	Maize	Groundnut	Yam

 

 viii. Pastoral Farming: It is a system of farming whereby a farmer rears only animals. They move the animals from place to place to enable the animals to graze. Such animals include: cattle, sheep, goats, etc. Pastoral farmers live nomadic lives.

ix. Mixed Farming: Some farmers combine crop cultivation with rearing of animals on the same piece of land at the same time. This practice is called mixed farming. For example, a farmer can plant yams or cassava with vegetables as well as raise birds, or other livestock.

x. continuous cropping: A system whereby the same piece of land is used each year for growing one type of crop is called continuous cropping.

EVALUATION: Oral question

1. describes different farming system.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSSION: Farming system include mono cropping, inter-cropping, mixed cropping, catch cropping etc.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Describes ten different farming systems.