Crop Protection

Question 1

What is a pest?

Answer 1

Anything that impedes or competes with crop plants:
- Weeds
- Insects and rodents
- Fungi
- Diseases (Aphids)

Question 2

What is the difference between systemic and contact pesticides?

Answer 2

Systemic:
- Absorbed by the plant => roots, leaves, …
- Can interfere with ongoing crop growth
- Applied to soil or foliage/canopy
- Sprayed (liquid) or granules (powder, solid).

Contact:
- Direct contact to the pest
- Spray (liquid) or granules/ powder (solid)

Question 3

Describe the optimal spraying conditions?

Answer 3

Weather conditions:
- No wind or light breeze only
- No rain
- No hot conditions, strong sunlight etc.

Crop conditions:
- Growth status in accordance with pesticide and pest

Also important to do documentation (data logging)
- Day, time
- Weather cond
- Amount of water used , concentration and dosage …

Question 4

List the components of a mounted sprayer?

Answer 4

See slide 16…

Question 5

Discuss spraying problems in terms of drift?

Answer 5

Uniform application

Drift:
- It is the relocation of droplets while they are sprayed
- Implies application technique (e.g. droplets size, pressure) –>droplet size is most influential to drift
- Meteorological factors (wind)

Question 6

Describe the relation between drift and droplet size

Answer 6

Important aspect is the droplet size for the drift. If droplets are really small, the wind can carry them really easily. Distribution of droplets also depends on pressure.
- Droplet size: most influential to drift
- Size distribution: high pressure = small drops
- Small droplets: high potentia to drift

Question 7

7. List all physical weeding principles

Answer 7

■ Burial / Uprooting (Tillage)
□ Hoe, tine (finger/goosefoot), rotary tine/hoe
■ Thermal
□ Gas, radiation (UV-light), steam, laser
■ Electric
□ Electro-static
■ Cutting
□ Mowing, laser
■ Pneumatic

Question 8

non-chemical pest control

Answer 8

■ Special machinery
■ Extra costs (investment, time & labor)
■ Low environmental impact
■ Common in Horticulture and Organic Production
■ Physical treatments
□ Mechanical and thermal weed control (weeds)
□ Collection of potato beetle (insects)
□…
■ Biological treatments
□ Natural antagonists (enemies)
□…