527/2 Inst. Sch.

AGRICULTURE
PRACTICAL
INSTRUCTIONS
2024

UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

Uganda Certificate of Education

AGRICULTURE PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS

527/2 Inst. Sch.

2024

CONFIDENTIAL

This information is given only to facilitate preparation of examination.

Great care should be taken that the informaton given below does not reach the
candidates either directly or indirectly.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING SPECIMENS AND APPARATUS:

The teacher responsible for preparing specimens must ensure that candidates are
provided with correct specimens and other materials as specified in these
instructions. Specimens and solutions which have been assigned codes should be
presented to candidates using those codes only and not any other identity.

A candidate is to be provided with each of the specimens. Where a specimen is to

be used by more than one candidate, the teacher preparing specimens must devise a
suitable system to enable the candidates to take turns at each specimen.

© 2024 Uganda National Examinations Board Turn Over

Each candidate should be provided with:

Specimen A – whole bean plant affected by anthracnose

Specimen B - Maize stalk bored by the stalk-borer
Specimen C – Sweet potato tuber (cut into two) affected by the sweet potato
weevil
Specimen D – Couch grass (whole mature plant)

 100 ml measuring cylinder

 2 filter papers
 2 beakers
 Water
 Stop clock
 pH chart
 Universal indicator
 2 filter funnels
 Soil sample X
 Soil sample Y

2 END
Candidate’s Name: ..………………………………………………………………
Random No. Personal No.
Signature: ..……………………………..

(Do not write your School/Centre Name or Number anywhere on this booklet.)
527/2
AGRICULTURE
Paper 2
2024
2 hours

UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

Uganda Certificate of Education

AGRICULTURE

Paper 2
Practical

2 hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
This paper consists of two compulsory examination items.

Write your answers in the space provided using blue or black ink.

© 2024 Uganda National Examinations Board Turn Over

 Answer all items in this paper.
Item 1.
Fish farming is becoming a popular enterprise in Uganda. The demand for fish is
high because it provides high value proteins for both humans and livestock.
A farmer established fish ponds in two different places, one in Gayaza and another
in Kayunga. He stocked both ponds with tilapia fry. The water level in the Kayunga
pond was adequate while that in the Gayaza pond remained low despite the inflow
from the inlet pipe. The Gayaza pond wall was also unstable and the fish in this
pond remained small. Soil samples X and Y were picked from the two ponds for
investigation.
Task
Plan and carry out investigations on the two soil samples and based on your
findings;
(a) Identify the soil sample from the Kayunga pond with reason(s).
(b) Explain to the fish farmer why the level of water in the Gayaza pond
remained low.
(c) In one sentence, advise the farmer.

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Item 2.
Musa decided to grow three different crops on his one hectare of land which he had
divided into plots. The crops included beans, maize, and sweet potatoes. Each crop
was grown on a separate plot using the recommended spacing. The crops were
established at different intervals, followed by a period of heavy rains. Of recent,
Musa has observed that the appearance of his crops has changed. There was also a
plant species D which was abundant in all plots. Musa wanted to eliminate it, so he
slashed it down in all the plots, but after two weeks it had grown again.
Musa picked samples A, B, C and D from his plots for investigation.
Task
Carefully observe each of specimens A, B, C and D then;
(a) record and explain your observations on A, B and C.
(b) suggest how Musa can overcome the conditions observed in his plots.

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5 END
 527/2
AGRICULTURE
Paper 2
2024

UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

Uganda Certificate of Education

AGRICULTURE

Paper 2
Practical

SCORING GUIDE

© 2024 Uganda National Examinations Board

 527/2 sample expected responses.

1 sample expected responses

Aim of the experiment: To compare the amounts of water retained by soil samples
X and Y.
Hypothesis: The Kayunga soil sample retains more water than the Gayaza sample.
Variables: Soil type and amount of water retained.
Materials and equipment: measuring cylinders, two soil samples (X and Y), filter
papers/cotton wool, water, funnels, beakers, protective equipment.
Procedure:
1. Put on protective equipment for safety.
2. Label two measuring cylinders X and Y.
3. Plug a funnel using a filter paper/cotton wool and place it on the measuring
cylinder labelled X.
4. Measure the required volume of soil sample X and place it in the funnel on
cylinder X.
5. Measure the required volume of water and add it to the soil in the funnel on
cylinder X while at the same time starting a stop clock. After 10 minutes
remove the funnel from the cylinder, stop the clock and read out the volume
of water collected in the measuring cylinder. Record your results. Repeat this
procedure with soil sample Y.
Data presentation: Draw a table and record in it the volumes of soil used, amounts
of water added and collected from each soil sample after 10 minutes.
Soil Volume of soil Volume of water Volume of water
Sample used added collected
Sample X
Sample Y

2
Analysis: compare the amounts of water collected/retained by the two soil
samples.
Conclusion/Recommendation: soil sample X retained more water than soil sample Y.
Therefore, soil sample X is the one from Kayunga since the Kayunga pond had
adequate water.
a. Although the Gayaza pond was receiving water from the inlet pipe, most of
the water drained through the unstable walls of the pond and through the
pond bottom because the soil type (sandy soil) cannot hold/retain much
water because of its wide air spaces.

