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AGR201

GENERAL AGRICULTURE

This course elucidates the fundamental aspects, principles, and practices of general agriculture, with specific reference to Nigeria. It explores the multifaceted nature of agriculture, its contribution to national development, and its impact on the environment. Topics include land ownership, traditional farming techniques, crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, forest management, and wildlife conservation. The course aims to improve agricultural productivity and promote sustainable development in Nigeria.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
150 hours
Maths
Basic
Content
Theoretical, practical, case study
Practical work
Yes
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of AGR201, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

AGR201 · UNIT 1 SCOPE OF AGRICULTURE

This examination concludes the assessment for the course. It constitutes 70% of the whole course. You will be informed of the time for the examination since it may or may not coincide with the University Semester examination.

What you should be able to do

  1. Explain the multifaceted nature of agriculture and its importance to national development.
  2. Identify the environmental impacts of agricultural practices and sustainable solutions.
  3. Discuss the influence of land ownership on agriculture and non-agricultural activities.
  4. Describe the trend, evolution, current status, and opportunities for profitable investment in agriculture in Nigeria.
  5. Explain the need to adapt traditional farming techniques to improve productivity.
  6. Understand the importance of forest trees, sustainable forest management, and wildlife conservation.

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Farm Manager
  • Agricultural Extension Officer
  • Agronomist
  • Horticulturist
  • Livestock Manager
Where it is applied
  • Farming
  • Agricultural Research
  • Food Processing
  • Environmental Conservation
  • Government Agricultural Agencies

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 3: Propagation of Crops

    Unit 3: Edaphic Factors affecting Crop Production

    Understanding the complex interactions between edaphic factors and crop production requires a strong foundation in soil science and plant physiology.

  • Module 5:

    Unit 1: Fisheries and Fish Production in Nigeria

    The unit requires understanding of complex interactions within aquatic ecosystems and the impact of human activities on fish production.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 45 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Scope of Agriculture
    • Unit 1: Scope of Agriculture · 3 hours

      Define agriculture and its various activities.. Identify primary and secondary agricultural practices.. Understand the importance of agriculture in food production and economic development..

  2. Week 2Module 1: Scope of Agriculture
    • Unit 2: Importance of Agriculture · 3 hours

      Discuss the roles of agriculture in human existence.. Analyze the global and sectoral contributions of agriculture.. Identify the contribution of agriculture to the Nigerian economy..

  3. Week 3Module 1: Scope of Agriculture
    • Unit 3: Agriculture and the Natural Environment · 3 hours

      Identify the negative effects of agricultural activities on the environment.. Discuss the environmental problems caused by agricultural practices.. Understand the concept of ecosystem degradation..

  4. Week 4Module 1: Scope of Agriculture
    • Unit 4: Land Tenure and Use Systems · 3 hours

      Understand the different forms of land ownership.. Appreciate the way land is used for various purposes, including agriculture.. Identify the factors causing changes in the usage of agricultural lands..

  5. Week 5Module 1: Scope of Agriculture
    • Unit 5: Agricultural Development in Nigeria · 3 hours

      Understand the trend of agricultural development during Nigeria's political history.. Identify the evolution of agricultural development schemes and institutions.. Understand the current status of agriculture and opportunities for profitable investment..

  6. Week 6Module 2: History of Agriculture
    • Unit 1: History of Agriculture · 3 hours

      Understand the origin of agriculture.. Trace the evolution of modern-day sedentary agricultural practices.. Appreciate the need to adapt traditional farming techniques to improve productivity..

  7. Week 7Module 2: History of Agriculture
    • Unit 2: Classes of Crops · 3 hours

      Understand the various ways of grouping crop plants.. Identify the primary contribution of diverse crop groups to national production.. Understand the spatial distribution of crops in various ecological zones..

