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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 11 Agriculture unit 1: Introduction to Crop Production

Everything here is for unit 1 of the Grade 11 Agriculture textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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4
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 1
1–18
The textbook pages for unit 1

What unit 1 covers

  1. 1.The origin of domesticated crops
  2. 2.Status of crop production
  3. 3.Classification of crop plants
  4. 4.Cropping systems
  5. 5.Indigenous knowledge in crop production
  6. 6.The origin of domesticated  define crop production related
  7. 7.Status of crop production  explain origin of different
  8. 8.Indigenous knowledge in  analyze different cropping

Short notes for unit 1

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 11 Agriculture page. Open one at a time.

FeatureC3 PlantsC4 Plants
First stable carbon compound3-carbon compound4-carbon compound
CO2 accumulation mechanismAbsentPresent inside chloroplast
Photosynthetic rate at high CO2IncreasesDoes not increase
Water and nitrogen efficiencyLowerHigher
Crop examplesWheat, barley, teff, soybeanMaize, sorghum, sugarcane

When you use it

Use when comparing photosynthetic pathways, resource use efficiencies, and crop responses to atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Watch out

Do not assume all cereals are C4. Teff, wheat, and barley are C3, whereas maize and sorghum are C4.

Drafted from Grade 11 Agriculture, pages 1-18, then checked twice before it went up

SystemPatternPrimary Benefit
Mono croppingSingle crop type on the entire farmUniform management and high operational efficiency
IntercroppingTwo or more crops in regular rows at the same timeBetter soil cover and reduced pest spread
Relay plantingSecond crop planted after first crop has grown aloneReduces risk of total crop failure
Crop rotationDifferent crop species grown sequentially over seasonsImproves soil fertility and breaks pest cycles

When you use it

Use when selecting or comparing planting arrangements and crop sequences on a farm.

Watch out

Intercropping plants both crops simultaneously, while relay planting introduces the second crop only after the first has established.

Drafted from Grade 11 Agriculture, pages 1-18, then checked twice before it went up

FeatureMonocotsDicots
Cotyledons per seedOneTwo
Primary food storage tissueEndospermCotyledons
Stored food compositionStarch with small amounts of proteinHigh protein and oil with carbohydrates
Crop examplesTeff, wheat, maize, sorghum, barleySoybean, peanut, beans, peas

When you use it

Use to distinguish seed anatomy, nutrient reserves, and botanical groups of field crops.

Watch out

Monocot seeds store nutrients predominantly in the endosperm, whereas dicot seeds store them directly in the cotyledons.

Drafted from Grade 11 Agriculture, pages 1-18, then checked twice before it went up

When you use it

Use when identifying methods used to maintain soil productivity and manage land.

Watch out

Shifting cultivation abandons the land entirely after 1 to 2 seasons to clear a new plot. Crop rotation keeps the same plot of land continuously under settled agriculture while changing the crop species grown each season.

Drafted from Grade 11 Agriculture, pages 1-18, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 1

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

What is the primary objective of subsistence farming?

  1. A.To produce crops and livestock sufficient only for household use with no surplus for trade
  2. B.To produce large quantities of food crops for international export
  3. C.To specialize in a single industrial fiber crop using modern machinery
  4. D.To cultivate large plantations purely for commercial profit
Show the answer and why

Answer: A To produce crops and livestock sufficient only for household use with no surplus for trade

Why

Subsistence farming refers to the practice where a farmer produces crops and livestock sufficient only for household consumption without any surplus for trade.

Question 2

In Ethiopia, the five major cereal crops (teff, wheat, maize, sorghum, and barley) account for approximately what percentage of the country's cultivated area?

  1. A.20%
  2. B.51%
  3. C.64%
  4. D.75%
Show the answer and why

Answer: D 75%

Why

According to the textbook, five major cereal crops constitute approximately 75% of Ethiopia's total cultivated area.

Question 3

In monocot crops such as cereals, where is food primarily stored within the seed?

  1. A.In the cotyledon
  2. B.In the endosperm
  3. C.In the root bud
  4. D.In the stem bark
Show the answer and why

Answer: B In the endosperm

Why

Monocot crops store their food primarily in the endosperm, which contains starch and small quantities of protein and other nutrients.

Question 4

Which cropping system is defined as planting more than one crop in regular rows on the same field at the same time?

  1. A.Intercropping
  2. B.Mono cropping
  3. C.Shifting cultivation
  4. D.Fallowing
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Intercropping

Why

Intercropping is the planting of more than one crop in regular rows on the same field at the same time, often combining cereals with legumes.

Question 5

According to historical evidence on early hunter-gatherers, how were the poisonous substances extracted during the detoxification of wild legumes used?

  1. A.As chemical sprays to protect stored wild grains
  2. B.As poisons on arrowheads used for hunting
  3. C.As natural fertilizers to improve soil fertility
  4. D.As dyes to color clothing made from plant fibers
Show the answer and why

Answer: B As poisons on arrowheads used for hunting

Why

Hunter-gatherers detoxified wild legumes by trial and error and presumably used the extracted toxic substances as poisons on arrowheads for hunting.

Question 6

In the historical development of agriculture in industrialized regions, which period is classified as the Chemical Era?

  1. A.1910 - 1930
  2. B.1930 - 1950
  3. C.1950 - 1970
  4. D.1970 - present
Show the answer and why

Answer: C 1950 - 1970

Why

Agriculture in industrialized regions is classified into three eras: Mechanical Era (1930 - 1950), Chemical Era (1950 - 1970), and Biotechnology/Information Technology Era (1970 - present).

Question 7

Which of the following groups consists entirely of C4 crops?

  1. A.Wheat, barley, and teff
  2. B.Sorghum, maize, and sugar cane
  3. C.Soybean, groundnut, and sweet potato
  4. D.Linseed, sesame, and sunflower
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Sorghum, maize, and sugar cane

Why

Examples of C4 plants given in the text are sorghum, maize, sugar cane, and most weed species. Wheat, barley, teff, soybean, and sweet potato are C3 plants.

Question 8

A farmer in Wolaita plants a second crop into a field only after the first crop has already grown alone for a certain period. What is this cropping practice called?

  1. A.Mono cropping
  2. B.Relay planting
  3. C.Crop rotation
  4. D.Settled agriculture
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Relay planting

Why

Relay planting is a system where a second crop is planted after the first crop has grown alone for a certain period of time.

Question 9

Why are C4 plants able to achieve higher photosynthetic rates at lower concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to C3 plants?

  1. A.They possess a specialized mechanism to accumulate CO<sub>2</sub> inside the chloroplast
  2. B.They do not require water or nitrogen during photosynthesis
  3. C.Their first stable photosynthetic product contains three carbon atoms
  4. D.They store starch exclusively in their cotyledons
Show the answer and why

Answer: A They possess a specialized mechanism to accumulate CO<sub>2</sub> inside the chloroplast

Why

C4 plants have a mechanism to accumulate CO2 inside the chloroplast, allowing them to reach higher photosynthetic rates even at low levels of CO2.

Question 10

Ethiopia possesses approximately 51 million hectares of arable land. Approximately how much of this arable land is currently cultivated?

  1. A.10%
  2. B.20%
  3. C.64%
  4. D.75%
Show the answer and why

Answer: B 20%

Why

The text states that out of about 51 million hectares of arable land in Ethiopia, only about 20% is cultivated, mainly by smallholders.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 1

Unit 1 runs from page 1 to page 18 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 270 pages

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All Grade 11 Agriculture short notes

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