2 sample expected Responses

a. Specimen A:

Observation: Dark brown to black sunken lesions/spots on stems, leaves and pods
Explanation: Anthracnose; a condition caused by a fungus.
Specimen B:
Observation: Wilting or drying of upper leaves; ragged irregular holes chewed in
newly unrolled leaves; tunnels bored in the stalk
Explanation: destruction done by the maize stalk borer
Specimen C:
Observation: dark brown tunnels bored in the tuber
Explanation: damage caused by the sweet potato weevil
b. Control

Specimen A:
 Crop rotation
 Removing and destroying affected plants
 Treating seeds with appropriate fungicides.
 Plant resistant varieties

3
Specimen B:
 Crop rotation
 Apply ash or dry soil into the leaf funnel of young plants
 Destroy the remains of previous crops
 Deep ploughing to bury eggs and other stages of the borer
 Early planting
 Spraying with appropriate pesticide

Specimen C:
 Crop rotation
 Timely harvesting
 Using clean planting materials
 Application of systemic pesticides
 Maintaining soil moisture by irrigation

Specimen D:
 Deep cultivation to remove rhizomes which are later dried and burnt.
 Applying a systemic herbicide.

4
 527/1
AGRICULTURE
Paper 1
2024
2½ hours

UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

Uganda Certificate of Education

AGRICULTURE

Paper 1
Theory
2 hours 30 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

This paper consists of six examination items. It has two sections;A and B.

Section A has two compulsory items.

Section B has two parts; I and II. Answer one item from each part.

Answer four examination items in all.

Any additional item(s) answered will not be scored.

All answers must be written in the Answer booklet(s) provided.

© 2024 Uganda National Examinations Board Turn Over

 SECTION A
SOIL SCIENCE AND VALUE ADDITION
Answer all items in this section.
Item 1.
(a) Kagugu a farmer in Pabbu sub county in Uganda was advised to start a dairy
farm on his one-hectare piece of land. He planted elephant grass and Congo
signal grass in plots A and B respectively at the same time. He expects to
receive in-calf dairy heifers in six months’ time and both pastures have
already reached their flowering stages. Therefore, there is no likelihood of
him feeding the current pastures to the heifers which are yet to come. At the
same time, he is not interested in selling his pastures in a green state to other
farmers. In his first attempt to conserve the pastures, the final product was
rotten, black in colour and produced an unpleasant smell.
Task
Write a message to Kagugu advising him on how to conserve his pastures.
(b) In Pabbu sub-county where Kagugu practices farming, many other farmers
have small plots of land that are scattered in many places. They keep little
money from what they sell. This little money is kept in pillows, or wooden
boxes. Some farmers do not even know how much money they have kept.
During planting season, each farmer works alone in his/her farm, and by the
time they finish, the first part of the garden they began with has already
grown bushy. A market survey indicates that an individual farmer buys a
litre of Rocket pesticide at Ugsh40,000, yet a 20 litre jerrycan of the same
pesticide costs Ugsh600,000.
Task
Based on the above scenario, what advice would you give to the farmers in
Pabbu Sub county?

Item 2.
Having realized that students in a school have preferences for fruits like passion
fruits, the Young Farmers Club decided to establish an orchard in the school farm.
Some areas of the school farm are steep and rocky with shallow soils while other
areas are gently sloping with deep, well drained and fairly fertile soils. In the
course of running the project, it was observed that the soils in the nursery were
compact, sticky and flooded with water. The pH of the soil in the nursery is lower
than the recommended range for fruit growing. The seedlings were thin with
shallow roots, bent stems and yellowish leaves.
Task
In your view, suggest the improvements that the Young Farmers Club should do to
ensure profitable fruit production on the school farm.

2
 SECTION B
This section has two parts; I and II

PART I: ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Answer one item from this part.

Item 3.
Innocent who is an agricultural extension worker visited a farm and in his reported
he indicated that the roof of a calf pen was blown off. Also, the cows were bonny
and their dung contained worms. The adult animals could hardly find what to eat
and were grazing on woody natural pastures. The only source of water had snail
shells, algae and dung. The lactating cows had cracks on their teats. Hair-like
substances were seen in the milk which was filtered using an old cloth. The farm
owner uses a basin for mixing the acaricide.
Task
Basing on the report from Innocent, how can the farm owner improve on the
productivity of the livestock farm?

