Integrated Farming

31 Grade 9 Agriculture questions on Integrated Farming, with worked marking schemes. 31 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which statement about labour in integrated farming is true?

   A. Labour must all be mechanised

   B. Labour is only needed during one short season

   C. No labour is required at all

   D. Labour can be spread more evenly throughout the year across enterprises

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   A farmer channels effluent (waste water) from a biogas digester onto her vegetable plots. The digester is fed with cattle dung. Which product of the digester is used for cooking?

   A. Sludge cake

   B. Carbon dioxide

   C. Bio-slurry

   D. Biogas (methane)

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   4 marks

   A farmer wishes to set up a biogas unit integrated with her dairy and vegetable enterprises.

   (a) Name the two useful products she gets from the biogas digester.

   (b) State one use of each product on her farm.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) Biogas/methane gas (1 mk); bio-slurry/effluent (1 mk). (b) Biogas used for cooking/lighting/heating (1 mk); bio-slurry used as fertiliser/manure on the vegetables/crops (1 mk). Total 4 mks.

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Why should a farmer match the size of each enterprise carefully in an integrated system?

   A. To make sure no manure is ever produced

   B. To ensure the enterprises never interact

   C. So that only one enterprise ever produces anything

   D. So that wastes from one enterprise are enough, but not too much, for the next

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   A smallholder in Kisii keeps fish in a pond, raises chicken above the pond and grows vegetables nearby, with each enterprise supporting the others. This farming approach is best described as:

   A. Monoculture

   B. Shifting cultivation

   C. Integrated farming

   D. Bush fallowing

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   A Grade 9 learner is explaining to the class why their family's integrated farm, which combines crops, livestock and fish, is more sustainable than a farm that grows maize alone. Which statement BEST supports the learner's point?

   A. Integrated farming relies on a single source of income

   B. Integrated farming spreads risk and recycles nutrients within the farm

   C. Integrated farming always needs less land than monocropping

   D. Integrated farming removes the need for any labour

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   In an integrated fish-poultry system, a farmer builds the chicken house directly above the fish pond. What is the main agricultural benefit of this arrangement?

   A. It keeps the chicken cool in hot weather

   B. Chicken droppings fertilise the pond and feed the natural fish food

   C. It prevents the fish from escaping the pond

   D. It makes the eggs hatch faster

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   Which of the following is a main advantage of integrated farming to a smallholder farmer?

   A. Efficient recycling of farm resources such as manure and crop residues

   B. Removal of the need to control pests and diseases

   C. Guaranteed high prices for all farm produce

   D. Complete elimination of the need for any external inputs

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   6 marks

   A smallholder farmer in Nyeri keeps dairy cattle, grows Napier grass and vegetables, and operates a biogas unit on the same farm, with the outputs of one enterprise feeding another.

   (a) Define integrated farming. (2 marks)

   (b) Using the farm above, explain two ways in which the enterprises support one another. (4 marks)

   (6 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) Integrated farming is a farming system in which two or more enterprises (e.g. crops and livestock) are kept together on the same farm so that the by-products or outputs of one enterprise are used as inputs in another, reducing waste and lowering costs. (2 marks) (b) Ways enterprises support one another (any two, explained): (i) The dairy cattle produce manure (dung), which is fed into the biogas unit to generate gas for cooking/lighting, and the slurry from the biogas is used as organic manure to fertilise the Napier grass and vegetables. (ii) The Napier grass grown on the farm provides fodder to feed the dairy cattle, reducing the cost of buying feed; vegetable remains/crop residues also feed the cattle. (iii) Increased crop yields from the manure provide more residues and feed, completing the cycle. This recycling of resources improves productivity and reduces costs. (4 marks, 2 marks each)

10. Question 10

    4 marks

    State four advantages of integrated farming to a smallholder farmer in Kenya.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any four, 1 mk each: recycling/efficient use of farm resources (manure to crops, residues to animals); reduced production costs / less reliance on bought inputs; spreads risk / steady income from several enterprises; better/balanced diet for the household; maximum use of available land; year-round employment of labour; reduced environmental pollution through waste recycling; improved soil fertility. Max 4 mks.

11. Question 11

    1 mark

    A farmer who integrates crop and livestock production spreads risk because if one enterprise fails:

    A. The farm automatically qualifies for a government grant

    B. All enterprises must be abandoned

    C. The other enterprise can still provide income

    D. Labour requirements fall to zero

    (1 mark)

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12. Question 12

    1 mark

    Which combination best illustrates the concept of nutrient cycling in an integrated farm?

    A. Crops are sold and the money used to buy fertiliser

    B. Land is left fallow for several seasons

    C. Animals are vaccinated to prevent disease

    D. Animal manure fertilises crops, and crop residues feed the animals

    (1 mark)

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13. Question 13

    1 mark

    A key environmental benefit of integrated farming is that it:

    A. Reduces pollution by recycling farm wastes instead of dumping them

    B. Encourages continuous monocropping

    C. Removes all vegetation cover from the land

    D. Increases the amount of plastic waste on the farm

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    1 mark

    Mr. Kamau keeps dairy cattle and also grows napier grass and maize on the same farm, using the cattle manure on his crops and feeding crop residues to the animals. This system of farming is best described as:

    A. Nomadic pastoralism

    B. Shifting cultivation

    C. Plantation farming

    D. Mixed (integrated) farming

    (1 mark)

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15. Question 15

    1 mark

    In a fish-cum-poultry integration, the poultry droppings are useful mainly because they:

    A. Provide nutrients that promote growth of plankton (fish food) in the pond

    B. Increase the oxygen content of the pond water

    C. Kill predators of the fish

    D. Lower the temperature of the pond water

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    1 mark

    One reason why integrated farming reduces production costs is that it:

    A. Needs highly specialised machinery

    B. Requires very large tracts of land

    C. Depends only on hired labour

    D. Reduces reliance on purchased inputs like fertiliser and animal feed

    (1 mark)

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17. Question 17

    1 mark

    Bio-slurry from a biogas plant is preferred to fresh manure for top-dressing crops because it:

    A. Is completely free of any water

    B. Contains no plant nutrients

    C. Is already partly decomposed and releases nutrients more readily

    D. Cannot be spread on the soil

    (1 mark)

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18. Question 18

    2 marks

    Define the term 'integrated farming' as used in agriculture.

