Soil Fertility and Management (Lesson note)

DETAILED LESSON NOTE

School: Junior Secondary School
Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: JSS 2 (Grade 8)
Topic: Soil Fertility and Management
Duration: 40 minutes

Week: Five
Date: To be inserted by the teacher
Period: To be inserted by the teacher
Instructional Materials:

• Diagram of a crop rotation cycle
• Pictures of cover crops (cowpea, mucuna, groundnut)
• Flashcards showing methods of soil fertility management

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Lower Domain (Knowledge): Define soil fertility correctly.
2. Middle Domain (Comprehension): Explain how crop rotation, bush fallowing, and cover cropping help to maintain soil fertility.
3. Affective Domain (Attitude): Show appreciation of the need to maintain soil fertility for sustainable crop production.

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Entry Behaviour

Students have seen crops that grow well in fertile soil and those that do not perform well in poor soil.

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Set Induction (5 minutes)

Teacher displays two samples of soil pictures: one dark and fertile, the other sandy and dry.
Teacher asks:

• “Which of these soils will grow maize well, and why do you think so?”

Students’ Response:
Students suggest answers like “the black soil because it has nutrients” or “the sandy soil is poor.”

Teacher then introduces the topic: Soil Fertility and Management.

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Lesson Development (25 minutes)

Step 1: Meaning of Soil Fertility (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains that soil fertility is the ability of soil to supply crops with the nutrients they need for proper growth and yield.
• Fertile soil supports maize, yam, and vegetables, while poor soil produces weak crops.

Teacher’s Activity: Explains meaning with examples.
Students’ Activity: Students give examples of fertile soils they have seen before.

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Step 2: Ways of Maintaining Soil Fertility (15 minutes)

A. Crop Rotation

• Teacher explains crop rotation as planting different crops on the same piece of land in sequence.
• Example: Maize (cereal) → Beans (legume) → Cassava (root crop).
• Legumes fix nitrogen into the soil, improving fertility.

Students’ Activity: Observe diagram of crop rotation and identify different crops.

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B. Bush Fallowing

• Teacher explains that bush fallowing means leaving farmland idle for some years so that it regains fertility naturally.
• Common in traditional farming systems.
• Teacher adds that it is less practiced today due to land scarcity.

Students’ Activity: Discuss why bush fallowing is not common in cities or densely populated areas.

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C. Cover Cropping

• Teacher explains that cover cropping is planting fast-growing crops such as cowpea or mucuna to cover the soil.
• This prevents erosion, adds organic matter, and improves soil fertility.

Students’ Activity: Students list cover crops they know in their environment.

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Step 3: Teacher–Student Interaction (5 minutes)

• Teacher compares the three methods:
• Crop rotation = planned and modern method.
• Bush fallowing = traditional but less common today.
• Cover cropping = effective for soil protection and fertility.
• Teacher guides students to see why modern farmers rely more on crop rotation and cover cropping.

Students’ Activity: Answer guided questions and relate examples from their local areas.

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Evaluation (5 minutes)

Teacher asks the following questions to assess learning:

1. Define soil fertility.
2. Mention two ways of maintaining soil fertility.
3. Explain how cover cropping improves soil fertility.
4. Why is crop rotation important in farming?

Expected Answers:

1. Soil fertility is the ability of soil to supply nutrients to crops.
2. Crop rotation, bush fallowing, cover cropping.
3. It prevents erosion, adds organic matter, and enriches the soil.
4. It helps replenish soil nutrients and prevents soil exhaustion.

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Assignment (5 minutes)

Write short notes on the following:
a) Crop rotation
b) Bush fallowing
c) Cover cropping

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Conclusion

Teacher summarizes:

• Soil fertility is very important for crop production.
• It can be maintained through crop rotation, bush fallowing, and cover cropping.
• Farmers must practice these methods to ensure continuous and sustainable farming.