AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE: First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 1 – 3


English Lesson Notes for Junior Secondary

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE: First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 1 – 3

Below is first term's scheme of work for Agricultural Science for Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) 1 - 3.
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE: First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 1 – 3

First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 1

Week 1: MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
i. Definition of Agriculture
ii. Branches of Agriculture
iii. Importance of Agriculture to the individual, community and the nation

Week 2: PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
Problems created by inadequate:
i. Land
ii. Basic amenities
iii. Finance
iv. Transportation
v. Shortage and processing facilities
vi. Agricultural education and extension
vii. Tools and machinery
viii. Farm inputs

Week 3: SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA
Possible solutions to identified problems

Week 4: HUSBANDRY OF SELECTED CROPS (ROOT AND TUBER CROPS) e.g.,YAM, CASSAVA, SWEET POTATOES.
i. Method of propagation
ii. Climatic and soil requirements
iii. Land preparation
iv. Manuring and fertilizer application
v. Harvesting, processing and storage of the selected crops

Week 5: HUSBANDRY OF SELECTED CROPS (CEREALS) e.g., MAIZE, RICE etc.
i. Method of propagation
ii. Climatic and soil requirements
iii. Land preparation, planting dates, seed rates, spacing, sowing depth
iv. Manuring and fertilizer requirements and application
v. Harvesting, processing and storage

Week 6: LAND AND ITS USES
i. Definition of land
ii. Uses of land for:
a. Agriculture
b. Forestry
c. Wildlife

Week 7: FACTORS AFFECTING LAND AVAILABILITY
Factors affecting land availability for Agricultural purposes:
i. Alternative uses of land, e.g. building of cities, towns, industries, roads
ii. Soil type and topography

Week 8: HUSBANDRY OF OIL CROPS, e.g., OIL PALM, MELON, GROUNDNUT
i. Method of propagation
ii. Climatic and soil requirements
iii. Land preparation (pre-planting and planting operations)
iv. Manuring and fertilizer requirements
v. Harvesting, processing and storage of oil crops

Week 9: HUSBANDRY OF BEVERAGE, e.g., COCOA, TEA AND COFFEE
i. Method of propagation
ii. Climatic and soil requirements
iii. Land preparation (pre-planting operations)
iv. Manuring and fertilizer requirements
v. Harvesting, processing and storage of beverage

Week 10: HUSBANDRY OF LATEX CROP, e.g. RUBBER
i. Method of propagation
ii. Climatic and soil requirements
iii. Land preparation, nursery requirements
iv. Manuring and fertilizer requirements and application
v. Harvesting, processing and storage

Week 11: PRACTICAL: IDENTIFICATION
Identification of the common crops available, e.g. oil palm fruits, cocoa pod, kola nut, rubber seed, cotton seed and lint, groundnut pod, different species of maize etc.

Week 12 – 13
REVISION/EXAMINATION


First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 2

Week 1: AGRICULTURAL LAWS AND REFORMS
Land ownership and tenure systems in Nigeria

Week 2: LAND USE ACT OF NIGERIA
Land use Act of 1978:
i. Features of the Act
ii. The need for government to enforce the law etc.

Week 3: ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
Role of government in Agricultural production, e.g.,
i. Making of agricultural policies
ii. Drawing of agricultural programmes
iii. Provision of loans and subsidies
iv. Provision of agricultural education etc.

Week 4: FOREST MANAGEMENT
Forest management techniques:
i. Forest regulation
ii. Selective exploration
iii. Deforestation
iv. Regeneration
v. Afforestation
vi. Taungya system

Week 5: DISEASES OF CROPS
Diseases of major crops: e.g.,
i. Cereals – smut, rice blast, leaf rust
ii. Legume – cercosporal leaf spot, rosette
iii. Beverages – cocoa blackpod, coffee leaf rust
iv. Tuber – cassava mosaic virus, bacterial blight etc.

Week 6: SYMPTOMS AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CROP DISEASES
i. Symptoms of diseases, e.g., spots, yellowing, rots, wilting, stuntedness etc.
ii. Economic importance, e.g., increase cost of production, reduces quality of crops, reduces farmer's income etc.

Week 7: PREVENTIVE AND CONTROL MEASURES OF DISEASES
i. Cultural methods
ii. Biological methods
iii. Chemical methods

Week 8: IMPORTANT INSECT PESTS OF MAJOR CROPS:
i. Cereal – system borer, army-worm, ear-worm
ii. Legume – pod borer, aphids, sucki bugs,leaf beetle
iii. Beverage – cocoa myrids (capsids)

Week 9: OTHER IMPORTANT PESTS
i. Other important pests:
a. Birds
b. Rodents
c. Man
d. Monkey

ii. Nature of damages done:
a. Destruction of leaves
b. Destruction of tender stems
c. Destruction of root/tubers

Week 10: ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF SELECTED PESTS
i. Economic importance of pests:
a. Reduction in quality of crops
b. Reduction in quantity of crops
c. Makes vegetables unattractive and unmarketable etc.

ii. Preventive and control measures:
a. Cultural methods
b. Biological methods
c. Chemical methods

iii. Side effects of the various preventive and control methods:
a. Chemical pollution
b. Poisoning etc.

Week 11: PASTURE AND FORAGE CROPS
Morphology of the common grass and legume species of Nigerian pastures.

Week 12: TYPES OF PASTURE
i. Types of pasture:
a. Permanent pasture
b. Rotational pasture
c. Temporary pasture
d. Irrigated pasture

ii. Factors affecting pasture:
a. Establishment
b. Distribution
c. Productivity

iii. Management practices of a pasture land

Week 12 – 13
Revision/Examination

First Term's Scheme of Work for SSS 3

Week 1: CROP IMPROVEMENT
a. Meaning and aims of crop improvement
b. Mendelian Laws

Week 2: CROP IMPROVEMENT II
c. Processes of crop improvement
i. Introduction
ii. Selection
iii. Breeding

Week 3: PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT 
a. Susceptibility and resistance to diseases
b. Predisposing factors:
i. Health status of the animals
ii. Environment
iii. Nutrition

Week 4: PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT II
c. Symptoms, effects and mode of transmission, e.g.,
i. Viral – foot and mouth diseases, rinder pest, new castle disease
ii. Bacterial – anthrax, brucellosis, tuberculosis
iii. Fungal – scabbies, ringworm
iv. Protozoa – trypanosomiasis, coceidiosis

Week 5: PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT III
d. Ecto-Endo parasites, life cycles and mode of transmission
e. Methods of:
i. Preventing – quarantine, inoculation, vaccination, hygiene, breeding.

ii. Control – treatment by a veterinary doctor, destruction.

Week 6: FISH FARMING AND FISHERY REGULATIONS
a. Establishment and maintenance of fish pond

Week 7: FISHERY REGULATIONS
b. Fishery regulations

Week 8: ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT
a. Aims and Meaning of animal improvement
b. Methods of animal improvement:
i. Introduction
ii. Selection

Week 9: ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT II
iii. Breeding – inbreeding, line-breeding, cross breeding

Week 10: IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
a. Importance of irrigation and drainage
b. Drainage system: channel, sprinkles, underground etc.

Week 11: IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE II
c. Merits and demerits of each: irrigation and drainage system
d. Problems associated with irrigation:
i. High cost of maintenance
ii. Water availability
iii. Build up of pest and diseases

Week 12 – 13
Revision/Examination