WAEC Agricultural Science 2017 past questions
Ten questions from the 2017 WAEC Agricultural Science paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 35 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.
WAEC Agricultural Science 2017 questions and answers
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1.A raw material that could be obtained from the forest is
- ARubberCorrect
- BSugarcane
- CCotton
- DGroundnut
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Answer: A
Rubber is correct. Rubber trees are grown in forest reserves and forest plantations, and the latex tapped from them is a raw material supplied to industry for making tyres, footwear and other rubber goods. This is why rubber is classified, in agricultural science, as a forest produce alongside timber, gum and resin.
- A
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2.A social factor which affects land availability and use is
- ASoil fertility level
- BCost of farm machinery and inputs
- CAmount and distribution of rainfall
- DLand tenure systemCorrect
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Answer: D
Factors affecting land availability and use in agriculture are usually grouped into physical factors, economic factors and social factors.
So the correct choice is the one tied to custom, inheritance and communal ownership — the land tenure system.
- A
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3.Predators are used by farmers to
- Aimprove the fertility of the soil
- Bdecompose farm wastes into humus
- Cpollinate flowers for fruit formation
- Dcontrol pests biologicallyCorrect
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Answer: D
Predators are used by farmers to control pests biologically. In agricultural science, biological control involves using living organisms — predators, parasites or pathogens — as natural enemies that hunt down, feed on or destroy pests that damage crops and stored produce. For example, ladybird beetles (predators) are used to feed on aphids that attack crops, reducing pest damage without relying solely on chemical pesticides.
- A
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4.Which of the following agents is not involved in agricultural marketing?
- ARetailer
- BCommission agent
- CExtension officerCorrect
- DWholesaler
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Answer: C
Agents of agricultural marketing are the people and businesses involved in moving produce from the farm to the final consumer, and in buying, selling, storing or distributing it.
- A
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5.In the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is used by crops for
- APhotosynthesisCorrect
- BTranspiration
- CNitrogen fixation
- DRespiration
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Answer: A
In the carbon cycle, green plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves and combine it with water, using sunlight energy trapped by chlorophyll, to manufacture carbohydrates. This process is photosynthesis, and it is the main way carbon dioxide is removed from the air and converted into plant tissue (and ultimately food for animals and humans).
So the correct process by which crops use carbon dioxide is photosynthesis.
- A
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6.The demand for agricultural produce is generally
- Aunitary elastic
- BinelasticCorrect
- Cperfectly elastic
- Delastic
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Answer: B
The demand for agricultural produce is generally inelastic.
This means that when the price of agricultural produce changes, the quantity demanded changes by a smaller proportion. For example, if the price of garri or yam rises sharply after a poor harvest, people do not reduce their consumption by much, because food crops are basic necessities that must be bought regardless of price. Agricultural produce also has few close substitutes in the short run, which further keeps demand inelastic.
- A
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7.Inhibition of root and fruit formation are deficiency symptoms of
- APhosphorusCorrect
- BNitrogen
- CPotassium
- DMagnesium
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Answer: A
Phosphorus is the nutrient responsible for root development and fruit (and flower) formation in plants. It is needed for cell division and energy transfer (as part of ATP) in actively growing tissues like root tips and developing fruits. When phosphorus is deficient, root systems remain poorly developed, flowering and fruiting are delayed or suppressed, and leaves may turn a dull dark-green or purplish colour, with the plant showing stunted, spindly growth overall.
- A
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8.Insect-pests of crops could be controlled by
- Arodenticides
- Bfungicides
- Cherbicides
- DinsecticidesCorrect
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Answer: D
Insecticides are the chemicals specifically formulated to kill or control insect-pests such as aphids, weevils, stem borers and beetle larvae that attack crops in the field and in storage.
- A
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9.Which of the following practices is an example of a cultural weed control method?
- AHand-picking the weeds from the farm
- BPractising a planned crop rotation on the farmCorrect
- CIntroducing insects that feed on the weed
- DSpraying the farmland with a suitable herbicide
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Answer: B
Weed control methods are grouped by what is actually doing the controlling: cultural, mechanical, chemical, or biological.
- A
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10.The presence of excess water in the colloids of soil particles is known as
- AWaterloggingCorrect
- BDrainage
- CIrrigation
- DLeaching
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Answer: A
Waterlogging is correct. When the colloidal (fine clay and humus) particles of the soil absorb and hold more water than the soil can drain away, the air spaces between soil particles become filled with water instead of air. This condition, where the soil is saturated and roots are starved of oxygen, is called waterlogging.
- A
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
Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.
Practise all 35 questions we hold from the 2017 paper, on a timed CBT screen
Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.