Zimbabwe Form 4 Agriculture Curriculum

This curriculum covers a wide range of agricultural topics, aiming to equip learners with practical skills and theoretical knowledge for sustainable agriculture and agribusiness. The curriculum is divided into six main topics:

1. General Agriculture:

• Land Use: Covers forms of land use (forestry, wildlife management, crop and livestock husbandry), factors limiting land use, and protected areas in Zimbabwe. It also explores land tenure systems (freehold, leasehold, communal, resettlement) and the historical background of land tenure in Zimbabwe, including pre-colonial, colonial, and post-independence periods, with a focus on land reform and resettlement models.
• Environmental Factors: Examines the influence of environmental factors (wind, light, temperature, rainfall, humidity) on agricultural activities. It also covers water loss through evaporation, evapotranspiration, wilting (temporary and permanent), frost damage and protection, and the impact of shade. Learners also study natural farming regions of Zimbabwe and suitable farming systems for each region.
• Forestry: Explores the social, economic, cultural, and ecological importance of forests. Learners identify indigenous and exotic trees, learn about soft and hardwood timber species, tree nursery establishment and management, tree planting, and the challenges of deforestation and the benefits of afforestation and reforestation.
• Wildlife: Covers the socio-economic, cultural, and ecological value of wildlife, including the identification and classification of flora and fauna in Zimbabwe. Learners study wildlife resources, sustainable utilization methods, specially protected plants and animals, and dangerous/problem animals and mitigation strategies. The curriculum also touches on human-wildlife conflicts and the relevant legislation and international conventions for wildlife management. The role of government and voluntary organizations in wildlife management is also examined.
• Natural Disasters: This subtopic focuses on the effects of natural disasters (hailstorm, floods, cyclones, whirlwinds, veld fires, drought, heat waves) on agriculture. It also covers disaster preparedness, risk management strategies, and the use of weather forecasts.

2. Soil and Water:

• Soil Formation: Covers the process of weathering and its different forms.
• Soil Texture, Structure, and Profile: Includes identifying soil particles, understanding the significance of soil texture and structure for plant growth, and describing soil profiles and the characteristics of different horizons. Learners also use the textural triangle to determine soil classes.
• Soil Types: Covers the identification, composition, properties, and improvement of different soil types (sand, loam, clay).
• Soil Constituents: Explores the composition of agriculturally viable soil, the importance of soil components, types of soil water, movement of water in soil, field capacity, and the role of soil macro and microorganisms.
• Soil Temperature: Examines the influence of soil temperature on plant growth and soil organisms, the effects of extreme temperatures, and methods to modify soil temperature.
• Soil Fertility: Covers plant nutrients (major and minor), organic and inorganic fertilizers, fertilizer application methods and calculations, soil sampling, soil pH, liming, and the nitrogen cycle.
• Soil Erosion and Conservation: Includes identifying types of soil erosion, understanding its causes and consequences, and implementing prevention and control methods, including conservation structures.
• Water Loss and Soil Drainage: Covers drainage, water logging, leaching, and their effects on crop growth. It also explores methods to improve drainage and control leaching.
• Water Conservation: Explores the importance of water conservation, methods for conserving water on arable lands, rainwater harvesting and storage techniques, and different groundwater sources.
• Irrigation: Covers the importance of irrigation, sources of irrigation water, water quality, methods and types of irrigation, choosing an irrigation system, and irrigation equipment. Learners also explore factors influencing the choice of an irrigation system.
• Water Pollution and Legislation: This subtopic focuses on the causes and effects of water pollution on agricultural production, ways to reduce water pollution, and water use legislation and management in Zimbabwe, including the role of ZINWA.

3. Crop Husbandry:

• Classification of Plants: Covers classifying plants according to edible parts and life cycle (annual, biennial, perennial). It also includes botanical classification (leguminous, brassica, solanaceous, graminae/cereals, cucurbits).
• Structure of Flowering Plants: Includes identifying external and internal parts of plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers), their functions, and tissue distribution.
• Plant Processes: Covers plant reproduction (sexual and asexual), pollination, fertilization, germination, emergence, water and nutrient uptake (osmosis, diffusion, active uptake, imbibition), transpiration, photosynthesis, translocation, food storage, and plant tropisms. Learners also study the word and chemical equations for photosynthesis and aerobic respiration.
• Crop Improvement: Focuses on crop breeding (especially maize), hybrids, heterosis, open and controlled pollination, and the production of single, double, and three-way hybrids.
• Crop Production: Covers land preparation methods (primary and secondary tillage, conservation/minimum tillage), orchard establishment and management, legume and cereal production (including suitable cultivars, management practices, harvesting, storage, and marketing), and horticultural practices.
• Crop Protection: Covers pest and disease identification, life cycles, effects on crops, and control methods (including IPM and the use of agrochemicals). Learners also study weed classification, effects, modes of spread, and control methods, including the use of herbicides.

4. Animal Husbandry:

• Types of Livestock: Covers classifying livestock into ruminants and non-ruminants, identifying different breeds, and understanding the importance of livestock and their products/by-products.
• Anatomy and Physiology: Includes the digestive and reproductive systems of ruminants and non-ruminants.
• Animal Nutrition: Covers livestock nutrient requirements, feed types (roughages, concentrates, straight feeds), calculating maintenance and production rations, and preparing balanced diets.
• Small Livestock Production: Focuses on broiler production and management, slaughtering, processing, marketing, and record-keeping. Learners also study the rearing of other small livestock like rabbits, layers, or indigenous chickens.
• Non-Ruminants: Covers the rearing and management of non-ruminant animals like pigs or donkeys, including breed selection, housing, and nutritional requirements.
• Ruminants: Focuses on the management of cattle, sheep, or goats, including breed selection, characteristics, and management practices.
• Animal Health: Covers signs of health and ill-health, livestock diseases and their causes, transmission, and control methods (including sanitation, hygiene, and the Animal Health Act), notifiable diseases, animal parasites (internal and external), immunisation, and types of immunity.
• Animal Improvement: Covers mitosis and meiosis, the effects of the environment on genes, types of breeding (cross-breeding, in-breeding), artificial selection, and the importance of breeding.

5. Farm Structures and Machinery:

• Farm Implements: Covers tillage implements (mouldboard plough, cultivator, harrow, planter, ridger), their parts, functions, adjustments, and maintenance.
• Fencing: Includes the purpose of fencing, types of fences, fencing materials and tools, treatment of fencing materials, fencing specifications, and calculations for materials needed. Learners also explore the use of anchors in fencing.
• Farm Buildings: Covers building materials, their properties (quality, durability, strength, fire resistance, termite resistance, temperature resistance), and the design of livestock buildings.
• Farm Roads: Includes siting considerations, siting equipment, features and dimensions of farm roads, road construction, and maintenance.
• Appropriate Technology: Covers irrigation pumps (parts, working principles, maintenance) and shellers (parts, functions, operating principles).

6. Agribusiness:

• Farm Records and Accounts: Covers the importance of farm records, differentiating between physical and financial records, and preparing profit and loss accounts.
• Principles of Economics: Includes opportunity cost, farmer's choices, demand and supply, market price, diminishing returns, risk and uncertainty, and decision-making in agriculture.
• Farm Budgeting: Covers the importance of budgeting, sources of information for budgeting, calculating gross margins, and preparing partial and complete budgets.
• Agricultural Marketing: Includes types of markets (controlled and uncontrolled, formal and informal), marketing functions, factors affecting agricultural marketing, and marketing legislation.
• Agricultural Cooperatives: Covers the principles of agricultural cooperatives, their formation, benefits, and associated problems.