Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #86
Explain in detail the term "Pest Control"
Pest control-is the regulation or destruction of organisms called pests which have undesirable effects upon man, his health or the environment. A pest-is an organism that will not only consume its share of natural resources but has the ability to transfer disease, destroy or have an undesirable impact upon man or his health. It may be in the form of an insect, rodent, weed, fungi or bacteria.
While pests can be fully eradicated in certain instances, ecological balance must be maintained and most modern pest control practices focus on the use of an acceptable population level below that where considerable economic and/or physical harm will be caused. Modern pest control methods are largely centered on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which comprises a combination of natural controls, such as introduce predators, biological controls, cultural controls such as crop rotation, mechanical barriers and the judicious use of pesticide chemicals to control population numbers.
What is the importance of Pest Control in Agriculture?
The importance of the agricultural industry globally is undisputed; it is the main source of food and the security of food supply relies on pest control in all aspects of the agricultural value chain.
Improving yield and quality of crops
Pests can have devastating effects on crops at all stages of their growth; from planting to harvesting. Aphids can drain a crop of nutrients, and infect crops with diseases that would kill the crop completely; whilst weeds can compete with crops for water, sunlight and soil nutrition. Keeping the pest populations down can improve the crop's yield and quality per hectare.
Preventing economic loss
For a farmer to have spent a large amount of money on seeds and other resources only to lose a field of crops due to the complete destruction of crops could mean financial ruin. With prudent pest control management farmers can ensure that they earn their profit margins on the crops that they produce. The reduction of damage means that food will not be an excessive expense for the consumer.
Securing post-harvest storage
It is estimated that up to 30% of food crops are destroyed after harvest. Stored grains in silos and warehouses are often attacked by insects like beetles and weevils that will consume them as well as contaminate the harvest with feces, hair and moisture causing mold to develop. Rodents also play a big part in agricultural loss post-harvest and effective pest control in these facilities can provide enough food to last consumers through the year.
Mitigating disease transmission
Many pests act as vectors and transmit a number of devastating diseases from one plant and/or crop to the next. Aphids can quickly spread a virus from a single plant throughout an entire crop. Disrupting the life cycles of pests in this way can effectively prevent entire crop fields from being affected by a virus. Pest control is essential to the efficient operation of the agricultural system and plays a part in providing people with sufficient healthy food.
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