(a) Explain the term staking in yam cultivation (3marks) (b) Describe the nursery practices in cocoa cultivation. (c) State five reasons for parboiling padd...

(a) Staking in yam cultivation

Staking is the practice of providing stakes or poles to which the growing yam vines are tied so that they can climb and spread. This exposes the leaves fully to sunlight for efficient photosynthesis, which leads to bigger tubers and higher yield.

(b) Nursery practices in cocoa cultivation

1. Prepare a nursery site near a source of water and provide overhead shade.
2. Fill polythene bags with fertile topsoil.
3. Select viable, pre-germinated seeds and sow one seed per bag.
4. Water the seedlings regularly and keep the nursery weed-free.
5. Apply manure or fertilizer and control pests and diseases.
6. Harden off the seedlings by gradually removing the shade before transplanting after about four to six months.

(c) Five reasons for parboiling paddy rice

1. It makes milling easier and reduces breakage of the grains.
2. It hardens the grain.
3. It loosens the husk from the grain.
4. It improves the nutritional (vitamin) content of the milled rice.
5. It improves the keeping or storage quality and kills insects and micro-organisms.

(d) Taungya farming: three advantages and two disadvantages

Advantages:

1. Farmers grow food crops among the young forest trees, making full use of the land.
2. It provides food and income to the farmers.
3. It reduces the cost of establishing the forest because farmers weed and tend the tree seedlings.

Disadvantages:

1. The food crops compete with the tree seedlings for nutrients, water and light.
2. Farming operations may damage the tree seedlings and expose the soil to erosion.