<h1><strong>TYPES OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN THE LOCALITIES</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Pastoral Farming</li> <li>Arable Farming</li> <li>Mixed Farming</li> <li>Taungya Farming</li> <li>Fish Farming</li> <li>Livestock Farming</li> <li>Shifting Cultivation</li> <li>Land Rotation/Bush Fallowing</li> <li>Crop Rotation</li> </ol>   <h2>1.<strong> Pastoral Farming</strong></h2> This system involves the rearing of animals that feed/graze on forage crops (grasses and legumes), such as goats, sheep and cattle. Pastoral farming could take any of these three forms: <ul> <li>Ranching</li> <li>Nomadic herding</li> <li>Ley farming</li> </ul> <img class="size-full wp-image-31948 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pastoral-farming.jpg" alt="Types of Agricultural Practices in the Localities - Pastoral farming" width="540" height="197" /> <h3><strong>Ranching</strong></h3> In this system, large numbers of animals are kept o a large expanse of enclosed land which may be under natural vegetation or planted pasture. The animals are allowed to move freely and graze within the confinement (Ranch). It is possible to adopt rotational grazing especially where the ranch is divided into sections/paddocks. An example of ranch in Nigeria is Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state. <h4><strong>Advantages of Ranching</strong></h4> <ol> <li>Pasture and water are available all through the year.</li> <li>The animals are better managed and more protected from pests, diseases and death.</li> <li>Good quality animals are produced due to proper breeding programme.</li> </ol> <h4><strong>Disadvantages of Ranching </strong></h4> <ol> <li>It is expensive to manage a ranch.</li> <li>It will be difficult to give individual attention to each animal kept in the ranch.</li> <li>Outbreak of disease may wipe out the entire stock.</li> </ol>

<h1><strong>FORMS OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITIES </strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Growing of Crops</li> <li>Rearing of Livestock</li> <li>Salving of Farm Produce</li> <li>Rearing of Fish (fishery)</li> <li>Horticulture</li> <li>Rearing of Snail/Heliculture</li> <li>Apiculture/Bee Keeping</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Forms of Agricultural Activities in the Communities</strong></h2> Agricultural activities is any activity directly related to the production or processing of crops or livestock. The followings are forms of agricultural activities in the communities that different people involve in: <ol> <li>Cultivation and growing of crops</li> <li>Rearing of livestock</li> <li>Rearing of fish (fishery)</li> <li>Salving of farm produce</li> <li>Horticulture</li> <li>Rearing of snail/Heliculture</li> <li>Apiculture/bee keeping</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Crop Farming</strong></h2> This involves the production of different kinds of crop plants useful to man and animals. Crop plants are either called <strong>food or arable crops</strong> and <strong>cash crops. </strong>Crops that are eaten by man either cooked or raw are referred to as <strong>food crops </strong>e.g. cassava, yam, vegetable, potatoes, bean, cowpea, soya bean, maize, guinea corn etc. Crops cultivated with the aim of selling them either to our local industries or for export is called <strong>cash crops </strong>e.g cocoa, cotton, groundnut, oil palm, timber, coffee, etc.

<h1><strong>PARTS OF FLOWERING PLANTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS </strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Parts of Flowering Plant and their Functions</li> <li>Important Terms</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Parts of a Flowering Plant </strong></h2> A flowering plant is made up of two parts, namely; <ol> <li>the root system</li> <li>the shoot system</li> </ol> <h3>1.<strong> Root System: </strong></h3> The root system refers to the portion of the plant which develops inside the soil. The root has many tiny structures on it called the root hairs through which water, mineral salts and other nutrients are absorbed by the plant through a process known as <strong>osmosis. </strong> The root system is divided into two main types namely; <ol> <li>Tap/main root</li> <li>Fibrous/adventitious</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-31956 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/flowering-plants.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="322" /><strong>A Labelled Diagram of a Flowering Plant </strong></p> <h4><strong>Functions of the Root</strong></h4> (i)<strong> Anchorage:</strong> for holding the plant firmly to the ground. (ii)<strong> Nutrient absorption:</strong> Roots absorbs water and mineral elements from the soil which are then pass unto other plant parts. This is the most important function of the root to the plant. (iii)<strong> Storage</strong>: In some plants the roots acts as storage organs e.g carrot, cassava, etc. (iv)<strong> Reproduction</strong>: Some plants used their roots for vegetative propagation e.g. bread fruit, sweet potato, citrus etc. (v)<strong> Nutrient fixation:</strong> Roots of leguminous crops harbors some nitrogen fixing bacteria which helps to convert atmospheric nitrogen into soil nitrate for plant use. (vi)<strong> Erosion control:</strong> Root of grasses help to bind soil particles together thus preventing erosion.

<h1><strong>MONOCOTYLEDONOUS AND DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Classification of Crops based on Crop Plant Forms</li> <li>Monocotyledonous Crops e.g. maize, guinea corn</li> <li>Dicotyledonous Crops e.g. beans, melon</li> <li>Differences between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Classification of Crops based on C</strong><strong>rop Plant Forms</strong></h2> A crop is any plant that has a useful purpose or economic value. Crop plants are grouped into two forms based on the structure of their seeds or the number of seed leaf it contains. Seed leaf is otherwise known as <strong>cotyledon</strong>. Food for germinating seed is stored in the cotyledon. <h2><strong>Monocotyledonous Plants</strong></h2> These are plants with one seed leaf or cotyledons e.g. oil palm, coconut, banana, plantain, pineapple, date-palm, garlic, sugar-cane, cereals e.g. wheat, millet, rice, maize, sorghum, rye, barley, oats and all grasses e.g. guinea grass, carpet grass, etc.

<h1><strong>ANNUAL, BIENNIAL AND PERENNIAL CROPS</strong></h1> CONTENT Classification of Crops based on Life Span; <ol> <li>Annual Crops (e.g. maize, yam, etc.)</li> <li>Biennial Crops (e.g. ginger, pineapple, cassava, etc)</li> <li>Perennial Crops (e.g cocoa, mango, etc.)</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Classification of Crops based on Life Span</strong></h2> Crops complete their processes of growth at different lengths of time. Hence, crops can be classified as follows - annual, biennial and perennial. <h2><strong>Annual Crops</strong></h2> Annual crops are crops which complete their life cycle (length of life) within one year or in one growing season. These crops grow into maturity, flower, produce seeds and eventually die within one year. Examples are maize, rice, sorghum, soya-beans, guinea corn, cowpea, sweet potato, cotton, tomato, yam, etc.