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Best Agriculture Notes Form 1 Free (Editable)

AGRICULTURE FORM 1

Introduction to Agriculture

    Definition of Agriculture     

Branches of Agriculture

Crop Farming (Arable Farming)

      It is subdivided into:

 

Livestock Farming

 

 

It is further subdivided into:

 

Agricultural Economics

Agricultural Engineering

 

Farming Systems

  It is determined by the following factors:

The following are systems of farming:

 

Extensive System:

Advantages

Disadvantages

 

 

Intensive Farming:

Advantages

Disadvantages

 

Large Scale Farming

Advantages

Disadvantages

Small Scale Farming

Advantages

Disadvantages

 

Methods of Farming

Mixed Farming

Advantages

      Disadvantages

 

Nomadic-Pastoralism

     Nomadic pastoralism is gradually changing to ranching with the introduction of:

 

     Advantages

  

 Disadvantages

 

 

 

Shifting Cultivation

     Advantages

    Disadvantages

Organic Farming

      Advantages

 

Agro-Forestry

Examples of common agroforestry trees and shrubs include:

 

 

Trees selected for agroforestry should have the following characteristics:

     Advantages

Importance of Agriculture to the Economy of Kenya

 

 

Factors Influencing Agriculture

Introduction

Agricultural production is influenced by external factors:

 

Human Factors

These are human characteristics which affect the way decisions are made and operations carried out.

to work.

lasting effects on  agriculture, such as;

              They include:

Biotic Factors

These are living organisms which affect agricultural production.

 

Climatic Factors(weather elements).

Weather – Atmospheric conditions of a place at a given time period.

Climate – weather conditions of a place observed and recorded for a period of 30-40 years.

 

Rainfall

Supplies Water:

   When plants lack enough water they respond in different ways as follows:

  Other plants have developed permanent adaptation to water stress such as:

Important Aspects of Rainfall:

Temperature

 

Effects of Temperatures on Crop Production:

Low temperatures:

High Temperatures

Wind

Wind is moving air.

Good effects of wind include:

 

Negative effects of wind:

Relative humidity

 

Light

 

Important aspects of light:

 

Edaphic Factors Influencing Agriculture

Importance of Soil

Soil Formation:

Types of Weathering

Agents of Weathering

 Physical Agents of Weathering

Chemical Weathering

 

 

 

Biological Weathering

 

This involves the action of living organisms, plants and animals on the rocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Factors influencing soil formation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organic Matter Region

Top Soil

Sub-Soil

Weathered Rocks

 

Parent Rock

 

Soils Formed in Situ and Soils Deposited

 

 

Soil Formed in Situ Soil Deposited
l.Has the colour of the parent rock 1. Has the characteristics of when: it came from.
2. Shallower 2. Deeper
3. Less rich in plant nutrients 3. Richer in plant nutrients
4. Easily eroded 4. Not easily eroded
5. Less silty 5. More silty
6. Have the same chemical composition 6. Differ in chemical composition from the
as that of the underlying parent rock. underlying parent rock.

 

Soil Depth

Soil Constituents

 

 

        Water in the soil exists in three forms namely:

            

 

 

Soil Structure

 

 

Importance of Soil Structure on Crop Production

Soil Structure Influences

 

Farming practices which improve the soil structure are:

Soil Texture

    Importance of Soil Texture on Crop Production;

 

Soil Textural Classes

 Sandy Soils

 Clayey Soils

Loam Soils

Soil Colour

Soil pH

 

Influence of Soil pH Crop Growth

Farm Tools and Equipment

 

Introduction

 

Garden Tools and Equipment

 

