Name two lowland sheep breeds - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question a - 2018

Flushing is the practice of increasing the nutrition of ewes before and during breeding. It encourages ovulation by providing extra energy, which can lead to higher lambing rates.

Scanning is the process of using ultrasound to check if ewes are pregnant. This allows farmers to know which ewes are carrying lambs, helping in management and feeding strategies.

Steaming up involves providing ewes with higher quality feed in the later stages of pregnancy to ensure the health of both the ewe and the developing lambs. This helps in maximizing milk production after lambing.

Vaccination is a preventive measure to protect sheep from various diseases. Farmers vaccinate their flocks to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases that could harm sheep health and productivity.

Creep feeding refers to providing supplementary feed to lambs, allowing them to access high-quality nutrition separately from their mothers. This promotes faster growth rates and better overall health.

Shearing is the process of removing wool from sheep. It is conducted annually to prevent overheating and skin diseases, as well as to harvest wool for economic benefit.

The gas collected in the test tube is oxygen (O2).

Two factors necessary for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide (CO2) and light energy.

Photosynthesis helps reduce climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, which is a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

To test a leaf for starch, follow these steps:

1. Boil the leaf in water for about 1 minute to soften it.
2. Place the leaf in hot alcohol for 10 minutes to remove chlorophyll.
3. Rinse the leaf in warm water to soften it further.
4. Place the leaf on a white tile and cover it with iodine solution.
5. A blue-black color indicates the presence of starch.