KCSE AGRICULTURE PAST PAPERS – 2022

KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
Paper 1: Agriculture
Date: Mar. 2022 – 2 hours

Instructions to Candidates:

• Write your name and index number in the spaces provided above.
• Sign and write the date in the spaces provided above.
• This paper consists of three sections: A, B, and C.
• Answer all the questions in Section A.
• Answer any two questions in Section C.

Mark Distribution:

• Section A (30 marks)
• Section B (20 marks)
• Section C (20 marks)
• Total (90 marks)

Section A (30 marks)

1. State two ways in which the foreign exchange earned from agriculture is important to Kenya. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Understanding economic impact.
   • Focus: Economic significance of agriculture in national development.
2. State four effects of excessive nitrogenous fertilizer application on tomatoes. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Knowledge of agronomy and plant nutrition.
   • Focus: Environmental and agricultural repercussions of fertilizer use.
3. State four ways in which burning during clearing of land reduces soil fertility. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Environmental science and land management.
   • Focus: Soil health and sustainable farming practices.
4. State four ways in which water pollution caused by farming activities can be controlled. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Problem-solving and environmental management.
   • Focus: Strategies for sustainable agriculture and pollution prevention.
5. What is meant by the term preference and choice as used in agricultural economics? (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Understanding economic concepts.
   • Focus: Basic principles of agricultural economics.
6. State four disadvantages of shifting cultivation. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Critical analysis of agricultural practices.
   • Focus: Evaluation of land use and sustainability.
7. Name four categories of nursery beds. (2 marks)
   • Skills Tested: Knowledge of horticulture.
   • Focus: Understanding of plant propagation techniques.
8. (a) What is meant by the term conveyance of water? (1 mark)
   • Skills Tested: Terminology in irrigation.
   • Focus: Basic irrigation concepts.
   (b) State two ways of conveying water. (1 mark)
   • Skills Tested: Understanding irrigation methods.
   • Focus: Practical application of water management.
9. (a) What is meant by the term land tenure reform? (1 mark)
   • Skills Tested: Knowledge of land policies.
   • Focus: Understanding land ownership and management issues.
10. Describe seven ways in which a farmer can manage crop diseases. (21 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Application of disease control methods.
    • Focus: Integrated pest management and disease prevention strategies.
11. (a) Explain five factors that influence mass wasting. (8 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Geographical and environmental analysis.
    • Focus: Understanding of soil erosion and land degradation.
12. Describe how a farmer should handle a bean crop from the time it is harvested until the dry seed is ready for storage. (6 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Knowledge of post-harvest practices.
    • Focus: Crop handling and storage techniques.
13. (a) Give two effects of low temperature on crop growth. (2 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Understanding plant physiology.
    • Focus: Impact of environmental conditions on agriculture.
14. (b) Explain four aspects of rainfall that a farmer should consider when choosing a crop to grow. (2 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Knowledge of agronomy and climatology.
    • Focus: Crop selection based on environmental factors.
15. (c) Describe five types of layering used by farmers to propagate crops. (5 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Understanding of propagation techniques.
    • Focus: Horticultural practices for plant reproduction.
16. (a) Identify the weeds labelled F and G. (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Knowledge of weed identification.
    • Focus: Weed management in agriculture.
17. (b) Distinguish between fertilizer ratio and fertilizer grade. (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Understanding of fertilizer terminology.
    • Focus: Nutrient management in soil health.

Additional Questions

18. A farmer has a piece of land 200m long and 36m wide. If the farmer plants beans at a spacing of 40cm x 15cm, calculate the plant population on the piece of land. Show your working. (5 marks)
    • Skills Tested: Mathematical calculation and application.
    • Focus: Practical application of agronomy and crop density.
19. The diagram below shows a practice in agroforestry.
    (a) Identify the practice. (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Knowledge of agroforestry practices.
    • Focus: Understanding sustainable land use.
    (b) State the importance of the activity labelled: (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Analytical thinking.
    • Focus: Benefits of agroforestry.
    (c) Why was the soil separated as shown in the activity labelled II? (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Understanding soil management.
    • Focus: Soil conservation techniques.
    (d) State the main precaution observed when covering the seedling as illustrated in III. (1 mark)
    • Skills Tested: Knowledge of seedling care.
    • Focus: Ensuring successful germination and growth.