  Tools Uses
1. Panga Cutting and shallow cultivation, making holes.
2. Jembe/hand hoe Cultivation, digging, shallow planting holes and trenches.
3. Fork iembe Cultivation, digging out roots, harvesting of root crops.
4. Rake Collecting trash, breaking large clods, levelling, removing stones
    from a seedbed and spreading organic manure.
5. Spade Scooping and carrying of soil, sand, concrete mixture and
    manure.
6. Spring balance Measuring weight.
7. Trowel Scooping seedlings during transplanting and .digging planting
    holes for seedlings.
8. Pruning hook Bending tall branches when pruning.
9. Secateur Cutting young stems and pruning branches.
10. Tape measure Measuring distances.
11. Axe Cutting big trees and roots and splitting logs of wood.
12. Soil auger Making holes for fencing posts.
13. mattock Digging hard soils
14. sprinklers Overhead irrigation.
15. Watering can Watering plants in nursery bed.
16. Wheel barrow Transportation of soil, fertilizers, farm produce, tools and equipment.
17. Levelling board For levelling a nursery bed.
18. Pruning saw Cutting old wood stems and pruning big branches.
19. Hose pipe For conveying water from a tap to where it is need.
20. Knap sack sprayer Applying agro-chemical by spraying.
21. Garden shear Trimming hedges.
22. Pruning knife Removal of small shoots.
23. Meter ruler Measuring distances.
24. Garden fork Shallow digging.

 

Livestock Production Tools and Equipment

 

  Tools Uses  
1. Drenching gun Administering liquid drugs to animals orally.  
2. Bolus gun/dosing gun Administering solid drugs or tablets to animals orally.  
3. Wool Shears Cutting off wool from sheep.  
4. Hypodermic syringe Administering drugs by injection for example in vaccination.  
5. Stirrup (bucket) pump Application of acaricide by hand spraying.  
6. Thermometer Taking body temperatures of farm animals.  
7. Burdizzo Used in bloodless method of castration.  
8. Halter Rope designed to restrain the animal.  
9. Trimming knife Cutting short the overgrown hooves.  
Elastrator Stretching rubber ring during castration, dehorning and docking  
    of lambs.  
Iron dehorner Applies heat on the horn bud to prevent growth of horns.  
Nose ring Fixed into the nose of a bull to restrain it.  
Strip cup Detecting mastitis in milk products.  
Trocar and cannula Relieving a bloated animal of gases particularly ruminants.  
Hard broom For scrubbing the floor.  
Ear notcher Making ear notches in livestock.  
        Bucket For holding milk during milking. ~
Milk chum For holding milk after milking.  
Milk strainer/sieve Removing foreign particles from milk for example hairs and sediments.  
       
        Rope Tying or tethering animals.  
        Milking stool Used by the milker to sit on while milking.  
Weighing balance Weighing milk after milking.  
 Teeth clipper Removal of canine teeth of piglets soon after birth.  
Chaff cutter Cutting fodder into small bits.  
 Dehorning wire Cutting grown horns.  
    ,  

 

 

Workshop Tools and Equipment

 

  Tools   Uses    
1. Spanner   Tightening and loosening nuts and bolts.  
2. Pliers   Cutting small wires and thin metal and gripping firmly.
3. Files   Sharpening tools, smoothening or shaping edges of metals,
4. Rasps   Smoothening and shaping of wooden structures.  
5. Chisels (wood)   Making grooves in wood.    
6. Cold chisel   Cutting and shaping metal.    
7. Screw drivers   Driving screws in or out of wood or metal.  
8. Saws .-      
  Cross cut saw   Cutting across the grain of wood.  
  Rip saw   Cutting along the grain of wood.  
  Hack saw Bow saw   Cutting metals.    
  Tenonlback saw   Cutting branches of trees.    
  Coping saw   Cutting Joints on wood and fine sawing.  
  Compass/keyhole saw   Cutting curves on thin wood.  
      Cutting either along or across the grain of wood especially
      when cutting key holes.    
9. Tin snip   Cutting metal sheets.    
10. Braces and bits.   Boring holes in wood. ,  
11. Drill and bits   Boring holes in metal work and woodwork. =
12. Hammer        
  Claw hammer   Driving in, removing and straightening nails.  
  Ball pein   Driving in nails, rivets and straightening metal. Also used
      on cold chisel    
13. Mallet   Hammering or hitting wood chisel.  
14. Jack plane   Fine finishing of wood.    
15. Scrappers/spokeshave   Smoothening curved surfaces of wood such as handles of
      jembes, axes.    
16. Measuring equipment   ~  
  Metre ruler   Measuring short length -.    
  Try square        
      Measuring length angles and to ascertain squareness.
17. Marking gauge   Marking parallel lines to the edge of wood.  
18. Fencing pliers   Cutting wires, hammering staples when fencing.  
19. Vice and clamps   Firmly holding pieces of work together.  

