(a) List four cereal crops grown in West Africa [2marks] (b) State three benefits of...

Explanation

(a)Cereal crops grown in West Africa

- Rice

- Maize-Sorghum/Guinea corn

- Millet

- Acha/hungry rice

- Wheat

(b)Benefits of forests to the economic development of a country

- Source of income to rural people

- For research/educational purposes

- Source of revenue to the government

- Purification of air

- Beautification of the environment

- Tourist attraction

- Source of raw materials for industries such as gum and latex

- Checks soil erosion

- Source of food

- Sources of fuel wood

- Controls flood

- Serves as wind breaks

- Provides employment

- Checks desertification

- Source of medicinal herbs

- Induces rainfall/modifies the micro climate

- Protects water bodies/water shed

- Produces timber used for construction

- canoes, furniture etc

(c) Description of the life cycle of the variegated grasshopper

Diagram of life cycle

Description

- The female lays eggs inside the soil around April

- These hatch into nymphs around October and during the 4th instar stage. they migrate into the farm and continue to feed on cassava leaves up to the adult stage.

- The cycle has no pupal stage (incomplete metamorphosis/wingless nymphs)

- The early stages of nymphs may feed on other shrubs such as Chromolaena spp. (Siam weed) as alternative host and continue until they come in contact with a cassava farm

(d)Cultural methods of controlling crop pests

- Crop rotation

- Proper and timely weeding

- Good spacing of crops

- Drainage

- Pruning of diseased parts of plant Planting pest free crops

- Proper tillage operations

- Timely planting

- Timely harvesting Burning crop residues

- Flooding

- Mulching

- Planting pest tolerant varieties of crop

(e)Uses of oil palm

- Production of palm oil

- Production of palm kernel oil

- Production of palm kernel cake

- Making of brooms Making of foot mats

- Trunk for construction