Unit notes and practice questions
Everything here is for unit 4 of the Grade 12 Agriculture textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.
The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 12 Agriculture page. Open one at a time.
When you use it
Use when identifying selective versus strip harvesting and calculating moisture thresholds for parchment coffee storage.
Watch out
Parchment coffee must be dried down to 11% moisture content before storage and hulling.
Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 62-96, then checked twice before it went up
| Crop | Optimal Rainfall | Optimal Temperature | Soil pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffea arabica | |||
| Coffea canephora | |||
| Camellia sinensis |
When you use it
Use to compare optimal rainfall, temperature, and soil pH required for cultivating coffee species and tea.
Watch out
Tea requires strongly acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, whereas coffee requires slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.
Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 62-96, then checked twice before it went up
| Spice Crop | Scientific Name | Planting Material | Designation or Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome setts () | Heavy feeder crop |
| Turmeric | Curcuma longa | Mother or finger rhizomes | Brown outside, orange inside |
| Cardamom | Elettaria cardamomum | Seedlings or suckers | Queen of Spices (Green Gold) |
| Black Pepper | Piper nigrum | Stem cuttings (rooted) | King of Spices |
| Korerima | Aframomum corrorima | Seeds or seedlings | Ethiopian or False Cardamom |
When you use it
Use to recall botanical identities, vegetative planting materials, and recognized titles of important spice crops.
Watch out
Cardamom is designated as the Queen of Spices, whereas Black Pepper is designated as the King of Spices.
Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 62-96, then checked twice before it went up
| Stage | Process Description | Key Parameter or Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Plucking | Harvesting first 2 leaves and 1 bud | Morning hours |
| Withering | Blowing air across troughs to remove moisture | () |
| Rolling | Crushing cells to release juices and enzymes | Even moisture distribution |
| Fermentation | Enzymatic oxidation of leaf fluids | (turns copper red) |
| Drying | Stopping oxidation with heated air | at ( moisture) |
When you use it
Use when identifying sequential processing operations, moisture shifts, and temperatures used in commercial tea manufacturing.
Watch out
Tea fermentation is a chemical and enzymatic oxidation process of leaf juices, not a microbial fermentation.
Drafted from Grade 12 Agriculture, pages 62-96, then checked twice before it went up
10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.
Question 1
According to the textbook, where does the high-quality species Coffea arabica originate?
Answer: A The rainforests in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia
Why
The high-quality species Coffea arabica originates from the rainforests in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia.
Question 2
During whose reign was tea first introduced to Ethiopia on a small scale in the early 1920s?
Answer: B Empress Zewditu
Why
Tea was introduced to Ethiopia and started operation at small scale in the early 1920s during the time of Empress Zewditu.
Question 3
Which spice is popularly known as the Queen of Spices and also referred to as Green Gold?
Answer: B Cardamom
Why
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is known as the Queen of Spices and Green Gold, whereas black pepper is known as the King of Spices.
Question 4
When manually plucking fresh shoots to produce fine black or green tea, what do pluckers collect?
Answer: B The first two leaves and one new bud
Why
For a fine black or green tea, manual pluckers harvest the first two leaves and one new bud.
Question 5
What is the best soil pH range for tea production?
Answer: B pH 4.5 to 5.5
Why
The best soil type for tea production is of volcanic origin with an acidic pH of 4.5 to 5.5.
Question 6
Why is a 2% lime solution added to the nursery soil bed before sowing coffee parchment?
Answer: B Lime increases the pH level of the water, stimulating germination
Why
Adding lime increases the pH level of the water, which stimulates coffee seed germination.
Question 7
During tea processing, what is the main purpose of withering?
Answer: A To reduce leaf moisture content from 80% to 68-70%
Why
Withering eliminates excess water, reducing the moisture content of the leaf from 80% down to 68-70%, making the leaves easier to cut and roll.
Question 8
How is ginger typically propagated for field planting?
Answer: A By portion of seed rhizomes (setts) with one or two buds
Why
Ginger is always propagated by portion of seed rhizomes cut into setts of 2.5 to 5.0 cm (weighing 15 to 20 grams) having one or two buds.
Question 9
In the wet processing method of coffee, to what moisture content must the pulped and fermented beans be dried before storage?
Answer: B Approximately 11%
Why
In the wet method, the pulped and fermented coffee beans must be dried to approximately 11% moisture to prepare them properly for storage.
Question 10
What is the recommended plant population density per hectare for young tea plantations using compact frames?
Answer: C 15,000 to 16,000 plants per hectare
Why
Compact frames allow a tea planter to plant a total density of 15,000 to 16,000 plants per hectare.
The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.
Unit 4 runs from page 60 to page 93 of the Ministry of Education edition.
Ministry of Education edition, English, 302 pages
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