Plant Pest

Plant Pest – Introduction to Insects

Pests Are any life forms competing for resources Are plants or animals detrimental to humans or human concerns Are an organism which pose a threat to other organisms’ health Are parasites: organism which lives on or inside another organism obtains nutrients from host detriment to the host

Pests Can be any of the following: insects vertebrates nematodes weeds pathogens fungal bacterial viral

Insects Are members of the arthropoda phylum Damage lawns, crops and other plants by feeding off roots, leaves and fruits Can spread disease among plants

Insects Are members of the class Insecta class characteristics include: three pairs of legs three body segments two pairs of wings (typically) one pair of antennae one pair of eyes examples include: ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, crickets, fleas, flies, moths

Insects Are not always considered pests insect pollinators are essential to plant growth and reproduction other insects serve as predators and help control harmful insects

Insects Can be divided into categories based on mouthparts: chewing insects cause damage to plants by chewing foliage examples include caterpillars, beetles and grasshoppers sucking insects have mouthparts designed to pierce and suck examples include aphids, leafhoppers and mites

Insects – Mouth feeding parts

External Structures of Insects Consists of the head, thorax and abdomen the head includes eyes, antennae and mouthparts the thorax includes legs and wings the adult abdomen has no legs or wings

Complete Metamorphosis Consists of four stages: egg female lays egg larva worm-shaped eating and growing stage

Complete Metamorphosis pupa develops into adult while in a cocoon grows wings and legs adult breaks out of cocoon has identifiable insect features

Complete Metamorphosis

Incomplete Metamorphosis Consists of three stages: egg female lays hundreds of eggs eggs are white or yellow eggs hatch within 20 days nymph is the growing stage looks similar to adult insects

Incomplete Metamorphosis adult has developed all identifiable insect features adults mate, females lay eggs, and the entire process repeats

Incomplete Metamorphosis

Vertebrate Pests Possess a spinal column composed of segmented bones known as vertebrae Includes: birds deer raccoons rodents

Nematodes Are very small roundworms may be parasitic or beneficial Consists of two types: ectoparasitic live outside plants and move between roots endoparasitic live inside plant tissues

Nematodes Are important decomposers in soil Damage vascular tissue of plants, preventing nutrient dissemination Create wounds, causing susceptibility to other diseases May cause: leaves to turn yellow plants to wilt bare patches of grass abundance of weeds

Weeds Compete with desirable plants for nutrients, water and sunlight Have one of three life cycles: annual biennial perennial

Pesticides Reduce, prevent, repel or eliminate pests Control pests in landscapes, gardens, field crops and homes Protect plants, animals and humans

Pesticides Are classified by type: algaecides control algae anti-microbial control bacteria and microorganisms avicides control birds fungicides kill fungi herbicides kill weeds

Pesticides insecticides kill insects and other athropods molluscicides kill snails and slugs nematacides kill nematodes repellents repel pests including insects and birds rodenticides control rodents

Categories of Pesticides Include: biopesticides chemical pesticides

Biopesticides Are derived from animals, plants, bacteria and minerals Are divided into the following categories: microbial plant-incorporated protectants biochemical

Microbial Biopesticides Use a bacterium, fungus lines or protozoan as an active ingredient Control many different pests Bacillus thuringiensis commonly used microbial pesticide kills various species of mosquitoes, fungus gnats and blackflies has no negative effect on non-target organisms

Plant-Incorporated Protectants Are produced by plants with added genetic material scientists introduce certain genes into plant’s genetic make-up engineered plant produces pesticidal proteins, controlling pests Bacillus thuringiensisis is the most common plant- incorporated protectant

Biochemical Pesticides Are natural substances, controlling pests through non- toxic mechanisms Affect a specific pest and do not harm other organisms Are effective in small quantities Include: insect sex pheromones, which interfere with mating scented traps

Chemical Pesticides Are agents designed to prevent, repel or eliminate pests Can be toxic to the environment if not use correctly Are categorized as organophospate pesticides, carbamate pesticides, organochlorine insecticides and pyrethroid pesticides organophospate pesticides attack the nervous system can be highly poisonous are usually insecticides

Chemical Pesticides carbamate pesticides attack the nervous system organochlorine insecticides often used in the past have been removed from the market due to health and environmental effects pyrethroid pesticides least toxic to the environment synthetic versions of the natural pesticide pyrethrin

Integrated Pest Management Is a strategy to control pests uses most economical process and presents least amount of possible hazards to humans and environment Used in agricultural crops, landscapes, lawns and home gardens

Integrated Pest Management Follows a four step approach: setting action thresholds monitoring and identifying pests pest prevention pest control

Action Thresholds Are levels of pest infestation at which pest prevention and control must be taken Examples: health hazard to plants economic threat

Monitoring & Identifying Pests Provides individuals with knowledge about insects one can identify an insect as either a pest or a beneficial Reduces the chance of using pesticides when unnecessary

Pest Prevention Utilizes cultural methods such as: crop rotation planting pest-resistant varieties Is cost effective Has little or no effect on environment

Pest Control Is based on effectiveness and risk Include: highly selective chemicals targeted spraying broadcast spraying

Techniques of Pest Control Biological controls pest control which is non-toxic to plants, humans and wildlife use beneficial insects to control pests example: introducing ladybugs to control aphid populations

Techniques of Pest Control Cultural controls simple to use and inexpensive Include: mulching crop rotation planting time irrigation

Techniques of Pest Control Mechanical controls use physical methods, such as insect and animal traps, to reduce weeds and control pests by spreading less seeds are less effective and impractical on a large scale

Techniques of Pest Control Chemical controls use biological, natural and synthetic pesticides to control pests can be harmful to environment if not applied correctly

Techniques of Pest Control Host-plant resistance use plant varieties resistant to attack of pests and diseases plant breeders breed plants for certain traits making the plant resistant

Techniques of Pest Control Regulatory controls contain and eliminate pests already established in limited areas prevent introduction of pests from foreign countries restrict entry of any infested goods