Crop Protection

Question 1

What do weeds compete with? What do pests and diseases do? What does this cause?

Answer 1

Crop plants, whilst diseases and pests damage them, this all reduces productivity

Question 2

Name properties of annual weeds

Answer 2

Rapid growth
Short life cycle
High seed output
Long-term seed viability

Question 3

Name properties of perennial weeds

Answer 3

Already established in habitat
Competitive adaptations:
Storage organs provide food in unfavourable conditions
Reproduce vegetatively

Question 4

Most of the pests of crop plants are?

Answer 4

Invertebrate animals such as insects, nematode worms and molluscs

Question 5

What else can plant diseases be caused by?

Answer 5

Fungi, bacteria or viruses, which are carried by invertebrates

Question 6

Describe the control of weeds, pests and diseases

Answer 6

Farming methods (cultural means) such as ploughing, weeding and crop rotation

Question 7

Describe the use of herbicides

Answer 7

To kill weeds

Question 8

Describe the use of fungicides

Answer 8

To control fungal diseases

Question 9

Describe the use of insecticides

Answer 9

To kill insect pests

Question 10

Describe the use of molluscicides

Answer 10

To kill pests

Question 11

Describe the use of nematocides

Answer 11

To kill nematode pests

Question 12

Explain selective herbicides effect on certain species

Answer 12

Selective herbicides have a greater effect on certain species- broad leaved weeds

Question 13

Explain how systemic herbicides work

Answer 13

Spread through vascular systems of plants and prevents regrowth

Question 14

Systemic insecurities, molluscicides and nematocides work by?

Answer 14

Spreading through the vascular system of plants and kill pests feeding on plants

Question 15

Protective applications of fungicide based on disease forecasts are often more effective than?

Answer 15

Treating a diseased crop

Question 16

Describe problems with plant protection chemicals(pesticides)

Answer 16

Toxicity to animal species
Persistence in the environment
Bio accumulation or biomagnification in food chains, producing resistant populations

Question 17

Describe bioaccumulation

Answer 17

The build-up of a chemical in an organism

Question 18

Describe biomagnification

Answer 18

An increase in the concentration of a chemical moving between trophies levels

Question 19

Describe biological control

Answer 19

The use of a control agent, such as a natural predator, parasite or pathogen of the pest

Question 20

Define integrated pest management

Answer 20

Combining chemical, biological and cultural control

Question 21

Explain the risks of biological control

Answer 21

The control organism may become an invasive species, parasite, prey or be a pathogen of other species