 

Tools Uses
20. Spirit level Measuring horizontal or vertical levels.
2l. Soldering gun Melting soldering rods when repairing or fabricating metal
    sheets.
22. Wire brush Brushing rough surfaces.
23. Divider Marking and laying out.
24. Centre punch Marking the point of drilling.
25. Paint brush Applying paint on surfaces.
26. Sledge hammer Ramming hardware, breaking stones.
27. Wire strainer Tightening wires during fencing.
28. Riveting machine Fix rivets when joining pieces of metal.
29. Claw bar Removing long nails from wood, straining fencing wires and
    digging fencing holes.

 

Plumbing and Masonry Tools

 

Tools Uses
l. Pipe wrench Holding, tightening and loosing metallic pipes.
2. Pipe cutter Cutting PVC pipes.
3. Levelling rod Levelling the floor during construction.
4. Mason’s trowel Placing mortar between construction stones and bricks.
5. Wood float Create a level surface on walls and floors.
6. Mason’s square Ascertain verticalness.
7. Plumb bob Spreading screed over floors and walls.
8. Shovel Mixing and scooping concrete or mortar, measuring cement.

 

Care and Maintenance of Tools and Equipment

Reasons for Maintenance

Methods

 

CROP PRODUCTION 1

(Land Preparation)

 

Introduction

Seedbed Preparation

Reasons for Seedbed Preparation;

Operations in Land Preparation

Land Clearing

Procedure

     Note: Burning should be avoided where possible since it;

 

Primary Cultivation

Reasons for primary cultivation:

Operations in primary cultivation

     Use of hand tools ;

   Use of mouldboard ploughs;

    Which can be drawn by;

Depth of Cultivation

  Depends on:

Choice of Implement

   Determined by:

 

 

 

Secondary Tillage

Reasons for secondary Tillage:

 

Factors determining number of secondary cultivation:

 

Tertiary Operations:

 

Subsoiling:

It is done for the following reasons:

 

Minimum Tillage:

Examples of which include:

Reasons for Minimum Tillage

Water Supply, Irrigation and Drainage

 

Introduction

Uses of water in the farm;

 

Sources of Water in the Farm

Three major sources of water in the farm:

 Includes water from;

Includes water from;

This is water tapped in various ways such as;

 

Collection and Storage of Water

 

Pumps and Pumping of Water

       Types of Water Pumps

Used to lift water from its source.

Conveyance of Water

The common types of pipes include:

 

 

Water Treatment

These impurities are grouped into three categories, namely:

 

Importance of Treating Water

Methods of Treating Water

 

Irrigation

Factors to Consider in Identifying and Assessing the Potential of Land for Irrigation Development

Types of Irrigation

Drainage

      Importance of Drainage as a Method of Land Reclamation

     Methods of Drainage

Water Pollution

 

Agricultural practices which pollute water include:

 

Methods of Preventing Water Pollution

 

Soil Fertility I

(Organic Manures)

Introduction

Characteristics of a Fertile Soil

How soil loses fertility

Maintenance of Soil Fertility

Soil fertility is maintained through the following methods:

 

       Done through:

 

 

Organic Manures

Importance of Organic Matter in the Soil

Limitations in the Use of Manure

Types of Organic Manures

Green Manure

  Characteristics of plants used for preparation for green manure:

