Soil Conservation

23 Grade 4 Agriculture questions on Soil Conservation, with worked marking schemes. 23 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   4 marks

   Your school garden is on a gentle slope. Describe two simple soil conservation practices the pupils can use to protect the garden soil.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Any two, each explained (2 marks each): mulching – cover soil with dry grass/crop remains to hold moisture and reduce erosion; planting grass strips/cover crops across the slope to trap soil; contour ploughing across the slope; making small terraces; planting trees around the garden. (Named practice 1 mark + explanation 1 mark)

2. Question 2

   1 mark

   Which of the following is a benefit of mulching to the soil, apart from reducing erosion?

   A. It keeps moisture in the soil

   B. It makes the soil lose water quickly

   C. It changes the colour of the crops

   D. It attracts termites to eat crops

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Gabions are wire baskets filled with stones. They are mainly used to

   A. keep chickens warm at night

   B. fence off the kitchen garden

   C. store harvested grains

   D. control soil erosion in gullies

   (1 mark)

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4. Question 4

   3 marks

   Give three reasons why farmers should conserve soil on their farms.

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Any three of: to keep the fertile topsoil for good crop growth; to get higher/better harvests; to prevent gullies and loss of land; to save water/keep soil moist; to protect the environment; to avoid silting of rivers/dams (1 mark each, max 3).

5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Juma's shamba is on a steep slope and the soil keeps being washed away. The BEST method to hold the soil in place is making

   A. terraces across the slope

   B. a heap of stones at the gate

   C. furrows down the slope

   D. a footpath through the shamba

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   3 marks

   State three methods a farmer can use to control soil erosion on a sloping shamba.

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Any three of: making terraces/fanya juu or fanya chini; planting cover crops; mulching; planting grass strips; contour ploughing; planting trees/agroforestry; building gabions in gullies; avoiding overgrazing. (1 mark each, max 3)

7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which one of the following is a cover crop that protects the soil from erosion?

   A. Maize

   B. Sorghum

   C. Sunflower

   D. Sweet potatoes

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   A farmer covers the soil around his tomato plants with dry grass. This practice is called

   A. weeding

   B. thinning

   C. pruning

   D. mulching

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   1 mark

   Which of the following materials is MOST suitable for mulching a kitchen garden?

   A. Broken pieces of glass

   B. Dry grass and crop remains

   C. Rusty tin cans

   D. Plastic bottle tops

   (1 mark)

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10. Question 10

    1 mark

    Which one of the following BEST shows that a shamba is suffering from soil erosion?

    A. Earthworms living in the moist soil

    B. Deep channels and exposed plant roots on the ground

    C. A thick layer of dark topsoil

    D. Tall healthy maize with dark green leaves

    (1 mark)

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11. Question 11

    1 mark

    Planting trees on a bare hillside helps to conserve soil because the

    A. trunks store rain water for farmers

    B. roots hold the soil firmly together

    C. leaves make the soil red in colour

    D. branches keep away wild animals

    (1 mark)

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12. Question 12

    4 marks

    Explain how each of the following controls soil erosion: (a) planting trees; (b) making terraces.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Tree roots hold/bind the soil together and the leaves/canopy reduce the force of raindrops so soil is not washed away (2 marks). (b) Terraces are steps across the slope that slow down running water and trap the soil, preventing it from being carried downhill (2 marks).

13. Question 13

    1 mark

    Which of the following is the main agent of soil erosion during the heavy rainy season in Kenya?

    A. Moonlight

    B. Running water

    C. Sunshine

    D. Cold air

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    3 marks

    Define soil erosion and name two agents that cause it.

    (3 marks)

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15. Question 15

    1 mark

    Soil erosion is best described as the

    A. carrying away of the top layer of soil by water or wind

    B. digging of soil to plant seeds

    C. adding of manure to make soil fertile

    D. mixing of soil with water to make mud

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    1 mark

    Which farming practice involves ploughing across the slope rather than up and down it?

    A. Deep ploughing

    B. Broadcasting

    C. Transplanting

    D. Contour ploughing

    (1 mark)

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17. Question 17

    1 mark

    Cutting down all the trees on a hill (deforestation) increases soil erosion because the soil is

    A. left bare and unprotected from rain

    B. covered by too many leaves

    C. kept too cool for water to flow

    D. made too heavy to be moved

    (1 mark)

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18. Question 18

    1 mark

    Planting strips of grass across a sloping farm helps to

    A. make the soil very dry

    B. attract wild animals to the farm

    C. slow down running water and trap soil

    D. increase the speed of running water

    (1 mark)

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19. Question 19

    3 marks

    A farmer notices deep gullies forming on his land after heavy rains.

    (a) Name one structure he can build to control the gullies.

    (b) Explain how it works.

    (3 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Gabions / check dams (1 mark). (b) The wire baskets filled with stones slow down the running water in the gully and trap the soil being carried, stopping the gully from getting bigger (2 marks).

20. Question 20

    1 mark

    Allowing too many animals to graze on one small piece of land leads to soil erosion. This poor practice is called

    A. tethering

    B. rotational grazing

    C. zero grazing

    D. overgrazing

    (1 mark)

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21. Question 21

    4 marks

    (a) What is overgrazing?

    (b) Explain how overgrazing leads to soil erosion.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Overgrazing is keeping/grazing too many animals on a small piece of land so the grass is eaten up (2 marks). (b) The animals remove all the grass cover leaving the soil bare, and their hooves loosen the soil, so rain and wind easily carry the loose soil away (2 marks).

22. Question 22

    3 marks

    Wanjiku spread a layer of dry grass on the soil around her kale plants.

    (a) Name this practice.

    (b) Give two ways it helps her crops.

    (3 marks)

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23. Question 23

    1 mark

    Growing trees together with crops on the same piece of land to protect the soil is known as

    A. crop rotation

    B. monocropping

    C. irrigation

    D. agroforestry

    (1 mark)

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