(a) Describe the cultivation of Cowpea under the headings: (i) soil requirement; (ii) method of propagation; (iii) spacing [ 3 marks ] (b) Name one disease and two field pests of Cowpea. [ 3 marks ] (c) State four cultural methods of controlling crop pests. [ 4 marks ] (d) State four human activities that promote deforestation in West Africa. [ 4 marks ] (e) Describe each of the following agro-forestry practices: (i) alley cropping; (ii) ley farming. [ 4 marks ]
Explanation
(a) Description of cowpea cultivation (i) Soil requirement Requires sandy loam soil (iii) Spacing 20 – 30cm within rows x 75 – 100cm between rows (b) Disease and field pests of cowpea Disease: Damping off, Cercospora leaf spot, Bacterial blight, Mosaic, Root knot disease Field pests: Pod borers, leaf hoppers, aphids, Monkeys, Bean bettles (c) Cultural methods of controlling crop pests - Controlled burning - Early planting - Early harvesting - Weeding - Crop rotation - Flooding - Adequate spacing - Drainage - Pruning - Planting pest-free crops - Appropriate tillage operation - Planting pest-tolerant varieties of crop (d) Human activities that promote deforestation in West Africa Estate development, road construction, Arable cropping/farming/continous cropping
(e) Description of agro forestry practices (i) Alley cropping This involves planting of leguminous trees that are wide apart as to allow the growing of strips of arable crops within the rows of trees (ii) Ley farming This is the practice of alternating arable crop production with the growing of forage crops at different periods of time on a piece of land