Preparation of Green Manure

 

Reasons why green manure is not commonly used/limitations:

 

Farm Yard Manure (FYM)

Factors that Determine the Quality of FYM

Preparation of FYM

 

Compost Manure

 

Factors to consider in selecting site for making compost manure:

Preparation of Compost Manure

Two methods:

 

Indore Method (Pit Method)

Procedure ;

 

Four heaps method:

Procedure

Indicators of well decomposed manure

Advantages of Compost Manure

Limitations of Compost Manure

 

Livestock Production:

(Common Breeds)

 

Introduction

The importance of keeping livestock:

Cattle Breeds

     These are;

Indigenous Cattle

They are small in size and with a distinct hump and  include:

Exotic Cattle  

 

General characteristics:

 

Exotic cattle breeds fall under the following groups:

Dairy Cattle Breeds

Characteristics of Dairy Cattle

Friesian-Holstein (largest of all dairy breeds)

 

Ayrshire

    Conformation:

Guernsey

     Conformation:

Jersey (smallest of all the dairy breeds)

     Conformation:

Beef Cattle

Examples:

Characteristics of Beef Cattle

AberdeenAngus

    Size:

Hereford

Shorthorn

      Size:

Galloway

Charolais

Dual Purpose Breeds

    Examples: Sahiwal, Red Poll and Simmental.

Sahiwal

    Red Poll

  Simmental

Conformation:

Sheep Breeds:

Purpose of Keeping Sheep;

Exotic Sheep

Merino

Characteristics:

Corriedale

Romney Marsh

Hampshire Down

Dorper

Dorset Horn

Characteristics;

Maasai Sheep

Black Head Persian Sheep

Goats

Goats well adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions because of the following characteristics:

Indigenous  Goat Breeds

Exotic Breeds

Boer goat

Anglo-Nubian

Jumnapari

Toggenburg

Saanen

Angora

French alpine. Pigs

Characteristics:

 

Breeds

Large White

Landrace

Wessex Saddle

Other pig breeds include:

Pigs can be crossed to obtain hybrids or crosses.

Advantages of Crosses

Poultry Breeds

There are three types of chicken breeds:

Characteristics of Light Breeds

      Examples:

Characteristics of Heavy Breeds

      Examples:

Characteristics of DualPurpose Breeds

 

        Examples: Rhode Island Red.

Hybrids

Examples:

Rabbits

Kept for the following reasons:

Breeds

Camels

       Kept for;

There are two species of camels.

Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)

Bacterian (Camelus bacterianus)

Terms used to describe livestock in different age, sex and use.

 

Livestock   Adult Replacement Stock Young Users)
Species Male Female Male Female One  
Cattle Bull Cow Bullock Heifer Calf Dairy – milk

Beef-meat

 

Sheep Ram Ewe Ram Hogget Lamb Mutton – meat

Wool sheep -wool

Goat Buck or Doe or Buck Doe Kid Dairy – milk
      Billy Nanny   Mutton – meat
Pigs Boar Sow Boar Gilt Piglet Pork – meat
            Bacon -cured
Poultry Cock Hen Cockerel Pullet Chick Broilers – meat
            Layers – eggs
Rabbits Buck Doe Buck Doe Kindling Meat
Camel Bull Cow Bull Heifer Calf Pack, trained for
            riding, racing milk,
            meat, fur

 

Agricultural Economics I

(Basic Concepts and Farm Records)

 

Introduction

 Example;

Basic economic Principles

Scarcity

Choice/Preference

Opportunity Cost

Farm Records

Uses of Farm Records

Type of Farm Records

Consumable Goods Inventory

 

Date Commodity Quantity Date Issued to Quantity balallce
  Item         Stock

Field Operation Records – Show in details all field practices carried out together with the input used for all the crop enterprises.

              From these records it is possible to:

Select and cull animals on health grounds.

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