Practical Skills and Field Work
Doing the work correctly
Practical work is assessed on technique, safety and accuracy, not only on the final answer.
Soil: sample in a zig-zag pattern, take 15–20 cores from 0–20 cm for arable land, mix in a clean bucket, quarter down to about 500 g and label with field, date and depth. Test texture by the feel or ribbon method; test pH with a field kit or colour comparator read in good light.
Crops: prepare a level, fine seedbed; sow at a depth of about two to three times the seed diameter; place fertilizer in a band below and beside the seed, never in direct contact; prick out seedlings holding the leaf, not the stem; water in after transplanting.
Animals: use correct restraint and the correct route - intramuscular into the neck muscle, subcutaneous under loose skin, intravenous into the jugular vein. Use a clean needle and the correct dose, and observe the withdrawal period. Drench with the head held level, not raised, so the drug does not enter the lungs.
Records and measurement: area = length × breadth; convert to hectares by dividing square metres by 10,000; use triangulation for irregular plots. Weigh accurately, record with correct units, and keep records clean and dated.
Worked example - plot area: a plot 40 m by 25 m is 1,000 m², and 1,000 ÷ 10,000 = 0.1 ha. A 250 g sample from that plot represents 250 g ÷ 0.1 ha = 2.5 kg per hectare.