LGCSE Agriculture (0179) study plan

Define the internal and external factors that govern crop growth (light, temperature, water, nutrients, photoperiod) and state how each limits yield in a named local crop

Classify the main crop groups (cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops, vegetables, fibre and cash crops) and give two locally grown examples of each with their family and use

Describe soil profile horizons (O, A, B, C, R) and explain how texture, structure and organic matter content affect rooting depth and water-holding capacity

Compare the three soil particle sizes and use a soil texture triangle to name the texture class of three worked samples

Draw and label a crop rotation for a four-season cycle that alternates a cereal with a legume and justifies the pest, nutrient and weed benefits

Explain soil pH, cation exchange capacity and base saturation, and predict how liming or acidification changes nutrient availability for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

Diagnose the visual symptoms of deficiency for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron in a leafy crop and a fruiting crop

Sequence the operations in land preparation from clearing to seedbed finishing, stating the purpose and timing of each

Calculate a seed rate and plant population from row spacing, within-row spacing and germination percentage for two different crops

Outline the husbandry calendar (sowing, thinning, weeding, fertilising, harvesting) for one cereal and one vegetable crop grown in your area

Distinguish between organic and inorganic nutrient sources and evaluate the trade-offs in nutrient concentration, release rate, cost and environmental risk

Describe composting, green manuring and mulching as practices, and explain the biological and physical processes each relies on

Identify the major insect pests and fungal, bacterial and viral diseases of two local crops, and match each to a cultural, biological, resistant-variety or chemical control option

Apply the principles of integrated pest management to a written pest scenario, ranking interventions from preventive to curative

Explain how crop choice, cover, residue retention and tillage affect soil erosion by water and wind, and select a conservation measure for a sloping field

Classify livestock by digestive system (ruminant, monogastric, hindgut fermenter) and explain the nutritional consequence of each for feed choice

Define the terms used in animal nutrition (dry matter, crude protein, metabolisable energy, digestibility) and interpret a simple feed table for two feedstuffs

Formulate a daily ration for one class of stock (for example a growing goat, a lactating cow or a laying hen) using locally available feeds and state the crude protein and energy target

Describe the housing, ventilation, bedding and stocking-density requirements for one species and identify three welfare problems that arise when they are unmet

Sequence a breeding cycle from heat detection through service or insemination, gestation, parturition and weaning, giving the timing for one species

List the common notifiable and economically important livestock diseases in your region, with causal agent, main signs, transmission route and prevention for each

Outline a herd health programme covering vaccination timing, parasite control (internal and external), hoof or foot care and biosecurity entry rules

Explain the components of farm biosecurity and design an entry and quarantine protocol for a small livestock unit

Describe how climate, topography, water availability and market access influence the choice of an agricultural enterprise in a given locality

Compare two farming systems (for example mixed smallholder versus specialised commercial) on labour, inputs, risk and output

Build a simple enterprise budget for one crop or livestock enterprise showing variable costs, fixed costs, gross margin and break-even output

Calculate gross margin, return per labour hour and break-even price from given figures, and explain which enterprise the numbers favour

Describe the main record types on a farm (physical, financial, labour) and state the management decision each supports

Explain the functions of the marketing chain from farm gate to consumer, and identify how grading, packaging, storage and transport add value

Match the correct hand tool or machine to a named task (primary tillage, seedbed preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting) and state one safety precaution and one maintenance routine for each

Identify the major parts of a tractor or two-wheeled power unit and the implement hitch, and explain how power is transmitted to a mounted implement

Carry out a pre-use safety check and describe the correct adjustment, cleaning and storage of three hand tools and one powered machine

Design a small field trial with a clear hypothesis, a control plot, a measured variable and a recording sheet

Select appropriate sampling methods for soil, plant and animal measurements and state how many samples and why

Present field data in a table and a simple graph, and draw one valid conclusion and one limitation from the results

Explain the ecological principles of nutrient cycling, energy flow and biodiversity as they apply to a farm, and give one practice that supports each

Evaluate one farm practice against sustainability criteria (soil health, water use, biodiversity, emissions, profitability) and propose an improvement

Synthesise the eight domains by answering timed practice questions under exam conditions and marking them against a checklist

Identify your three weakest topics from the practice results and write a targeted revision list with a date for each item

Compile your project and fieldwork evidence into a structured report with aim, method, results, conclusion and evaluation