MSCE Agriculture case studies
MSCE Agriculture · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) Agriculture examination is the school-leaving qualification in agriculture taken at the end of secondary schooling in Malawi. It suits candidates completing Form 4 who intend to progress to agricultural training colleges, pursue farm-based employment, or simply demonstrate a solid grounding in practical agriculture. The MSCE Agriculture case studies are 5 cases and about 4,377 words.
1Uneven maize stand, all fertilizer at planting, and only two bags of urea left
Mr Banda farms 2.0 ha of rainfed maize in Kasungu District at about 1,200 m elevation. He planted hybrid SC 403 on 28 November, three days after the first planting rains, at 75 cm between rows and 25 cm within rows, one seed per station.
864 words, about 4 min2A thin dairy herd with poor water, no minerals and long calving intervals
Mrs Phiri keeps eight crossbred cows (Friesian × Malawi Zebu, about 50% exotic) near Mzuzu. The herd averages 6 litres per cow per day, although the same cows gave 11–12 litres in their first lactation.
867 words, about 4 min3Continuous maize on an acid sandy soil that no longer responds to fertilizer
A soil sample from a 1.0 ha field in Mchinji, taken at 0–20 cm before land preparation, gives pH (water) 4.5; organic matter 0.9%; available P 4 mg/kg (Bray-1); exchangeable K 0.15 cmol/kg; cation exchange capacity 5.8 cmol/kg; clay 12%; base saturation 38%. The field has grown continuous maize for eight years, with 2 bags of NPK 23:21:0+4S and 2 bags of urea per hectare each season, and yields have stayed near 1.8 t/ha while neighbours on similar soil who use cattle manure harvest 3.5–4.0 t/ha.
869 words, about 4 min4Tobacco, maize or soya: choosing between two plans with scarce December labour and credit
Two farmers in Dedza, each with 1.6 ha of comparable land and two adult family workers, are planning the season. Mr A plans 1.0 ha of hybrid maize and 0.6 ha of soya bean.
898 words, about 4 min5Escalating pyrethroid sprays, larvae inside tomato fruit and an illegal harvest interval
On a 0.4 ha tomato plot near Salima, Mr Chirwa has sprayed cypermethrin every third day for six weeks against fruit borer. The dose has been raised from the label rate of 25 ml per 15 litre knapsack to 60 ml, and he still finds 30–40% of ripe fruit with entry holes and frass, with larvae feeding inside the fruit.
879 words, about 4 min