Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops. (i) State two differences between the composition of slurry and farmyard manure. (ii) Slurry may cause water pollution. State two steps farmers may take to reduce the incidence of water pollution by slurry. (b) 18-6-12 is a compound fertiliser used on farms. (i) State the principal elements that 18-6-12 provides. (ii) State one advantage and one disadvantage of using artificial fertilisers. (iii) In the case of one named element in 18-6-12, state its role in plants. (c) Describe an experiment to find the percentage (%) of water in a soil sample.

Leaving Cert Agricultural Science Crop Production: Slurry and farmyard manure are t

Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question a - 2018

Question a

Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops. (i) State two differences between the composition of slurry and farmyard manure. (ii) Slurry may... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question a - 2018

Step 1

State two differences between the composition of slurry and farmyard manure.

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Answer

Water Content: Slurry contains more water compared to farmyard manure, which has less water.
Organic Matter: Slurry is low in organic matter, while farmyard manure is rich in organic matter.

Step 2

State two steps farmers may take to reduce the incidence of water pollution by slurry.

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Answer

Correct Application Rate: Farmers should carefully regulate the amount of slurry applied to avoid over-application, especially during wet weather.
Storage in Leak-Proof Tanks: Farmers should store slurry in leak-proof tanks to prevent it from contaminating water supplies.

Step 3

State the principal elements that 18-6-12 provides.

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Answer

The principal elements provided by 18-6-12 fertiliser are:

Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)

Step 4

State one advantage and one disadvantage of using artificial fertilisers.

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Answer

Advantage: Artificial fertilisers are specially formulated for various crops, allowing farmers to precisely meet the nutrient requirements of their crops.

Disadvantage: They may lead to pollution if applied improperly, potentially washing away into water bodies.

Step 5

In the case of one named element in 18-6-12, state its role in plants.

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Answer

Nitrogen: It is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll, which is crucial for photosynthesis and gives plants their green color.

Step 6

Describe an experiment to find the percentage (%) of water in a soil sample.

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Answer

Weighing the Sample: First, weigh a clean and dry beaker (B1). Take a soil sample (fresh) and add it to the beaker, then weigh again (B2) to get the total mass.
Drying Process: Place the beaker with soil in an oven at 100°C for 24 hours to remove moisture.
Final Weighing: After drying, weigh the beaker with the dry soil again (B3).
Calculation of Water Content: Calculate the mass of water lost:

$ext{Mass of water} = (B2 - B3)$
Percentage Water Calculation: Finally, compute the percentage of water in the soil sample using the formula:

$ext{Percentage of water} = rac{ ext{Mass of water}}{ ext{Mass of fresh soil}} imes 100$

Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question a - 2018

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Slurry and farmyard manure are two sources of nutrients for crops - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question a - 2018

State two differences between the composition of slurry and farmyard manure.

State two steps farmers may take to reduce the incidence of water pollution by slurry.

State the principal elements that 18-6-12 provides.

State one advantage and one disadvantage of using artificial fertilisers.

In the case of one named element in 18-6-12, state its role in plants.

Describe an experiment to find the percentage (%) of water in a soil sample.

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