Explanation

(a)Explanation of farm mechanization The use of farm machinery and equipment to perform farm operations 

(b)Advantages and disadvantages of farm mechanization 
Advantages 
- Increases productivity/output 
- Reduction in drudgery or tireness 
- Difficult jobs can be done with ease -
 Amount of farm labour output per man-hour is increased/increase efficiency
- Farms operations are completed in a short time/ enhances timelines of operations 
- Helps in reclamation of lands e.g waterlogged areas 
- Facilitates processing and preservation of farm produce 
- Helps to supplement human power in heavy duty jobs 
- Releases farm labour to other sectors of the economy/ saves labour 
- Promotes specialisation of labour in a particular farm opeartion 
- Improves the quality of farm produce 

Disadvantages 
- High maintenance costs of the machines 
- Expensive to practice/high cost of machines 
- Displacement of farm labour/workers -
 -Can cause environmental pollution 
- Causes soil compaction 
- Induces soil erosion 
- Mixed cropping is difficult to practise 
- Requires skilled personnel 
- Spare parts are not readily available 

(c) Merits of the use of draught animals in farm operations
-     Low maintenance cost/cheap to operate
-     Draught animals provide manure
-     Draught animals can be used safely on slopes and wet fields/difficult conditions
-     Using animals does not require special skills
-     Animals are ecologically friendly/do not destroy soil structure
-     Animals can pull heavy loads/perform tedious work
-     Animals provide good traction
-     Animals are easy to control

(d)  Roles of science and technology in agricultural  development
       (i)   Pest and disease control
-   Agrochemicals/pesticides such as fungicides, fumigants and nematicides have
     beendeveloped to control pests
 -   Drugs have been developed to counteract the effects of diseases and pests
-   Vaccines have been developed which can be used to prevent a whole
    range of diseases in farm animals
-   Studies have been made on the life cycles of pests and parasites for their
     control or prevention
-   Various types of herbicides have been developed for effective control of weeds
-   Through science and technology, it is easier to diagnose diseases of plants
and animals
-Breeding disease-resistant varieties of crops and breeds of animals
-Production of equipment for the application of pesticides and herbicides
-Irradiation to enhance storage of farm produce
-Production of equipment to trap pests

(ii)Meteorology and  climatology
-    Weather forecasting/projection
-    Enable farmers to account for the variation in climate from place to place
-    Enable farmers to know when to prepare for farming activities
-    Determine the type of crops to grow and the kinds of animals to 
     rear in a particular area or locality
-    Cloud seeding for rainfall
-    Production of equipment for weather forecasting

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