    (2 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Integrated farming is a system in which two or more farming enterprises (e.g. crops, livestock, fish, agroforestry) are combined on the same farm so that the output/waste of one enterprise is used as an input in another (1 mk), leading to efficient use and recycling of farm resources (1 mk). Total 2 mks.

19. Question 19

    1 mark

    Which practice shows integration of an apiary (bee-keeping) with crop farming?

    A. Placing beehives near a fruit orchard so bees pollinate the flowers

    B. Feeding honey to dairy cattle

    C. Keeping bees far from all flowering plants

    D. Spraying insecticide on flowering crops to kill bees

    (1 mark)

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20. Question 20

    1 mark

    Which of these is a social benefit of integrated farming to a rural household?

    A. A more balanced and varied diet from diverse farm produce

    B. Total dependence on food purchased from town

    C. A single harvest once every three years

    D. Fewer members of the household able to work

    (1 mark)

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21. Question 21

    1 mark

    Growing crops and rearing chickens together, where chickens control insect pests among the crops, is an example of using an integrated system to:

    A. Eliminate the need for water

    B. Increase soil erosion

    C. Reduce crop yields deliberately

    D. Provide natural pest control

    (1 mark)

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22. Question 22

    1 mark

    A farmer in Kisii runs fish ponds, keeps chickens and grows vegetables on the same plot. He uses chicken droppings to fertilise the ponds and pond water to irrigate the vegetables. This is an example of integrated farming mainly because:

    A. He grows only one crop to maximise yield

    B. The output or waste of one enterprise becomes an input for another

    C. He keeps the enterprises completely separate from each other

    D. He depends entirely on bought chemical fertilisers

    (1 mark)

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23. Question 23

    6 marks

    Using a labelled flow, explain how nutrients are recycled in a crop-livestock integrated farm. (Describe at least three links.)

    (6 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Award 2 mks per correctly explained link, max 6. Links: (1) Crop residues/fodder (e.g. maize stover, napier) are fed to livestock. (2) Livestock produce manure/urine which is collected. (3) The manure is composted/applied to the soil to supply nutrients (N, P, K) for crop growth. (4) Crops grow and again provide feed, closing the cycle. Reasonable diagram/arrows showing feed to animals -> manure -> soil -> crops -> feed acceptable. Max 6 mks.

24. Question 24

    1 mark

    In an agroforestry integration, leguminous trees such as Calliandra and Leucaena are valued mainly because they:

    A. Attract pests away from crops

    B. Produce large quantities of timber quickly

    C. Provide shade that stops all crop growth

    D. Fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide protein-rich fodder

    (1 mark)

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25. Question 25

    4 marks

    Explain how integrating a fish pond with poultry rearing benefits both enterprises.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Poultry droppings fall/are added into the pond and fertilise the water, promoting growth of plankton/algae which the fish feed on, reducing fish-feed costs (2 mks). The arrangement makes efficient use of space, with poultry housed above/near the pond so waste goes directly in, saving labour, while nutrient-rich pond mud can later be applied to crops (2 mks). Total 4 mks.

26. Question 26

    2 marks

    State two ways in which integrated farming helps a farmer to conserve the environment.

    (2 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any two, 1 mk each: recycling of farm wastes reduces pollution/dumping; use of organic manure reduces reliance on chemical fertilisers; agroforestry components add cover and reduce soil erosion; biogas use reduces cutting of trees for firewood. Max 2 mks.

27. Question 27

    1 mark

    The term 'zero-grazing', commonly used within integrated dairy systems, refers to:

    A. Keeping animals without any feed

    B. Allowing animals to graze freely on open range

    C. Grazing animals only at night

    D. Confining animals in a structure and bringing feed to them

    (1 mark)

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28. Question 28

    1 mark

    A farmer diverts kitchen and crop waste to feed pigs, and pig manure to a fish pond and crop plots. This deliberate linking of enterprises so the output of one becomes the input of another is called:

    A. Crop rotation

    B. Land consolidation

    C. Contour ploughing

    D. Enterprise integration

    (1 mark)

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29. Question 29

    1 mark

    In a rabbit-cum-crop system, rabbit urine is sometimes collected and diluted for use as a:

    A. Building material

    B. Source of drinking water for cattle

    C. Cooking fuel

    D. Foliar feed and pest-repellent spray

    (1 mark)

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30. Question 30

    3 marks

    Give three challenges a farmer may face when practising integrated farming.

    (3 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any three, 1 mk each: high initial capital to establish several enterprises; need for high management/technical skills; higher/complex labour demands; risk of disease/pest transfer between enterprises; difficulty in balancing enterprise sizes; competition for scarce resources (land, water, feed). Max 3 mks.

31. Question 31

    1 mark

    Which of the following is a challenge a farmer is likely to face when starting an integrated farming system?

    A. Inability to keep more than one crop

    B. High initial capital and management skills required

    C. Complete absence of any market for produce

    D. Guaranteed loss of soil fertility

    (1 mark)

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