Section B: Answer all questions (88 MARKS}
1. a. Describe any three (3) environmental factors that influence the geographical
distribution of plant species in Namibia, give examples.
(6)
b. From your answer in la, select any two (2) factors and describe how you can modify
them to suit the basic growing needs of a crop of your choice.
(4)
2. Write short notes on the following, giving examples
a. Abiotic Stress of plants
(2)
b. Genotype and environment interactions in plants.
(2)
c. Plant phenotypic Plasticity.
(2)
d. Dedifferentiation in plants.
(2)
e. Distinguish between acclimation and adaptation to abiotic stress of plants.
(6)
3. Plants have adapted to different environmental conditions. One of the most important
conditions they have adapted to is soil salinity and sodicity.
a. Describe at least five (5) factors that contribute to salinity in Namibian soils. (10)
b. Explain at least four (4) effects of salinity on growth and development of
horticultural crops.
(8)
c. Imagine you have been instructed to grow vegetables in saline soils. Describe at least
four (4) strategies that you would implement to successfully produce vegetables in
such kind of soils.
(4)
4. Water potential is represented by the following equation.
llJw=llJs+ llJp+ llJg+ llJm.
a. Explain what each component of the equation stands for?
(5)
b. Describe how transpiration and the cohesion-tension theory can explain the
movement of water from the roots through the leaves to the atmosphere.
(10)
c. Assume, you have just been appointed as a horticulturalist responsible for crop
production in Karasburg, a well-known drought prone area. You have been tasked
with selecting a crop that you can grow in drought conditions
Describe some of the morphological, physiological and biochemical mechanisms that
the crop will use for it to survive under drought conditions.
(9)
3