HOW TO ENRICH AND MAINTAIN THE SOIL FERTILITY

TITLE: NOTE OF LESSON ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

SUBJECT: AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

THEME: BASIC CONCEPTS IN AGRICULTURE

TERM: FIRST TERM

WEEK: WEEK 6 and 7

CLASS: PRIMARY 4

NAME OF TEACHER:

DATE:          

AGE OF STUDENTS:

CLASS COMPOSITION: Slow and fast learners.

PERIOD:

ENTRY BEHAVIOUR/ PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE: the students are familiar with soil formation.

DURATION: 40 MINUTES

TOPIC: HOW TO ENRICH AND MAINTAIN THE SOIL FERTILITY

Units:

• Causes of loss in soil fertility.
• Ways of making soil fertile.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, Pupils should be able to know about:

• Causes of loss in soil fertility.
• Ways of making soil fertile.

TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS

• Samples of soil
• Whiteboard/ Chalkboard
• Explanatory posters/pictures
• Explanatory videos

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHOD

• Explanation
• Discussion
• Questions and Answers.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

• Universal Basic Education Curriculum.
• NERDC Basic Education Curriculum for Primary Schools.
• Unified Schemes of Work Primary Schools four Agricultural Science (MIDDLE BASIC)
• Internet.
• Lagos State Agricultural Science Scheme of Work
• Edudelight Agricultural Science for Primary Schools.

WORD FILE:                         

                        MODULE CONTENT

 Soil contains all what is needed for the growth of plants but after some time the soil loses it fertility due to excess usage of that soil for growing of crops. This lead to soil infertility.

CAUSES OF LOSS OF SOIL FERTILITY

Soil losses it nutrient or fertility through the following ways namely:

1. Burning of bush: some farmer’s burn bushes before or after clearing a farm land. This burning kills the humus on the soil then the soil will loses it fertility. 

1. Leaching of the soil: it is wearing away of plant food from the top soil by water.
2. Overgrazing: when animals like cows, goats keeps feeding from a particular land. It will be difficult for the plants to grow well.
3. Clean clearing: after clearing the bush or farm land and the leaving it without covering it with some plant. It will give room for erosion.
4. Erosion: when rain falls and it washes the soil away. It also washes the nutrient of the soil thereby making the soil infertile.

WAYS OF MAKING SOIL FERTILE

1. MANURING: use of manure and fertilizer will give the soil nutrient and make it productive.
2. MULCHING: it makes soil fertile by covering the top surface of the soil  and plant with palm fronds, leavers to prevent air or winds from blowing the soil particles away and thereby adding nutrient to the soil when it decay.
3. CROP ROTATION: planting of different crop on a farm land at a time improve the soil fertility.
4. BUSH FALLOWING: leaving a farm land for some times make the soil to regain it loss nutrient and make it fertile again.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE

• The Teacher revises the previous lesson (SOIL FORMATION).
• The Teacher introduces the topic (SOIL FERTILITY).
• The Teacher explains the lessons.

LEARNERS ACTIVITIES

• Learners participate in the class discussion

EVALUATIVE ACTIVITIES

•  Mention three Causes of loss in soil fertility.
• Mention three Ways of making soil fertile

CONCLUSION: the teacher summarize the lesson.

PREVIOUS LESSON: SOIL FORMATION

NEXT LESSON: PREPARATION OF COMPOST OR MANURE