Agriculture 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure important components of the question are not missed
• have a clear understanding of key words and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in their response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples
• expect to perform some mathematical functions, interpret data/graphs/tables and assess information for accuracy, reliability and/or validity
• consider using graphical solutions if appropriate
• show full and clear working out for all questions involving calculations
• review each response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements
• clearly indicate the question and part being answered when using extra writing space and writing booklet(s).

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify farming practices that have led to their specifically named soil degradation problem, for example, the removal of trees and introduction of irrigation leading to salinity (a)
• explain in detail the on-farm techniques that have been undertaken to mitigate the soil problem, for example, planting deep rooted plants and using efficient irrigation methods (b)
• link their recommended procedure clearly back to the problem that they identified (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding what a soil degradation problem is and how it differs from water quality issues or weather events, for example, understanding and differentiating between erosion, eutrophication and flooding (a)
• providing one detailed procedure, rather than outlining multiple strategies, for example, outlining minimum tillage, cover crops and rotational grazing for the management of erosion (b)
• linking recommended procedures to their named degradation problem (b).

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• name market specifications for their product (ai)
• correctly describe the information/feedback that producers receive about their product, for example, a report stating whether their market specifications had been met (aii)
• provide points for and/or against an on-farm management strategy and the influence it has on a market specification (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the difference between an agricultural product such as beef and an agricultural technology such as drones (ai)
• providing clarity about market specifications, for example, knowing the difference between a processing step such as pasteurisation and a market specification such as fat percentage (aii)
• provide points for and/or against how a management strategy impacts on a products market specification (b).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to: 

• refer to a relevant agricultural product grown on a farm in their answers
• provide detailed reasons for advertising of the raw product, and citing detail about specific flow on benefits which lead to increased sales and profit (a)
• use clear example(s) of value adding and the reason for its use, for example, milk to cheese (b)
• provide reasons using descriptive terminology and relevant examples including data to assess a current advertising or promotional campaign cohesively (c).

Areas for students to improve include: 

• recognising that value adding changes the raw product through a process, rather than through a husbandry practice or production method such as crossbreeding or use of organic fertilisers (b)
• developing greater understanding of any benefits or issues of relevant recent promotional or advertising campaigns for a farm product (c).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• describe the purpose of plant breeding by providing specific traits which lead to improved crop production, for example, drought tolerance improves quality and pest or disease resistance (a)
• provide specific examples of developed plant varieties and the trait(s) they possess which has led to increased yields (a)
• provide an accurate description of the basis of the breeding process of both hybridisation and genetic engineering (b)
• distinguish between hybridisation and selective breeding (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using an example to recognise a link between a trait and how it improves crop production (a)
• applying technical language relevant to plant breeding
• identifying that genetic engineering involves the process of inserting genes or editing DNA (b).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to: 

• identify relevant recent agricultural technologies, for example, automatic milking systems, drones, laser weeding systems, Agscent and AuctionsPlus
• link the features of the technology to the impact it has on production and/or marketing in detail
• use descriptive language and/or data to comprehensively validate each impact in detail.

Areas for students to improve include: 

• focusing on understanding of correct examples of recent technologies related to farm products
• broadening the depth of impact which validates the use of a technology in production and/or marketing
• relating features of technologies to their effect on production and/or marketing, rather than only providing features.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• show an understanding of the function of monogastric physiology (a)
• show the protein and carbohydrate digestion pathways for ruminant microbes (b)
• show a detailed ration with components and amounts, for example, in kilograms or percentages, including linking to why the animal required it at the named stage of production (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding what physiology of a digestive system means (a)
• being able to link microbes with the ruminant animal in terms of beneficial effects (b)
• showing their depth of understanding by linking the components of ration to their function for an animal (c).

Question 27 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• describe a fertiliser rate trial clearly, showing all elements of replication, randomisation, standardisation and a control
• use correct terminology for clarity
• demonstrate application of the experimental technique, that is, how to randomise pots, by using a drawing/diagram in the space allocated.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating sound knowledge of experimental design, including all elements of replication, randomisation, standardisation and a control
• recognising the requirements to design an experiment on fertiliser rates, rather than on fertiliser types.

Question 27 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• name a test of significance (ToS) and explain its function and role in a trial
• make a connection between the role of a ToS and the statistical relevance for an experiment.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating and understanding the potential role of random chance or environmental variation in experimental data
• developing a better understanding of significance tests
• demonstrating the ability to explain how a test is conducted.

Question 28 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• state the aim of the research study and make it clear that they have studied a paper, rather than just a biotechnology in general (i)
• use relevant experimental language to describe the observations made throughout the trial or provide actual figures, with a clear link back to the aim or purpose of the testing (i)
• provide clear reference to the results as the cause of the subsequent conclusion or recommendation for the technology tested (ii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reporting on a research study that involves the testing of an agricultural biotechnology.

Question 28 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a balanced discussion using specific examples
• use the examples given to explain the ethical concerns.

Areas for students to improve include:

• applying several specific examples of biotechnology, rather than of a genetically modified organism in general.

Question 29 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• state the aim of the research study (i)
• use relevant experimental language to describe the observations made throughout the trial or provide actual figures, with a clear link back to the aim or purpose of the testing (i)
• provide clear reference to the results as the cause of the subsequent conclusion or recommendation of the study (ii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reporting on a research study that involves climate variability or related management strategies.

Question 29 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• show clear understanding of nitrogen fertiliser application and environmental/soil microbial conditions linked to nitrous oxide production, methane emissions from ruminant livestock and other greenhouse gas production.

Areas for students to improve include:

• showing linkages between the processes mentioned and greenhouse gas production.

Question 30 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• state the aim of the research study (i)
• use relevant experimental language to describe the observations made throughout the trial or provide actual figures, with a clear link back to the aim or purpose of the testing (i)
• provide clear reference to the results as the cause of the subsequent conclusion or recommendation for the technology tested (ii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• reporting on a research study that involves the testing of an agricultural technology.

Question 30 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate their understanding of the selected technology and use appropriate terminology and examples to support their discussion
• engage in deeper, more analytical discussion that explores both the function and broader significance of the technology
• construct well-reasoned, logical arguments that are coherent and support these with relevant evidence or examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a more comprehensive understanding of their chosen technologies including the differences between NLIS and farm-based records and the distinct role electronic identification tags play in each system
• strengthening the links between identified advantages or disadvantages of the technology and ultimate implications for the user
• improving the structure of written responses by using clear paragraphs and subheadings to group related ideas and enhance the logical flow of the argument.