| Pest- any undesirable organism that is injurious to plants, either directly (ex. insects, or fungi) or indirectly (ex. weeds). THREE PREREQUISITES OF PEST DAMAGE OR INFECTION 1) plant susceptible 2) pest present 3)proper environment PEST DAMAGE CONTROL 1) Plant Resistance a) Genetic Resistance - this is the "ideal"method of pest damage control 2)Proper Environment a) Favorable for plant b)Unfavorable for pest 3) Eliminate Pest a)Quarantine - usually governmentally imposed b) Sanitation - wash pots and tools, hoses off ground, propagate clean plants, etc. c) Physical Control - bug traps, screens, sticky boards, etc. d) Biological Control - the use of one organism to control another organism. 1) Bacillus thuringiensis - a bacterium that controls caterpillars 2) grass carp (or white amour) - a fish that eats submerged aquatic weeds 3) predaceous mites - eat other mites and small insects 4) parasitic wasps - lay eggs inside other insects 5)Trichoderma - a fungus that controls other fungi 6)allelopathy- secretion of chemicals by one plant that retards the growth of surrounding plants e) Pesticides- chemicals used to control pests; ex. fungicide, bactericide, insecticide, miticide, herbicide. Modes of Action 1)Contact Pesticide (insects and weeds) 2) Systemic Pesticide (insects and weeds) 3) Stomach Poison (insects only) Integrated Pest Management (IPM)- the use of all strategies of pest damage control (resistance, cultural, biological, environmental and chemical) to minimize the economic impact of pests. |
MITES
Characterized by:
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NEMATODES - eel or wire worms (extremely small)
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MOLLUSK
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| DISEASE-CAUSING PESTS pathogens - microorganisms that invade, infect and cause damage to another living organism.
Cause Damage by: 1) competition 2) allelopathy 3) expense 4) disease and insect hosts 5) contaminate foods 6) poisonous 7) aesthetically undesirable 8) parasite, ex. dodder, mistletoe |