Item 4.
Peter is a poultry farmer producing both eggs and meat on a large scale. Recently
he got a new farm manager and instructed him to establish a poultry breeding unit
using the parent stock he has to produce chicks for sale. However, the farm
manager was not getting the expected number of chicks from the hatchery. The
farm is located in an area with many other poultry farmers and there is free
movement of chicken from one farm to another. Birds from the neighbouring farms
were observed with cough, blood-stained faeces, mucus discharge and scratch
marks on their bodies.
Operation Wealth Creation has provided tools and equipment to livestock farmers
in the community especially for disease and parasite management.
Task
Write guidelines to help the farm manager meet Peter’s requirement.

3 Turn Over
 PART II: CROP PRODCUTION
Answe one item from this part.

Item 5.
Mr. Maberu is a farmer who decided to grow cassava on one hectare of land. He
obtained all the planting materials from his neighbours’ farms. The cassava stems
had dark brown streaks which appeared as scratches or wounds. The stems were cut
into 20 cm long pieces. After clearing the bush using a slasher, Mr. Maberu used a
forked hoe to plant the cuttings at a spacing of 3m x 3m. Some of the cuttings
sprouted but others did not. Weeds grew very fast, the cassava leaflets were
twisted, and stunted growth was observed in some cassava plants in the garden.
Mr. Maberu managed to weed once and decided to harvest the crop after 6 months
using a forked hoe. Most tubers were found rotten at harvest and others damaged
during harvesting. As a result, he obtained only two 200 kg of fresh cassava instead
of the expected 12600kg per hectare.

Task
Write a message to Maberu advising him on how to obtain the expected yield.

Item 6.
A vegetable farmer decided to grow a hectare of tomatoes. He set up a nursery bed
in a free draining area near a water source. After preparing the nursery, he
broadcast the seeds, covered them well with soil and watered the bed. The seeds
germinated well and seedlings covered the entire soil surface. He maintained all the
seedlings up to the time of transplanting. Transplanting began at twelve noon on a
sunny day as the farmer had to attend a meeting at 2.00 pm the same day. After a
week, some empty spaces were noticed within the crop rows. The plants which
survived had many branches and leaves. When the farmer inspected his crop before
the plants reached maturity, he observed dark brown patches on the leaves and
stems. Dark brown circular spots were also covering large parts of the fruits. At a
later stage, holes were also observed on some bigger fruits. At harvest, farm
workers picked the fully ripe red fruits, packed and sealed them in plastic bags. The
packed fruits were to be delivered to the market in a week’s times.

Task
Write a message to the vegetable farmer advising him on how he should carry out
tomato production efficiently.

4 END
 527/1
AGRICULTURE
Paper 1
2024

UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

Uganda Certificate of Education

AGRICULTURE

Paper 1
Theory

SCORING GUIDE

© 2024 Uganda National Examinations Board

 527/1 Agriculture theory sample responses

1(a). Sample Expected responses

Plot A (Elephant grass) – silage
Identify the material, tools and equipment (panga, molasses, silage storage,
tarplin, jerrican, basins, watering can, and personal protective equipment
PPE)
 Put on the personal protective equipment to protect yourself from injury.
 Use a panga to cut/harvest the pasture to ensure efficient harvesting.
 Spread the harvested pasture on a clean floor/tarpaulin to wilt to reduce
moisture content that may cause rotting during processing.
 Chop the pasture into small pieces to increase surface area for bacterial
action during fermentation.
 Pack tightly/press/compress appropriate material in a silo to create an
anaerobic condition for fermentation as you sprinkle molasses to increase
fermentation process.
 Seal the material to prevent contamination by other materials and entry
of air.
 For a pit silo, dig a trench around to lead away running water that may
spoil the silage.

PLOT B (Congo signal grass) – hay)

Identify the material, tools and equipment (panga, tarpaulin, baler, ropes
and personal protective equipment PPE)
 Put on the personal protective equipment to protect yourself from injury.
 Use a panga to cut/harvest the pasture to ensure efficient harvesting.
 Spread the harvested pasture on a clean floor/tarplin to wilt to prevent
rotting and contamination.
 Bale the hay into bundles to prevent wastage.
 Pack the hay bales in a clean and leak proof store to keep hay dry and in
good condition for a long time.

