Pests may cause damage to crops in the following ways:
- Insect pest destroy field crops through their activities such as biting, chewing, boring and sucking
- They cause a reduction in the viability (germinating capacity) of stored produce
- Heavy attack by insect pests may lead to total failure
- They reduce the market for crops, especially fruits and vegetables
- Control of insect pests increases the cost of production
- Some insect pests act as vectors of plant diseases.
- Insect pests reduce the yield (quantity) and quality of crops either in the field store.
Prevention And Control of Insect Pests
Generally, insect pests can be effectively controlled through the following measures.
- Cultural control
- Physical control
- Chemical control
- Prohibition
- Quarantine
- Biological control
Cultural Control
This involves the use of good cultural practices in order to reduce or destroy the insect population and to help crops escape insect attack. These cultural practices include:
- Crop rotation
- Tillage
- Early planting
- Adequate and regular
- Planting resistant
- Timely harvesting
- Burning
Physical Control
This involves the physical removal of insect pests from the farm. The following insect pest on the farm, though: (i) Hand Picking, (ii) Air-tight storage
Biological Control
This involves the introduction of the natural enemies of the insect pest. The pest enemies are introduced to feed on the insect pest, thereby reducing the population of the pest. For instance, ladybirds are introduced into an aphid-infested farm to eat up the aphids.
Chemical Control
This is the use of chemicals to protect crops from insect attack, and if the attack is established, they are used to kill the insect pests at various stages of their life cycles. Chemical control is the most effective method of controlling insect pest,s and chemicals used for insect control include:
- Insecticide: These are chemicals specifically used for controlling insect pests. They may be applied in the form of solids, such as dusts or in the form of emulsions or sprays. Examples include Gammalin 20, Vector, Aldrin dust and so on.
- Fumigants: These are insecticides which are in the form of vapour. They are usually enclosed in air-tight containers. Examples include hydrogen cyanide, methyl bromide and ethylene.
Quarantine
Quarantine is a period of isolation and observation imposed by law on imported materials, including seeds, plants and animals.
The materials are kept long enough to observe them for any disease symptoms. If symptoms are detected, the materials are either destroyed or exported to the country where it was purchased at the expense of the importer.
See also:
CLASSIFICATION OF INSECT PESTS