Discuss two basic philosophies of pest control. How effective are they?
What will be an ideal response?
One method looks for "a magic bullet that will eradicate or greatly lessen the numbers of the pest organism." This philosophy relies on chemical control of pest populations. The other major method used to control agricultural pests is ecological pest management. This method focuses on the pest's life cycle and its ecological relationships. Building soil and maintaining a diverse ecosystem are integral to this technique. Ecological pest management uses agents that "are highly specific for the pest species being fought, or they manipulate one or more aspects of the ecosystem."
Integrated pest management begins with sustainable ecosystem management but, as a last resort, will use chemical pest management techniques. A farmer who has not used ecosystem-sustaining farming methods has not practiced ecological pest management or integrated pest management, even if he/she has not used pesticides during a growing season.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following is most likely to be found around the outer parts of a culture region as modeled by geographer Donald Meinig?
A) core B) sphere C) domain D) cultural hearth E) symbolic landscapes
An atom with a charge of +1 has an atomic number of 6 and a mass number of 14. How many electrons does it have?
A) 7 B) 6 C) 5 D) 8
Thunderstorms are usually more severe along cold fronts than they are along warm fronts.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
Productivity in tropical oceans is generally ________
A) light-limited B) nutrient-limited C) oxygen-limited D) light- and nutrient-limited E) nutrient- and oxygen-limited