1(b) sample expected responses

 Land fragmentation – land consolidation to bring pieces of land under
one block for easy management.
 Poor saving culture – forming saving groups to encourage members to
save and invest.
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  No banking of money – opening savings accounts in financial institutions
to keep money safely before investment.
 No record keeping – keeping records to keep track of spending and sales.
 Farmers not working as a group – forming cooperatives/self-help groups
so that farmers can join efforts to solve their problems.
 Buying input at a high price – buying in bulk as a group to reduce the unit
cost of farm inputs.

2. Sample Expected responses

 Steep slope – terracing to reduce slope gradient and erosion.
 Rocky – planting trees to cause weathering that will produce new soil.
 Shallow soils – deep cultivation/sub-soiling to improve drainage and
planting depth.
 Fairly fertile soils – addition of manure or artificial fertilizers to raise
fertility to the required level.
 Compact – deep cultivation, addition of manure, marling, liming to
loosen soil and improve soil structure.
 Sticky – liming, marling, addition of organic manure to loosen soil and
improve its structure.
 Flooded soils – drainage, sub-soiling, addition of organic manure to
remove excess moisture and improve soil structure.

3. Sample expected responses

 Blown off roof of calf pen - Renovation / repairing the calf pen (re-
roofing) to protect calves from rain and sunshine.
 Worm infestation - Deworming -to kill internal parasites.
 Poor pastures - Planting high quality pastures/improving pastures/
supplementary feeding to improve nutrition of animals.
 Unprotected and dirty water source - Fencing the water source, planting
the grass around the water source, de-silting of the water source to
ensure clean water source for animals.
 Injured teats - Treating cracked teats with recommended medication (all
preventive measures of cracks on teats) e.g. applying milking salve to
reduce friction on the teats and to heal teats.

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 Dirty/soiled animals - grooming cows before milking, using clean filter to
milk, putting on protective gear e.g. cap by a milker man to prevent hair
and other dirt from falling into the milk.
 Use of wrong equipment - Select and use appropriate equipment for
mixing acaricide e.g. spray pump, knapsack sprayer to ensure efficient
treatment of animals.

4. Sample Expected Responses

 Fencing off the poultry farm to prevent spread of diseases from other
farms.
 Vaccinating birds to control diseases.
 Deworming birds to control internal parasites.
 Disinfecting the poultry house, tools and equipment to prevent the
spread of diseases.
 Providing a footbath to prevent the spread of diseases.
 Ensuring proper ventilation of poultry house to prevent respiratory
infections.
 Providing clean feeds and water to ensure birds stay healthy.
 Providing a balanced ration for birds to ensure fast and healthy birds.
 Providing adequate space for birds in the poultry house to reduce
overcrowding and ensure the birds move freely.
 Regulating the entry of visitors into the farm to prevent introduction of
diseases into the farm.
 Isolating and treating sick birds to prevent the spread of diseases.
 Selecting good/viable/high quality eggs for hatching to ensure hatching
of healthy chicks.
 Providing optimum temperature for hatching to ensure successful
hatching.
 Turning the eggs to ensure successful hatching.
 Providing optimum humidity in the hatchery to ensure successful
hatching.

4
5. Sample Expected responses
 Obtain clean planting materials to produce healthy plants.
 Obtain planting materials from reliable sources to ensure they are
healthy.
 Plant a resistant variety to prevent crop disease infections.
 Proper seedbed preparation to ensure proper sprouting of the cuttings.
 Use recommended spacing to provide crop plants with enough growing
space.
 Gap filling to maintain the correct plant population in the field.
 Weed the crop at least twice to reduce competition for nutrients and the
spread of diseases.
 Harvest at the correct stage of maturity to ensure high quality and
quantity of product.
 Use a hand hoe to carefully remove soil to expose the tuber which is dug
out to prevent damage/injury to tubers.
 Carefully lift the tubers from the soil and place gently on the ground or in
a container to prevent bruising or damaging them.
 Use recommended length of stem cutting to ensure proper sprouting.
6. Sample Expected responses
 Broadcast too many seeds – place seeds/sprinkle seeds along
drills/furrows in the nursery bed to prevent overcrowding of seedlings.
 Overcrowding of seedlings – thin seedlings/prick out to reduce
competition for space and nutrients.
 Seedlings not hardened off – reducing watering and shade to
 gradually expose seedlings to field conditions.
 Wrong time of transplanting – transplant seedlings in the morning or
evening to prevent wilting of seedlings.
 Empty spaces within rows – gap fill to ensure correct plant population
 Occurrence of pests and diseases – carry out pest and disease control
measures to prevent yield reduction.
 Too many branches and leaves on surviving plants - prune plants to allow
them grow to the desired shape.
 Delayed harvesting – harvest fruits before they are fully ripe so that they
can be kept in good condition for a longer time.
 Use of unsuitable containers/bags to keep fruits during harvesting - use
open and well-ventilated containers to keep fruits in good condition.