WAEC Agricultural Science 2009 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2009 WAEC Agricultural Science paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 55 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Agricultural Science 2009 questions and answers

1. 1.If a soyabean meal contains 45% crude protein, what quantity of it should be provided to laying flock to supply 5.00 kg of protein?
   1. A
      2.25 kg of the soyabean meal
   2. B
      9.26 kg of the soyabean meal
   3. C
      22.22 kg of the soyabean meal
   4. D
      11.11 kg of the soyabean meal
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Working: If the soyabean meal is 45% crude protein, then every 1 kg of the meal supplies 0.45 kg of protein. To find how much meal is needed to supply 5.00 kg of protein, divide the required protein by the protein fraction:

   Quantity of meal = 5.00 kg ÷ 0.45 = 11.11 kg.

   So 11.11 kg of the soyabean meal is correct.

2. 2.An example of biological control of pests is
   1. A
      practising crop rotation every planting season
   2. B
      spraying the farm with insecticides
   3. C
      hand-picking the pests off the crops
   4. D
      introducing natural predators to destroy the pests
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Biological control means using a living organism — a predator, parasite or pathogen — to destroy or reduce a pest population, instead of chemicals or farm practices. Introducing natural predators to destroy the pests is exactly this: a living enemy of the pest is deployed to keep it down, for example ladybird beetles released to feed on aphids, or a parasitic wasp used against a crop-boring caterpillar.

   So only the predator option fits the definition of biological control.

3. 3.The method of disseminating new farming techniques to farmers include the following except
   1. A
      Radio and television broadcasts
   2. B
      Organizing agricultural shows and exhibitions
   3. C
      Imposition of taxes on farm produce
      Correct
   4. D
      Organizing farm demonstrations
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Agricultural extension is the work of passing new, improved farming techniques from researchers down to farmers in the field. Extension workers use several well-known methods to do this.

   Farm demonstrations let an extension officer show farmers, on an actual plot, how a new technique (e.g. correct spacing, fertilizer application, or a new planting method) works in practice.

4. 4.The signs of heat in animals include the following except
   1. A
      Increase in milk yield
      Correct
   2. B
      Swelling and reddening of the vulva
   3. C
      Standing still to be mounted by other animals
   4. D
      Restlessness and frequent bellowing
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   Answer: A

   Heat (oestrus) is the period when a female animal is sexually receptive and ready for mating. A farmer or herdsman detects it by watching for a set of well-known physical and behavioural changes.

   An increase in milk yield is the odd one out. Heat is a stressful, energy-demanding state in which the animal eats less and produces less milk, not more. Since milk yield actually falls rather than rises during oestrus, this is the option that does not belong among the true signs of heat.

5. 5.Which of the following is not an economic importance of forests? They serve as source of
   1. A
      raw materials for the pulp and paper industry
   2. B
      fuelwood for cooking and heating
   3. C
      timber for building and furniture making
   4. D
      control of soil erosion by holding the soil together
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   The forest's economic importance refers to the resources it provides that can be harvested, sold, or used to generate income or goods — things like fuelwood, timber, and raw materials for industry.

6. 6.Chemical weathering is fastest in
   1. A
      hot and wet regions
      Correct
   2. B
      hot and dry regions
   3. C
      cold and dry regions
   4. D
      cold and wet regions
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   Chemical weathering breaks down rock through reactions such as hydrolysis, oxidation and carbonation. These reactions need two things to go fast: water to dissolve minerals and carry the reactions along, and heat to speed up the rate of chemical reaction (just like reactions in a lab go faster when warmed).

7. 7.The best source of farm power for agricultural production is
   1. A
      Animal power
   2. B
      Solar power
   3. C
      Mechanical power
      Correct
   4. D
      Human power
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Mechanical power is correct. In Agricultural Science, farm power is grouped into human, animal, mechanical (engine/tractor-driven) and natural sources (wind, water, solar). Mechanical power, chiefly from the tractor and other engine-driven machines, is regarded as the best source for agricultural production because it works much faster, can cover large hectarages within a short time, performs heavy operations such as deep ploughing and bulk haulage that humans and animals cannot manage, and greatly reduces the drudgery and time cost of farm work.

8. 8.Controlled burning has the advantage of
   1. A
      Reduction of soil erosion on the cleared land
   2. B
      Quick destruction of pests, weeds and disease-causing organisms on the farmland
      Correct
   3. C
      Improvement of the soil's organic matter content
   4. D
      Build-up of nitrogen in the soil
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   Controlled burning is a land-clearing method in which dry vegetation, stumps and crop residues on a farmland are deliberately set alight, under supervision, before cultivation begins.

   So among the options, only the destruction of pests, weeds and disease organisms is a genuine benefit of controlled burning; the rest are well-known drawbacks of the practice.

9. 9.Agricultural land use is negatively affected by
   1. A
      irrigation farming
   2. B
      land tenure system
      Correct
   3. C
      use of fertilizers
   4. D
      mechanized farming
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   Answer: B

   The land tenure system is correct. In most Nigerian communities, farmland is held under traditional tenure (inheritance, communal ownership, or allocation by a family head) rather than by individual freehold title.

10. 10.In crop rotation, deep-rooted crops should follow shallow-rooted crops because deep-rooted crops
    1. A
       prevent soil erosion more effectively than shallow-rooted crops
    2. B
       improve soil aeration more than shallow-rooted crops
    3. C
       require less sunlight for growth than shallow-rooted crops
    4. D
       absorb nutrients from the lower soil layers not utilized by shallow-rooted crops
       Correct
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: D

    Correct reasoning: deep-rooted crops absorb nutrients from the lower soil layers that were not utilized by the shallow-rooted crop grown before them.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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Practise all 55 questions we hold from the 2009 paper, on a timed CBT screen

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