  8. Week 8Module 2: History of Agriculture
    • Unit 3: Characteristics of Tropical Agricultural Systems · 3 hours

      Understand the basis for the predominance of traditional multiple systems of cropping.. Identify the external factors which influence the traditional cropping systems.. Discuss the characteristics of tropical agricultural systems..

  9. Week 9Module 2: History of Agriculture
    • Unit 4: Systems of Crop Production · 3 hours

      Learn the fundamental aspects of cropping systems.. Understand the practical benefits and limitations of cropping systems in food production.. Discuss the different systems of crop production..

  10. Week 10Module 2: History of Agriculture
    • Unit 5: Cultural Practices in Crop Production · 3 hours

      Learn about the aim, sequence, benefits, and practical application of cultural practices.. Understand the methods, advantages, and limitations of crop propagation techniques.. Discuss the cultural practices in crop production..

  11. Week 11Module 3: Propagation of Crops
    • Unit 1: Propagation of Crops · 3 hours

      Understand the methods, advantages, limitations and practical application of crop propagation techniques.. Learn about the roles of climatic and soil factors in crop production.. Discuss the propagation of crops and climatic factors affecting crop production..

    • Unit 2: Climatic Factors affecting Crop Production · 3 hours

      Learn about the roles of climatic and soil factors in crop production.. Discuss the climatic factors affecting crop production..

  12. Week 12Module 3: Propagation of Crops
    • Unit 3: Edaphic Factors affecting Crop Production · 3 hours

      Learn about the roles of climatic and soil factors in crop production.. Discuss the edaphic factors affecting crop production..

    • Unit 4: Distribution of Crops in Nigeria · 3 hours

      Learn the various direct and indirect benefits of farm animals of various types, their distribution, aspects of good husbandry and management systems.. Discuss the distribution of crops in Nigeria..

  13. Week 13Module 3: Propagation of Crops
    • Unit 5: Economic Importance of Animal Husbandry · 3 hours

      Learn the various direct and indirect benefits of farm animals of various types, their distribution, aspects of good husbandry and management systems.. Discuss the economic importance of animal husbandry..

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Review all Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) and their solutions to identify key areas.
  • Create concept maps linking Modules 1-3 to understand the historical context and scope of agriculture.
  • Practice identifying different classes of crops and their characteristics from Module 2.
  • Focus on understanding the various cropping systems and their benefits from Module 2.
  • Study the cultural practices in crop production (Module 2) and their impact on yield and quality.
  • Understand the principles of livestock management (Module 4) and their application in different farming systems.
  • Review the economic importance of fish (Module 4) and the different types of fisheries in Nigeria (Module 5).
  • Focus on the importance of forest and sustainable forest management (Module 5) and their role in environmental conservation.
  • Understand the concepts of wildlife and wildlife management (Module 7) and their significance to the national economy.
  • Review the measures for improving Nigerian agriculture (Module 7) and their impact on productivity and sustainability.
  • Allocate specific study hours for each module based on its complexity and weight in the final examination.
  • Form study groups to discuss challenging concepts and share insights.
  • Practice answering past examination questions to improve time management and exam technique.

Questions students ask about this course

What is AGR201 about?

This course elucidates the fundamental aspects, principles, and practices of general agriculture, with specific reference to Nigeria. It explores the multifaceted nature of agriculture, its contribution to national development, and its impact on the environment. Topics include land ownership, traditional farming techniques, crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, forest management, and wildlife conservation. The course aims to improve agricultural productivity and promote sustainable development in Nigeria.

How many units does AGR201 have?

AGR201, GENERAL AGRICULTURE, has 33 units across 7 modules, over 203 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is AGR201?

AGR201 carries 3 credit units, at 200 level in Agricultural Sciences.

Is AGR201 hard?

AGR201 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, practical and case study work, and it has a practical component.

How long does AGR201 take to study?

About 150 hours of study, spread across its 33 units.

How is AGR201 assessed?

AGR201 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with AGR201?

Farm Manager, Agricultural Extension Officer, Agronomist, Horticulturist and Livestock Manager.

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